City planners outline long‑range vision for Midtown Centennial, highlighting parks, connectivity and redevelopment potential

David King, senior planner for the City of Centennial, presented an update on Midtown Centennial at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting June 25, laying out a 50‑year vision emphasizing parks, trails, multimodal connections and a framework to guide future redevelopment.

King said the work is rooted in the city’s comprehensive plan, Centennial Next, and the city’s strategic plan and relies on consulting studies from EPS (Economic & Planning Systems) and Civitas to model market and fiscal outcomes for different land‑use scenarios.

EPS’s fiscal and market review, King said, shows Midtown is still the city’s primary employment hub but that office has weakened: vacancy in Midtown is now just over 24% (up from under 10% in 2016), rental rates have fallen, and recent sales indicate steep declines in office property values. King cited two examples: 9201 E. Dry Creek (previously Arrow Electronics) sold last year for about $12 million (it sold for roughly $40 million in 2019), and the Waterview 1–3 office complex sold last year for about $27 million versus about $67 million in 2014. "There is under utilized land within Midtown. That's clear from EPS's work," King said.

Why it matters: King told…