Amid COVID-19, Exchange at Boulevard One Celebrates Topping Out Milestone Virtually

Project partners Confluent Development and Kelmore Development held their first virtual topping out event amidst the landscape of new COVID-19 protocols, celebrating the construction milestone for the commercial mixed-use redevelopment project in the heart of Denver’s revitalized Lowry neighborhood: Exchange at Boulevard One. Even amid COVID-19, the project’s initial phase – comprising 135,000 square feet – is anticipated for an on-schedule completion in spring 2021.

Previously known as The Boulevard at Lowry, the 200,000-square-foot project is the only commercial development at Boulevard One, the 70-acre parcel that represents the newest neighborhood to be developed at Lowry. The mixed-use project broke ground in April 2019.

“In the COVID-19 era, crews are more challenged than ever to maintain momentum while operating under strict and constantly changing safety guidelines. Successfully delivering a project that is mid-construction during a pandemic is the ultimate test of our project team’s ingenuity, resilience and fortitude,” said Marshall Burton, president and CEO of Confluent Development. “I couldn’t be prouder of all parties involved for moving this project forward expeditiously and safely, to achieve this milestone.”

Keeping with tradition, the project’s final beam was painted white and included signatures of project team members. A painting of the Colorado state flag was featured as an additional touch and an American flag flew behind the beam as it was raised. The new event form included limited guests onsite and the majority of team members and project consultants tuning in via live Zoom feed. The fewer than 10 people that attended the event in-person went through a COVID-19 health screening prior to entering the jobsite and were required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing measures throughout the entire ceremony.

Jim Ciesla, president and CEO of Brinkman Construction, shared his remarks on the strong collaboration required to face the new challenges brought on by the current pandemic, “Every project has its unique challenges. This one is no different, but add a pandemic into the middle of it, and we’re now facing more adversity than we could have imagined. What has been amazing, is seeing how everyone is showing up for the project and for each other. It has been a true collaboration to work together to overcome what we’re dealing with today.”

Denver-based Confluent Development and Kelmore Development serve as the project co-owners and co-developers. Brinkman Construction is the general contractor and Open Studio Architecture designed the project. The project represents a collaborative vision that includes support from the Denver Urban Renewal Authority and Lowry Redevelopment Authority.

“Building healthy communities is more important than ever following the impacts of the global pandemic. Our team has been committed to creating a destination where residents and employees feel safe and connected to their community, and Exchange at Boulevard One will do just that,” said Bob Koontz, principal of Kelmore Development. “With a refreshed name speaking to the core values of the project, Exchange at Boulevard One will deliver value, connectedness, convenience and accessibility for the area’s residents, families and professionals alike.”

Located at Lowry Boulevard and Quebec Street, the infill development will feature about 500 parking spaces, including a 231-stall underground parking garage, plus multimodal accessibility with a mobility hub for bicycle and scooter parking, pedestrian connectivity, electric car charging stations and nearby transit lines with connections to light rail. The commercial mixed-use redevelopment is situated on more than five acres. In reverence to Lowry’s sustainable development practices, the project plans to obtain LEED® certification.

by dandi-admin