Kroger Companies, the owner of the King Soopers grocery chain has purchased the Belcaro Shopping Center at Colorado Boulevard/Exposition now occupied by one of its stores. The purchased property includes the King Soopers building, adjacent in-line stores and the building to the south occupied by See's Candies and others. The $19.4 million sale price is equivalent to $194/SF for the 100,000 SF center. One wonders what King Soopers plans are for this center and the former Cub Foods store at Leetsdale/Cherry which has been the subject of King Soopers negotiation with Glendale over zoning issues.

The new Pura Vida health club will open in the former Tattered Cover building at East 1st Avenue/Milwaukee Street on April 15th.

More at: http://puravidacl ub.com/Home/

The Village Inn restaurant at 222 Columbine in Cherry Creek North has closed. Vicorp Restaurants, the Denver base chain filed bankruptcy and has closed 4 Colorado Village Inn's and Baker's Square outlets.

Bush Development has purchased the office building at 88 Steele St. The $5.45 million purchase price is equivalent to $184/SF for the 29,700 SF 4-story building. Bush also owns the office buildings at 48 and 46 Steele Street. The company plans to redevelop the entire block facing the Cherry Creek Shopping Center on Steele Street.

Demolition of the previous office building is complete, and construction has begun on the proposed Houston's Restaurant at 3rd/Josephine.

Shea Properties has been presenting to neighbors and the City of Denver its development plans for the former site of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center at 9th/Colorado Boulevard. "The overall vision for this development is to create a walkable, dynamic environment that is an assemblage of residential, retail, office and hotel adjacent to a thriving residential and medical community." The site is adjacent to a Veterans Hospital which will likely move to Fitzsimons, to follow the UCHSC, and Rose Medical Center which will likely stay, and perhaps grow.

More at: http://www.sheaneighbors.com/projectstatus.html

A new pediatric hospital has been announced for 20th and High streets by Presbyterian/St. Lukes Medical Center. To begin construction in the fall, the new 100,000 square foot Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children is to centralize pediatric services provided by the hospital, providing 206 pediatric beds split among various units. In addition, adjacent to the facility is to be a new 4-story building that will provide an ambulatory surgery center as well as office space. Construction of the $120 million project is to begin this fall, and completion is anticipated for 2010.

Sherman Properties is proposing a mixed-use development for the north and east sides of Sherman Street near 18th and 19th Avenues. To total 250,000 square feet, the development, known as 1800 Sherman, would have 270 residences and 50,000 square feet of retail and convenience stores. Two variations of the development were proposed for the site, including a 252-foot tower proposed for the preferred design that would require the approval of a variance in the view-plane ordinance. The variance was denied and the developer is considering alternatives.

The Sherman Center office building in Denver was sold for $11.88 million, or $124/SF. Located at 789 Sherman Street, the building totals 96,160 square feet and was purchased by 789 Sherman Street LLC.