REAL ESTATE
The Mile High Line
The Mile High Line is a collection of connected places built around a shared promise. It will physically connect Denver’s neighborhoods, from some of our most historic communities to the new places we’re building together, through bike paths, public transit, and parks. But more importantly, it reflects a shared commitment: that as Denver grows, we’ll grow together, building one connected city where every neighborhood has access to housing, jobs, parks, reliable transit, and, above all, opportunity.
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Mayors-Office/Programs-and-Initiatives/The-Mile-High-Line
Denver tenants are starting to capitalize on downtown’s struggling office market
For the last several years, Cherry Creek North has been Denver’s strongest office market, registering 12.8% office vacancy in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the city’s 28.7% overall office vacancy rate, according to CBRE. As a result, rents are high there, with Cullen noting office leasing in Cherry Creek can be “well north” of $100 per square foot. Downtown Denver’s highest level, Class AA office buildings, offer rates at half those in the Cherry Creek area. Cherry Creek’s popularity has also led to many construction projects. Downtown’s quiet development front could actually attract companies that want a nice space at a discount with less construction nearby, Cullen said. “That’s a lot of the decisions that I think we’re going to see coming up,” he said. “Especially as these renewals in Cherry Creek start to go and these rents start to really set in for folks, we’ll see some more people coming into downtown, which is great.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/19/denver-office-market-insights-shift-downtown.html
Denver Water supply and water use update
Denver Water’s collection and service areas continue to face severe drought conditions, with historically low snowpack. Denver Water depends on mountain snowpack for its water supply, which serves 1.5 million people in Denver and surrounding suburbs. As a result, on March 25, 2026, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners declared a Stage 1 drought, seeking a 20% reduction in water use to preserve water levels and avoid even stricter mandatory restrictions later this summer. On April 8, 2026, the board approved the implementation of temporary drought pricing, starting with May water use and reflected in June bills, to signal the premium value of water during droughts and help incentivize customers to save water.
https://www.denverwater.org/tap/denver-water-snowpack-and-water-supply-update
U.S. Apartment Market Gains Momentum as Occupancy and Demand Improve
For the first time in three years, annual apartment supply volumes dropped below the decade norm. Roughly 340,200 units delivered across the U.S. in the year-ending 2nd quarter 2026, including roughly 77,700 units in the April to June time frame, specifically. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of declining annual supply after deliveries peaked near 588,000 units in late 2024. With supply trending downward, U.S. apartment occupancy has been able to recover a bit of lost ground recently. Occupancy was at 95.5% in 2nd quarter, up for a second consecutive quarter and a bit ahead of the decade average. Still, as demand continues to trail new supply, occupancy remained down 20 basis points (bps) for the year.
https://www.realpage.com/analytics/2q-2026-data-update/
Here are some real estate pros behind the data center development boom
With opposition directing where and how data centers are built, developers are now approaching local officials and residents earlier in the process, often with offers to cover the cost of electrical grid upgrades or build generators to power the facilities, said John McWilliams, head of data center research at Cushman & Wakefield. “They want to get in front of the community and see if there are potential compromises before chasing down approvals,” McWilliams said. “That’s a net benefit and a testament to these developers’ desire to have positive community relationships.” Today’s architects are starting to think more like engineers to design projects that can win community approval and support advancements in power, cooling and fiber technology, said Stanley Schultz of international architecture firm Ware Malcomb.
https://www.costar.com/article/1879086991/here-are-some-real-estate-pros-behind-the-data-center-development-boom
The Americans Striking It Rich in the Data-Center Buildout
Towns and neighborhoods across the country have rejected data centers. Residents have staged noisy protests, with public anger driving a movement against the spread of these massive, multibillion-dollar projects. At the same time, a select few are quietly saying yes to data centers and becoming wealthy in the process. The Kilitis are one of 96 families in Salem Township, an unassuming community in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, who collectively sold about 1,700 acres to a single data-center developer, QTS, an arm of the investment firm Blackstone. The families sold for an average of $330,000 an acre and earned $5.5 million on average. The total sale price was $586 million.
https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/the-americans-striking-it-rich-in-the-data-center-buildout-71c6a8a8
Denver Launches $100M Jobs Agenda with $40M for Office Lease Incentives
A new $40 million incentive program designed to attract employers and spur downtown office leasing is at the center of the Denver Jobs Agenda, a $100 million public-private initiative announced by the Downtown Denver Partnership, Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) and the Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA). The three-year plan aims to create 10,000 quality jobs citywide while boosting downtown office occupancy and economic activity.
https://milehighcre.com/denver-launches-100m-jobs-agenda-with-40m-for-office-lease-incentives/
Denver Office Market Posts its Most Encouraging Quarter Post-Pandemic
According to CBRE, the Denver office market posted its most encouraging quarter post-pandemic in Q2 2026, recording positive net absorption of 179,000 sq. ft. Two of the past three quarters have seen positive net absorption with a combined 77,000 sq. ft., a dramatic shift from the negative 2.2 million sq. ft. observed during the prior three-quarter period. Total vacancy edged down 20 basis points (bps) quarter-over-quarter to 28.7% and was just 20 bps above the level recorded a year ago. Sublease availability continued its steady unwind, falling 24.6% year-over-year to 3.9 million sq. ft. as corporate space shedding continues to fade.
https://milehighcre.com/denver-office-market-posts-its-most-encouraging-quarter-post-pandemic/
Denver office visits still lag 2019 levels by 39% despite year-over-year gains
Nationally, office visits jumped by 8.5% year over year, coming in at 79% of June 2019 levels, Placer.ai found. On a per-working-day basis, office visits nationally rose 3.3% year over year. Denver had by far the lowest return-to-office rates, with 39.4% fewer total visits than in 2019 and 42.2% fewer average visits per working day. Still, according to the study, Denver experienced year-over-year growth in office visits with 6.5% more total visits and 1.4% more average visits per working day in June 2026 compared to June 2025.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/07/16/placer-ai-june-update-denver-office-return.html
Denver Broncos release new renderings for stadium district and neighborhood
The renderings offer a previously unseen look at what that entertainment district could look like. The team highlighted Osage Station Park, which will include residences and retail offerings around a courtyard next to an expanded RTD light rail station on the site. In the Village Center, the Broncos plan to renovate the existing locomotive shop and build a neighborhood around it to give an “urban Main Street feel.” The Village Center will also include a pedestrian area with first-floor retail, the team shared. As a further nod to the area’s railyard history, abandoned rail tracks will be replaced with a “tree-lined trail for running, biking and walking.” That change is directly based on community feedback, the team said.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/04/denver-broncos-renderings-stadium-neighborhood.html
Denver Summit FC submits design plans for permanent stadium
“The stadium will be the anchor for a district that will eventually include office or residential towers and a new Denver city park,” Populous wrote in the document. “The overall development will rebuild the city street grid with a walkable environment that has strong connections to bike and light rail infrastructure in contrast to the multi-lane roadways that form the west and north borders of the district. …As a building type, the stadium will stand apart from the future buildings in the district. This is intentional, defining an urban edge and allowing the stadium presence in the city.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/07/denver-summit-urban-design-stadium.html
CU Denver buys downtown tower for nearly $2 million less than expected
The purchase includes the 1971 tower, two connected annexes and three levels of underground parking comprising 690 spaces. The total area of the acquisition is 567,287 square feet, according to a presentation given to the CU Regents in June. The Regents of the University of Colorado is the entity that now owns Independence Plaza, according to a deed registered in Denver County. The university paid $27.95 million, which is nearly $2 million less than it had previously agreed to pay. After the regents approved the transaction in June, the deal was meant to close by June 26 with a purchase price of $29.75 million. The delay was due to the due diligence process, sources told the Denver Business Journal. Independence Plaza last sold in 2007 to an entity tied to an Alaska pension fund that bought the building for $144.5 million, according to public records.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/11/cu-denver-independence-plaza-discount.html
It’s a buyer’s market for housing, but no one’s buying — with one exception
According to the latest data from real estate firm Redfin, sellers outnumbered buyers in July by 51% — with 1.46 million sellers compared to 967,000 buyers. That number of buyers is a record low for Redfin. The company has not recorded a lower number since it began tracking that data in 2013. Another Redfin metric shows the degree to which buyers are staying on the sidelines. Redfin defines a city as being a “buyer’s market” if it has 10% more sellers than buyers. Using its latest data, nearly 80% of cities meet the threshold of being a “buyer’s market.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/16/buyers-market-housing-sellers-mortgage-rates.html
Denver condo sales plunge to lowest level since 2008 as market cools
In 2022, the median condo price in Denver was $370,000. In 2026, it was $317,000 in the first half of the year. The price per square foot declined from $405 to $314 in that time, Thayer noted, which indicates the price drop is a true market adjustment, not one due to different types of properties transacting. Sales have also taken much longer since the mid-2022 peak. Then, condos sold in about one week at slightly above asking price, according to Thayer. In June 2026, condos were taking nearly seven weeks to sell and coming in at about 5% below asking price, he said.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/18/denver-condo-market-sales-pricing-decline.html
Amazon Building 1.2M SF Distribution Facility In Aurora
The facility sits on 58 acres near the intersection of East Stephen D. Hogan Parkway and East Sixth Avenue. It is less than 2 miles southeast of an Amazon fulfillment center. Amazon opened its first location in Aurora near the intersection of I-70 and E-470 in 2017. The company now has nine facilities in Aurora, including a 625K SF warehouse it purchased for $86M and opened in June.
https://www.bisnow.com/news/denver/industrial/amazon-building-1-2m-sf-facility-in-aurora
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
As Colorado invests in modular housing, a new player offers innovation on a shoestring
Before the housing crash in the late 2000s, Colorado was home to a half-dozen modular factories. Clayton’s Heibar facility, formerly known as Precision Building Systems, part of Oakwood Homes, was the last of that generation to finally call it quits. Enter Vederra Modular, which is trying to fill the void, to the point of acquiring equipment and hiring some of the workers let go last year by Clayton’s Heibar Installation plant.
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/07/16/vederra-modular-affordable-housing/
Affordable housing often costs more to build than market‑rate housing – Colorado is closing the gap
Colorado is an exception. In a recent study of more than 140 housing developments in California, Colorado and Texas, researchers at RAND, a nonpartisan research organization, found that affordable apartments in Colorado cost about $50 less per square foot to build than market-rate units. Colorado was the only one of the three states where affordable developments cost less to build than market-rate ones.
https://theconversation.com/affordable-housing-often-costs-more-to-build-than-market-rate-housing-colorado-is-closing-the-gap-286630
Historic housing law offers fresh grants, new business programs
Another noteworthy provision allows the secretary of HUD to give applications in Opportunity Zones added weight when applying for grants compared to those not in eligible zones. It’s unclear how much of an advantage such builders would get, as the legislation does not spell out a specific structure. But HUD gives out nearly $5 billion in grants a year through a variety of programs, so the stakes could be high.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/07/12/road-to-housing-act-grants-programs-zoning.html
Federal Housing Bill Becomes Law Without Trump’s Signature
The bill has a wide range of other housing policy changes beyond the SFR sector. It creates incentives for localities to reduce entitlement timelines, including a $200M annual competitive grant program rewarding municipalities that increase housing supply. It also eliminates the chassis requirement for manufactured homes, which will make them cheaper to build, and it increases the amount banks can invest in the affordable housing sector.
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/affordable-housing/road-to-housing-enacted-135272
Did WFH Improve Rental Affordability? It’s Complicated
Higher-income renters were much more likely to work from home, and as more of those households shifted into the WFH category, the typical WFH renter became less rent-burdened. In other words: remote work changed rental affordability patterns, but not mainly by reducing rents. It changed the composition of who was counted as a remote-work renter.
https://www.chandan.com/post/did-working-from-home-improve-rental-affordability
Big-Box Retailers Have a New Strategy for Breaking Into Urban Markets
With their thirst for cheap, sprawling land, big-box retailers usually operate in the suburbs or on the outskirts of town. But in recent years, some have been ditching the traditional model of massive warehouses and vast parking lots in favor of smaller stores in cities and denser communities. A new strategy involves teaming up with affordable housing developments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/business/costco-target-affordable-housing.html
Denver Considering Zoning Code Updates to Incentivize “Missing Middle” Housing Development
Unlocking Housing Choices is aimed at incentivizing the creation of “missing middle” housing. Blueprint Denver defines missing middle housing as “housing types that fall between high-density and single-unit houses, such as duplexes, fourplexes, row homes and townhomes, and provide options affordable to moderate income residents. This type of housing serves people who live well above the poverty line, but still struggle to afford housing in Denver, such as teachers and firefighters.”
https://www.ottenjohnson.com/news/denver-considering-zoning-code-updates-to-incentivize-missing-middle-housing-development/
REAL ESTATE AND MOBILITY
Denver International Airport seeks developers for 1,500 acres of vacant land
“[The airport’s] land assets represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create new employment centers, attract private investment, and strengthen Colorado’s economic competitiveness,” said Interim DIA CEO Dave LaPorte in a release. “We are seeking experienced development partners who share our long-term vision and can help transform strategic sites surrounding the airport into vibrant commercial districts that support jobs, business growth, and future airport investment,” said LaPorte.
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2026/08/07/denver-airport-development-rfq.html
Key Trends at the Intersection of Sustainable Transport and Real Estate
Rather than treating mobility as a late-stage amenity, developers are increasingly viewing transit access, active travel infrastructure, and integrated public realm investments as foundational components of project feasibility and long-term value creation. Projects that incorporate these features early in the development process are often better positioned to reduce costs, improve certainty around approvals, and strengthen long-term market performance. Increasingly, mobility infrastructure is also being viewed as a tool for unlocking multiple outcomes simultaneously, including housing delivery, placemaking, public health, and climate resilience.
https://urbanland.uli.org/new-uli-report-examines-the-growing-link-between-transportation-and-real-estate-value
MOBILITY
The big stall
Chinese automakers last year made nearly 16 million electric vehicles, a whopping 75% of all EVs sold globally. The U.S. produced only 5%. More than half of new cars sold in China are now EVs—here it’s about 10%— and those vehicles are in heavy demand around the world: Tariffs of up to 127.5% have kept them out of the U.S., but 80% of EVs sold in Latin America are Chinese, as are 75% in Southeast Asia, and 57% in Australia. It’s a staggering turnaround for China, which in 2000 made only 2 million cars a year, all of them gas-powered.
https://usmagazine.theweek.com/the-big-stall/content.html
Report: Waymo Surpasses The Way-Too-Low Human Driver Safety Bar
Waymos — the driverless taxis that operate in many cities — are involved in 68-percent fewer crashes than humans, a new independent study found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report compared state and federal crash data with incident reports from major autonomous vehicle companies in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Austin. To improve the accuracy of its conclusions, the AV sample was limited to collisions to which police would normally respond. In addition to having fewer incidents than humans, researchers concluded that driverless car crashes are generally less egregious.
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/07/24/report-waymo-surpasses-the-way-too-low-human-driver-safety-bar
Why more WA drivers are going in circles
When stop signs or signals are converted to roundabouts, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 72% fewer injuries and 35% fewer crashes overall, based on studies that include Washington state projects. The ball started rolling in 1998, at a dangerous Highway 522 junction in Monroe where left-turn crashes were common, until it was replaced by a rare multilane roundabout in 2001, recalls Brian Walsh, then a Washington State Department of Transportation design engineer. There was a “significant reduction” in injuries, he said. “The concept was proven, but it needed to be proven on a more regional level,” he said.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/why-more-wa-drivers-are-going-in-circles/
Could the Most Radical Plane Design Since the Concorde Take On Boeing?
The aircraft that JetZero wants to do it with is no less radical than its ambition, writes Benjamin Katz. It looks more like a manta ray than the tube-with-wings blueprint that’s been the default for over 70 years. If JetZero can cross the line, the blended-wing aircraft would mark the biggest shift in passenger-jetliner design since the supersonic Concorde. It has four aisles and is set to fly about 10,000 feet higher than today’s airliners. Initial designs replace passenger windows with digital screens and, to compensate, a skylight in the ceiling to flood the cabin with natural light. Each seat has its own overhead luggage compartment. The Long Beach, Calif.-based company’s ambition comes after a bruising few decades for American planemaking. Once dominated by three industrial titans that produced about 90% of the world’s airliners, Boeing now fights solo.
https://www.wsj.com/business/could-the-most-radical-plane-design-since-the-concorde-take-on-boeing-abd9a6ce?mod=djemfoe
