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Littleton hires ULI Colorado TAP to review Geneva Village and Northern Gateway options
Summary
The City of Littleton has contracted the Urban Land Institute Colorado to run a two-day technical advisory panel to evaluate development options for the Geneva Village parcels and the Northern Gateway, with the TAP scheduled for May 21–22 and a written report to follow.
The City of Littleton has contracted the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Colorado to convene a two-day technical advisory panel (TAP) to study the Geneva Village parcels and the city’s Northern Gateway area and to produce prioritized, implementable recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term steps.
City staff briefed council on project history and scope and described the TAP as a focused, stakeholder-driven advisory exercise rather than a formal entitlement or community engagement process. The TAP will review prior planning work — including the downtown vision plan, the downtown development authority’s plan of development and the newly adopted vision for Prince Street — and will consider the five long-term goals Littleton has identified for downtown (beauty and welcome; connectivity; cleanliness and safety; improved parking; business vibrancy).
The city presented a three-tier study boundary for the TAP: tier 1 (the Geneva Village apartments), tier 2 (city-owned parcels including the City Center building and Geneva Lodge), and tier 3 (adjacent private parcels and Arapahoe County-owned sites identified as areas of influence). Staff told council they plan targeted outreach to property owners in the pink (tier-3) area before the TAP and will invite two council members and other stakeholders to participate in stakeholder interviews and an informal dinner with panelists.
ULI explained the TAP format: ULI staff and a multidisciplinary panel of practitioners will review briefing materials, interview stakeholders (two to three hours), conduct a site tour, and then workshop recommendations the following day. ULI provides an immediate presentation of findings at the close of the TAP and follows with a fuller written report several weeks later. ULI staff said the panel’s role is to provide an external, third-party evaluation of options, help prioritize catalytic next steps and identify implementation pathways and partnerships.
Council raised several questions about scope and stakeholder selection. City staff said the TAP will be explicit about the study area’s relationship to adjacent parcels and private owners and that ULI was asked to be creative, providing a range of development scenarios that can include majority-affordable options, public–private partnership structures, or other models — while preserving staff direction to respect prior council guidance about affordability goals. The city expects ULI to propose scenario analysis and pro forma-informed trade-offs so council can compare alternatives.
Next steps and timing: staff confirmed TAP dates as May 21–22, with the panel presentation and the later written report scheduled for a study-session briefing after the city’s summer recess. Staff will circulate a proposed stakeholder list and hold limited targeted outreach to adjacent property owners in April–May. Council members agreed two councilors should be invited to participate in the panel dinner and stakeholder interviews; staff will place calendar holds for the TAP dates.
Ending: Council and staff said the TAP is intended to accelerate a disciplined, third-party evaluation of development choices for Geneva Village and the Northern Gateway and to produce concrete, prioritized options for council consideration.
