Pause In Belmar Construction as Starwood Takes a Second Look

I've heard recently from a source that Starwood Capital, which purchased Belmar late last year, has decided to move more slowly with development plans, and that there are concerns about the viability of the Shops at Belmar and the planned office building at the corner of Teller St. and Virginia Ave.

The issue with the Shops at Belmar, as I understand it, has to do with the cost of bringing in city water and sewer lines. Construction costs and profitability are apparently also the hold up on the proposed office building at the corner of Teller St and Virginia Ave.

That's all I have for now, but I certainly hope Starwood decides to invest the money and moves forward soon with the build out of Belmar.

South Lakewood Elementary Wins Awards

South Lakewood elementary is one of several Jeffco Public Schools that sit within the boundaries of downtown Lakewood-- in this case, tucked into a very residential, very suburban neighborhood on the northwest side of Alameda and Wadsworth.

The school has also been on somewhat of a roll of late, having won both the national 2016 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award and the City of Lakewood's 2016 Defender of the Planet Youth Award.

The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes Parent-Teacher Associations that "best demonstrate outstanding achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion, as well as efforts to end discriminatory practices."

According to Sandie Weathers, the PTA President, the group "collaborated with students, teachers, staff, and the community to host a variety of events and activities throughout the school year. These events included our Intercultural Fair, Multicultural Club, Indian Ed Movie Night, and Autism Awareness Month.”

The City of Lakewood's Defender of the Planet Youth Award was given to a group of student leaders at South Lakewood who developed an outreach and education plan regarding renewable energy, water conservation, and waste management. According to the city's press release, "student leaders first taught themselves about the programs and technologies in use at the school and then educated their fellow classmates about how they reduce the school’s environmental impacts."

Keep Colorado Local

I travel a fair bit, and have always noticed how in most other states, liquor sales are dominated by the big grocery chains. Selection is limited, and prices aren't any better than in Colorado.

Belmar's Mile High Wine & Spirits personifies the local character of Colorado's beer and wine sellers: lots of variety, local craft products, knowledgeable staff.

Ballot measures this fall will likely ask voters to upend our current system and allow out of state grocery chains to sell beer, spirits, and full strength beer. While this would make it possible to buy wine and hard liquor at the same time as your groceries, any added convenience would be more than wiped out by the lowest common denominator selection that I've seen in other states.

The big grocery store chains have deep pockets and a lot of incentive to undercut our local independent liquor stores and drive them out of business. And I think there's a legitimate concern that Colorado's amazing craft beer and spirits ecosystem could dry up without outlets like Mile High that are willing to carry their products.

Fortunately, Colorado's small liquor stores are fighting back at Keep Colorado Local.

In Photos: T-Street Roadhouse Grand Opening Event

David Weekley Homes at S. Saulsbury and W. Alaska in Belmar

David Weekley Homes is full steam ahead with their third Belmar location, this time at the corner or S. Saulsbury and W. Alaska. This was the temporary location of the Belmar bocci courts before their relocation to Belmar Square, and had originally been slated for condo construction before the Great Recession.

T-Street Roadhouse: Redefining Fine Dining in Lakewood

The T-Street Roadhouse in Belmar is just about ready to open, and a peak inside reveals a modern vibe that's stylish and hip in a way I've never seen before in Lakewood.

With marble topped tables, Chesterfield sofas in saddle tan leather, and a long bar illuminated by Isamu Noguchi-inspired pendants, the T-Street Roadhouse would be right at home in Denver's LoHi, RiNo, or Cherry Creek.

I'll come right out and say it: if the food's as good as the decor, T-Street is going to be Belmar and downtown Lakewood's first "it" restaurant.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the decor in Belmar's current crop of restaurants, but T-Street is clearly going for a more designed, more contemporary look. The only space in Belmar that's as nice, in my view, is the elegant dining room at Little India, which the owners inherited in large part from the now-defunct Mark & Isabella's.

Of course, if nice decor was all that mattered, Mark & Isabella's would still be around. Service matters, as does value, and of course there's the little matter of the food.

So, will the food at T-Street be any good? We'll find out soon enough, but the owners have a good track record, and they're clearly trying to raise the bar on what qualifies as fine dining in Lakewood.

In Photos: New Vistas

For those of us who've lived in Belmar since the beginning (or even the near beginning), it's pretty amazing to walk down the streets of downtown Lakewood and see the new, urban vistas that have sprung up out of the vacant lots to become a part of our daily routine.