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Council clears Regis Village PUD and updates campus zoning, citing long outreach and housing potential
Summary
Council approved a planned unit development (PUD G37) for roughly 24 acres at Regis University and simultaneously moved the university's core campus into the new campus zoning (EI‑2). CPD and university representatives said years of outreach informed design standards, parkway setbacks and street‑level activation goals.
Denver City Council voted Dec. 8 to approve a customized planned unit development for the Regis Village site and to rezone the core Regis campus into the new campus zoning district.
CPD senior planner Tony Lechuga presented the PUD (G37) as a blend of a campus district and an urban mixed‑use corridor. The proposal includes restoring a 20‑foot parkway setback along Federal Boulevard, stronger requirements for street‑level active uses on the Federal frontage, a base zoning comparable to UMX‑3 with a 70‑foot height allowance (with incentives up to 95 feet), and an allowance to include clinical/hospital uses to support Regis’ health programs. The PUD was developed after a multi‑year large development review process, three rounds of public outreach and a planning‑board recommendation.
University representatives, students and nearby institutions urged approval. Regis interim president Father Scott Hendrickson said the rezoning will help the university sustain scholarships and education programs, and Arrupe Jesuit High School’s president cited deep institutional partnerships and career pathways that benefit local students. Registrants from neighborhood organizations gave mixed responses: some RNOs supported the plan and the infrastructure improvements it anticipates; the Berkeley‑Regis United Neighbors (BRUN) expressed disappointment that the PUD did not include a binding development plan showing specific housing quantities and use splits, and asked for ongoing engagement as site plans are refined.
CPD and project consultants said the PUD intentionally leaves flexibility for multiple outcomes (campus‑anchored uses, mixed use housing, or a small clinic) but includes mandatory design controls (parkway setback, limits to drive‑through uses, street‑level activation along Federal). The city will require a high impact development compliance plan when a private development partner is selected and site plans are submitted; CPD staff said those actions will trigger additional neighborhood notice and review.
Council voted to approve both the PUD (Council Bill 16‑35) and the campus zoning update (Council Bill 16‑36), finding the proposals consistent with Blueprint Denver and Comprehensive Plan 2040 and noting the planning board’s unanimous recommendation. Councilmembers stressed the need for continued neighborhood engagement during implementation and said CPD would require the developer to work with HOST on affordable housing commitments when specific site plans are proposed.
Councilmember Sandoval, whose district includes the site, emphasized the long timeline for the work and her office’s ongoing involvement: “We’ve been working on this for years; this is a big parcel and we need the zoning in place so development can proceed in a way that benefits North Denver.”
