AURORA | In an effort to keep the project from being scuttled, the Aurora Gaylord Rockies Hotel and Conference Center quietly broke ground Tuesday, with crews from Mortenson Construction planting boundary stakes on 80 acres near Denver International Airport, just north of East 64th Avenue, east of the proposed extension of Himalaya Road.
“Construction has commenced, and we’re looking to open in November of 2018,” said Wendy Mitchell, president of the Aurora Economic Development Council. “It’s a 36-month construction process.”
She said now that the hotel has officially broken ground, it will be harder for state legislators, or others, to halt the project. Just a few weeks ago, Mitchell and Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said the hotel would break ground in the fourth quarter of this year.
“It’s a pleasant surprise,” said Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, who said he didn’t expect RIDA Development Corp., the Houston-based developer on the project, to start work this early. “We’re happy they’re moving ahead. It’s a great day not only for Aurora but for the region and for Colorado.”
The long-delayed project has been the subject of recent inquiry by some state officials, prompting charges from Aurora officials that politics and Denver hotel competitors are part of a scheme to kill the massive hotel and conference center. Most recently, the state Legislative Audit Committee decided not to have the state auditor’s office look at how Regional Tourism Act money has been awarded to statewide projects, including the Aurora hotel project.
Aurora City Manager Skip Noe said Mortenson has received permits from the city to perform staking, site-grading and erosion control.
“What would be next would be the infrastructure-type improvements,” he said. He said RIDA had already submitted infrastructure site plans to the city that are being reviewed by staff.
The 1,500-room hotel and conference center is slated to be 1.9 million square feet when completed, which is the equivalent to building two of Aurora’s Simon malls.
According to a permit approved by the city for the hotel, the project will include a 350,000-square-foot conference and meeting space, an outdoor pool with a lazy river an spa, restaurants, retail and tennis and basketball courts.
Ira Mitzner, CEO of RIDA Development Corp., said in a statement Tuesday the groundbreaking was a milestone for the project.
“After nearly three years working with the State of Colorado and the City of Aurora, RIDA Development Corp, Ares Management, and Marriott International are pleased to announce the commencement of construction for the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center,” he said. “We would like to thank the City of Aurora and the State of Colorado for their support of the project and look forward to joining with them in a future Grand Opening celebration.”
According to the Aurora Economic Development Commission, the project will create more than 10,000 of construction jobs and more than 2,500 permanent jobs once the hotel and conference center are complete.
Corruption
Did I miss something; what do you mean corruption?
it’s all good
Let’s check in five years from now to see if that’s the case.
Don’t think you have to wait 5 years. Check where these destination hotels, with entertainment and other facilities, have been built, and find a different clientele that come to them. Bring lots of money, or high balance credit cards, and spend. Have been a boon to where they build, and I would rather see those folks here, then the drug, gun, people smugglers of the drug cartels, and those who come here for the pot. But other folks have other preferences.
I used to travel to meetings at hotels like this all around the country. Never saw one all by itself in the middle of the plains, though. But let’s wait for five years to see what happens.
We are not exactly in middle of plains anymore. With Denver metro city almost stretching from Trinidad to Cheyenne (as wife and I predicted back in 70s), and I-70 from Metro to Kansas border with freeway connecting, this area has enough folks , not counting those who come here for different reasons to need more facilities. Only the shortage of water, scrabbling over FRACKING and thus not having more energy, keeps Colorado from really exploding. And there are way too many xxx people here now, for my liking. When wife and I bought in 1963, Aurora and Denver was quiet, easy to drive through, and fun to visit. She was born in Denver 1935 and her front yard used to be next to vacant fields where her dad shot jackrabbits. Trip to Donut shop on Colfax, was long drive in the country for them, after her parents bought a car when she was in early teens. Before that they took train to Missouri, until relatives moved out here. When I met her in 1951, Blacks were restricted West of York street. They had no problem with that, until after we married in 1952, and few years later, her mother had to stay home, to keep house from being broken into. Sold few years later, and bought on South Monroe St., across street on east of St. Thomas Catholic Fathers school. Had clear view across field to the Rockies to the West. He died in 1990 and mother lived to be 99 years of age. Wife and I traveled in USAF until 1976, moving back to Aurora house in 1977. Had bought it in 1963 when stationed at Lowry.
Way to go! Soon, Colorado will enjoy a first class facility that generates NEW visits by business and the public alike and employs thousands. If The BroadMoor is ridiculously given a 5 Diamond Rating year after year for no reason….I think we’ll see the first ever 8 Diamond Rating, right here in A-Town!
Seriously, The Broadmoor is one of the best in WORLD? Pleeeeaze