Highlights:
- RedPeak Properties developed One City Block.
- The 302-unit apartment community is in Uptown.
- It is the first Silver LEED certified community by RedPeak.
One City Block
One City Block, a luxury apartment building developed by Denver-based RedPeak Properties in the increasingly trendy Uptown neighborhood, has received a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
It is the first LEED certification for an apartment community developed by RedPeak, although its Seasons of Cherry Creek was certified as Built Green by the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver.
All future RedPeak developments will meet LEED standards.
RedPeak was shooting for a Silver LEED designation for the 302-unit One City Block that opened last September at East 18th and 19th avenue and Logan and Pennsylvania streets.
“Sustainability is a priority for our company, so much so that we have stated it as one of our goals to ‘strike a balance between ‘People, Planet and Profits,’ ” said Mike Zoellner, CEO of RedPeak.
“One City Block is a carefully designed apartment community in a historic Denver neighborhood,” Zoellner continued.
“We’re very proud that it has taken a classic, urban form that reflects the character and charm of the surrounding area, while also achieving a very high standard in regards to important sustainability requirements and measurements,” he added.
“It is a property that will leave a lasting impression on Uptown as a great place to live,” Zoellner said.
RedPeak just conducted a survey of the residents of One City Block, which is 92 percent leased and 85 percent occupied and it found that 76 percent of the respondents said it was “somewhat to very important” to live in a LEED building. Consultants told RedPeak that residents will likely, on average, experience a 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in energy bills from an apartment unit built to local codes.
Silver Leed Shines
One City Block, in order to earn the Silver designation, met a long list of requirements, and scored especially high in categories including:
- Community connectivity;
- Site selection;
- Alternative transportation options;
- Water use reduction;
- Optimal energy performance;
- And and the use of regional materials.
Specific sustainable practices and materials included:
- Heavy use of regional materials;
- Construction debris separation and recycling;
- Wired for electric car charging stations;
- Low E double pane thermal windows, low VOC paint and carpets;
- Drought tolerant planting material that uses much less water;
- Super high-efficiency hot water heaters;
- Low flow plumbing fixtures;
- Dual flush toilets;
- And hand dryers in common area bathrooms, instead of using paper towels.
Units in One City Block range in size from 459 square feet to 1,153 square feet. The average unit has slightly less than 700 square feet. Monthly rents range from $1,250 for a studio to $2,600 for a two-bedroom.
Denver-based Davis Partnership designed One City Block.
New community, historic roots
One City Block’s urban design was heavily influenced by early Denver architect, Frank Edbrooke, who has been referred to as the “Dean of Denver Architects.”
Edbrooke was responsible for the design of several local iconic buildings including the Brown Palace, the Oxford Hotel and the Tabor Grand Opera House.
One City Block includes four buildings that are named after downtown Denver parks — Congress, Benedict, Washington and Commons.
Meandering, communal courtyards provide residents with quiet areas to relax, meet their neighbors and enjoy an urban oasis.
It is an easy walk to downtown Denver and the hospital district from One City Park.
More than 90 percent of the residents at One City Block were aware of the LEED Silver designation.
However, only 3 percent of them said it was the most important reason why they picked One City Block.
The most important factors to the renters were the location and amenities.
Interested in buying a home in Uptown? Please visit COhomefinder.com.
Have a story idea or real estate tip? Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com. InsideRealEstateNews.com is sponsored by Universal Lending, Land Title Guarantee and 8z Real Estate. To read more articles by John Rebchook, subscribe to the Colorado Real Estate Journal.
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