Broomfield staff, consultants warn Interlochen office district facing structural decline; staff to study taller residential options

Consultants and city staff told the City and County of Broomfield City Council that the US 36 West/Interlochen corridor — including Flatiron Crossing, Interlochen and Arista — is a major local employment center that faces structural challenges as office demand changes.

The consultants, Chris Brewer and Sarah Murphy of AECOM, and Robert Smith, director of economic vitality, said the area contains many older office buildings built in the 1980s and 1990s whose design and parking configurations make them difficult and costly to adapt to today’s market. "Many of the buildings, single use, single occupancy, the market isn't looking at those buildings the same way," Brewer said, adding that properties with large floor plates and surface parking often require substantial renovation or demolition to be repurposed.

Why it matters: More than half of Broomfield jobs are located in the study area, and property tax values tied to older office buildings have been under pressure. Consultants and staff said any decline in assessed values for office properties could reduce the city’s property tax…