Republished from December 2007 Looking at Lakewood
Master Plan for Future of Federal Center to be Completed in 2008

Change is coming to the Denver Federal Center in more ways than one. Besides the construction of the St. Anthony West Hospital and the West Corridor light rail station, a plan that will frame additional development on the Federal Center for the next 20 years is nearing completion.

Early in 2008, the U.S. General Services Administration is expected to release the Final Master Site Plan and the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 640-acre Federal Center. The GSA manages the Federal Center, and the environmental review is performed on the master plan to evaluate the potential impacts of executing the plan.

The GSA and the tenants on the Federal Center are interested in seeing new projects or uses at the center in part as a way to update and replace aging facilities.

The site plan is a long-term vision for development, which will occur in stages during the coming decades. It also sets forth a clear strategy for meeting the current and future needs of the federal agencies on the center and the larger community. Lakewood wants to see the Federal Center continue as a major employment complex.

Under the plan, the Federal Center would remain home to one of the largest concentrations of federal agencies outside Washington, D.C. But the center has vacant parcels and other areas that could also become home to developments serving a variety of companies and citizens.

A draft of the site plan was released last April for public comment. The draft outlines three alternatives for the future, which are two development concepts and a "no action" alternative. More than 350 people also attended a series of community meetings last May to hear more about the three alternatives under consideration.

More than 330 comments covering a wide range of topics were received on the draft plan by the end of the comment period last June. The GSA and its team of consultants have been working to review and consider the comments, evaluate and respond to questions and concerns, and develop a "preferred alternative" for the Final Master Site Plan and environmental review. Once the final plan is released, a Record of Decision will be filed, clearing the way for GSA to begin bringing new uses to the Federal Center.

Key components of the "preferred alternative" include:

• A mix of land-use districts centered around a "Federal Quad."
• Transit Oriented Development with higher-density, pedestrian-friendly districts in proximity to and around the new Regional Transportation District's light rail and bus station for the Federal Center.
• A stepped-down density pattern from the north to the south on the Federal Center approaching West Alameda Avenue, and from the west to the east approaching Kipling Street, integrating new uses with existing development. Stepped-down density means buildings with higher density transitioning to development with lower density.
• Increased community recreational amenities for federal tenants and the general public in both active and passive open space.
• An aggressive building demolition and replacement plan.

To view the preferred plan or for additional information about the plan and the environmental review, visit www.gsa.gov/dfcsiteplan.
For additional information, contact Lisa Morpurgo, GSA senior project manager, at 303-236-8000 ext. 5039.