Lakewood staff, developer outline proposed 'The Bend' at former Federal Center site; sewer, affordable housing, CAR 25 and parkland key issues

City staff and the developer presented conceptual plans for a large mixed‑use redevelopment called “The Bend” (the former Federal Center parcel) during a joint Lakewood City Council and Lakewood Reinvestment Authority meeting on April 21. The presentation covered a preliminary site concept, affordable‑housing commitments, parkland and open‑space proposals, the proposed public exhibition of historic streetcar CAR 25, environmental remediation and alternatives for sanitary sewer service.

Travis Parker, the city’s chief of sustainability and community development, said the parcel sits south of U.S. 6, east of Union Boulevard and north of St. Anthony’s Hospital and the RTD Federal Center light‑rail station. The developer’s early concept shows multiple mid‑rise, mixed‑use buildings, with parking largely in wrapped garages and ground‑floor retail lining a central spine. Parker described the concept as “transit‑oriented,” designed to connect directly to the Federal Center light‑rail stop.

Build‑out numbers differed during the session. Parker’s slide referenced an ``ultimate build out’’ figure described in the presentation as “between 4,150 units in total” alongside nearly 100,000 square feet of retail; later in the discussion the developer and city staff described a full build‑out scenario of about 2,150 residential units. The discrepancy was recorded in the meeting transcript, and staff did not resolve it during the April 21 briefing. The record shows both figures were presented and should be treated as distinct statements until the developer’s project plans are finalized.

Affordable housing and parkland: Tracy Wheeland, the city’s community resources director, outlined the Parkland Dedication Ordinance calculation that applies to this application (the project is subject to the city’s February 2018 Parkland Dedication Ordinance because of the application date). Wheeland summarized the ordinance calculation on the conceptual plan as starting with 2,149 units and a multifamily population factor of 1.5, producing an acreage requirement of 17.73 acres or an equivalent fee/improvement‑in‑lieu valuation of about $7.67 million.

Whee land described a proposed package of dedications and improvements with a combined value near $7.7 million: roughly 3 acres in the northeast proposed as a dog park (estimated value $1.75 million); about 3 acres of plazas and public access easement (estimated $2.95 million); and a climate‑controlled exhibition and event space tied to historic streetcar “CAR 25” (approximately 5,000 square feet, valued at about $3.0 million). Wheeland said the city is seeking public access easements and acquisitions rather than only a fee‑in‑lieu.

CAR 25: Wheeland said CAR 25 is a 1911 restored artifact listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. The car is currently stored behind the Federal Center fence in Building 78 with limited public access; the proposal would house CAR 25 inside a climate‑controlled building with continuous public viewing behind glass, an overhead catenary track (historically accurate), dedicated garage parking, and about 5,000 square feet of city program/rental space. Wheeland said the proposed location would offer more frequent public events (monthly, rather than the single annual event the car currently supports).

Environmental remediation: Scott Waldemeyer, an environmental consultant with Vertex Companies working for the developer, described the site’s environmental history and the cleanup status. He said the property is effectively divided: the southern portion (south of Fourth Avenue and along Routt Street) has been extensively investigated and was issued “no further action” letters by state regulators, making it suitable for unrestricted reuse. The northern area, including a landfill cover area north of Fourth Avenue, retains impacted soil (metals, petroleum breakdown products and assumed asbestos). Waldemeyer said the developer has submitted a corrective action plan addendum and a materials‑handling plan to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the city. He described active oversight by state regulators and said remediation and handling procedures — including wetting, covering spoil piles, sampling and staged removal — will be used to limit dust and exposure during earthwork.

Sewer and service boundaries: Max Kirschbaum, public works director, explained the property is fully inside the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District for sewer service. Because the developer asked Lakewood to consider providing sewer service, staff evaluated whether the Lakewood Sewer Utility could connect to the site. Kirschbaum said Green Mountain’s board tabled a request and the developer has filed a claim in district court. Lakewood staff concluded it is feasible for the Lakewood Sewer Utility to provide service, but doing so would require upstream and downstream sewer main upgrades paid by the applicant. Kirschbaum outlined the likely approval sequence the developer would need to follow: (1) obtain exclusion from Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District, (2) secure approval from the Metro Water Recovery board (regional wastewater authority), and (3) return to Lakewood City Council to include the property in Lakewood’s sewer service area. Kirschbaum and staff said those upgrades and the district‑level steps would be at the applicant’s expense and that the applicant’s proposed metro district would be responsible for construction, operation and maintenance of on‑site sewer infrastructure up to the point of connection.

Other technical matters and timing: Staff and the developer said the project remains conceptual: traffic studies and preliminary roadway designs have been prepared (work on Union Boulevard/6th Avenue left‑turn improvements and a roundabout on the project spine were described), parking is being planned predominately in structured garages and the conceptual parking assumption shown on the plan was about 1.5 stalls per unit. Water service discussions with Consolidated Mutual Water Company were described as feasible but more costly because looped water service would require crossing U.S. 6.

Next steps and council signals: Staff identified several future items that will require formal action by the city: parkland dedication approvals and agreements, the LRA’s and city council’s review of an Urban Renewal Area and a proposed Bend Metro District (both described as quasi‑judicial and scheduled for hearings in May), and a potential future council action to include the property in Lakewood’s sewer utility if the Green Mountain exclusion and Metro Water Recovery approvals move forward. Council members were asked for a nonbinding indication of support about exploring Lakewood sewer service as a fallback; council members signaled general openness to permitting Lakewood Sewer Utility service if the required legal and infrastructure steps were followed.

Ending: City staff and the developer described The Bend as a long‑term redevelopment that will require multiple regulatory reviews, environmental remediation oversight and intergovernmental negotiations. No council votes were taken April 21; staff and the developer said formal legislative and quasi‑judicial processes will follow in May and subsequent city review and permitting steps.