Thornton outlines shopping-center remediation, seeks community input on interim branding and PDO zoning
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Summary
City staff said remediation at the city-owned Thornton Shopping Center will begin with mobilization on the 26th and removal of roughly 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil (about 500 truckloads), and asked council to endorse a legislative plan-development-overlay (PDO) and community engagement on interim branding and interim uses.
City economic development staff reported progress on the redevelopment of the Thornton Shopping Center and outlined a remediation, engagement and zoning strategy for council direction.
Chad Howell and Adam Krueger told council that since taking title in 2024 the city has relocated tenants, assessed redevelopment options and completed remediation design. Active remediation is slated to begin with equipment mobilization on the 26th. Staff estimated removal of about 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated media and said that dewatering and hauling could translate to roughly 500 truckloads over the spring and summer.
On-site work will begin with asbestos and utilities abatement, then excavation of the primary hot spot. Staff said they will place a carbon-rich amendment in the excavation before backfilling to help degrade any remaining contamination, and will install infrastructure for a groundwater remedial system; groundwater monitoring and treatment are expected to continue for several years after above-grade construction.
Staff recommended pursuing a legislative, block-scale plan development overlay (PDO) to make the site more attractive to developers by allowing higher density, more by-right uses and relaxed parking requirements. City attorney and planning staff explained a legislative approach reduces quasi-judicial constraints and lets council and staff set policy and forward-looking standards for a larger area rather than a single parcel.
On branding and interim activation, staff described a community-driven naming exercise (122 responses from a 1.5-mile outreach radius) and suggested council take a top-5 name direction or defer to a community meeting planned for Feb. 18. Several council members cautioned against choosing an interim brand before interim uses and remediation details are firmer, and recommended using the Feb. 18 community meeting to collect final input and votes.
Council members also raised the possibility of small, post-remediation pop-up events (art fairs, food trucks, Better Block-style activations) to bring residents back to the site while longer-term redevelopment work proceeds.
Whats next: Staff will mobilize remediation, continue quarterly monitoring with CDPHE oversight, hold a community meeting on Feb. 18 to update residents and gather direction on interim branding and prohibited uses, and return with refined PDO language and budget tracking.
