A FRIEND INDEED
September 2, 2016 VO LUM E 1 5 | IS S U E 41 | FREE
Therapy animals help bring comfort for those in need. PAGE 12
CentennialCitizen.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Ground broken for first Jones District building Residential development begins in what will be Centennial’s largest commercial project
By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com The recent groundbreaking of a 306-unit multifamily housing development on East Mineral Avenue marks the start of the Opus Group’s 42-acre, mixed-use project known as The Jones District, Centennial’s largest commercial development. The six-story building will be coined The Glenn after Glenn R. Jones, founder of Centennial-based Jones International University, which closed in 2015. Jones was the founder of the Jones District, the land north of Ikea off Interstate 25. He died last year at age 85. “We are excited about creating the vision of Glenn,” said Peter Coakley, senior vice presi-
dent and general manager of Opus Development Co. “He set the bar very high and we are excited to bring that to bare.” The Opus Group, based in Minneapolis, has offices and projects across the U.S. and manages all facets of commercial real estate development, including land acquisition, design and construction. The Glenn, expected to finish in December 2017, will offer studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities will include a fitness center, office space, outdoor pool, hot tub, fire pit and grilling areas. There will be retail on the bottom level — most likely a coffee shop, bakery or café, Coakley said. The development will also have direct access to light rail — a key factor when it comes to buying or renting a property in the Metro Denver area, Coakley said. It’s near the Dry Creek station. Jones continues on Page 11
Centennial City Council members and Opus Group executives lead a ceremonial groundbreaking for The Glenn, a 306-unit multifamily development and the first site to break ground at The Jones District — a 42-acre master-planned development west of I-25 near Ikea. Courtesy of Chris Michlewicz, City of Centennial.
SURF’S UP
River Run Recreational Facility opens on the South Platte River.. PAGE 5
REF ROAD AHEAD
Graphic illustration by Ben Wiebesiek/ Images by Shutterstock
A swing county in a swing state Once strongly Republican, Arapahoe now has a purple mix
By Kyle Harding kharding@coloradocommunitymedia.com Amid the food vendors and festivalgoers, politicians and their supporters worked Main Street in an effort to sway votes. The recent sunny Saturday — Western Welcome Week’s Festival Day — in downtown Littleton was more evidence of Arapahoe County’s status as
INSIDE: Turn to pages 6 and 7 for more on the role of Arapahoe County and the metro area in the November election.
a political battleground in the lead-up to the November elections. Not long ago, Arapahoe would never have been thought of as “purple” — a
mix of Republican red and Democratic blue. “Traditionally, going back years and years, Arapahoe County was very red,” county Clerk and Recorder Matt Crane said. Over the last eight years or so, though, as the county’s population has increased, so has its share of Democrats and unaffiliated voters — also a trend in Colorado as a whole. Now, those who don’t claim any party make up the largest voting bloc in the county, with Democrats close Election continues on Page 6
Once plentiful, officials are harder to find for football games. PAGE 25
GAME ON
Arapahoe meets Bear Creek in season opener.. PAGE 26
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