December 11, 2015 VO LUM E 1 5 | IS S U E 3 | FREE
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A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Project moving forward
Construction on multi-use complex should start next year By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Annette Matthews, of Centennial, has collected Christmas ornaments since 1947. Her great-granddaughter Madison points out her favorite ballerina ornament. Photo by Alex DeWind
A Christmas tree of memories Beginning in 1947, Centennial woman, 90, has collected more than 550 ornaments By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com Annette Matthews paces around the artificial Christmas tree in her living room. A vintage train sits beneath it, motionless. But the tree is full of life, meticulously decorated with more than 550 ornaments. And every one has a story.
“I got this one after the war,” she says, pointing to the clear bulb she bought in 1947 at the end of World War II. “It’s plastic because you weren’t allowed to use glass back then.” Like all the others, the ornament isn’t just a decoration — it’s a memory. Matthews, 90, was born and raised in Denver. She was first inspired to collect ornaments in fourth grade. She recalls a home just down the street from her elementary school that had a large, decorative Christmas tree in its sunroom, so the students could see it. “I decided then,” Matthews says, “that’s the kind of tree I wanted.”
Her collection started in 1947 when she was in her 20s. She married the same year, but her late husband rarely participated in the tree decorating. It was her project, and she liked it that way. “I didn’t want his help,” says Matthews. “He wouldn’t have spent the time that I did.” Her collection grew over the years. She acquired an ornament every time she traveled, received some as gifts and bought some for herself,
Construction is expected to start early next year on a 300-unit apartment complex with 2,000 square feet of retail space on East Mineral Avenue, said Allison Wittern, Centennial’s public relations manager. The complex, comprised of six levels with retail on the ground floor, is part of the Opus Group 42-acre development known as Jones District that also will include office and hotel space. “It will most likely have a coffee shop or café of some sort that will serve the community as well as the residents of the project,” said Peter Coakley, senior vice president and general manager of Opus Development Company. The development is marked by a Jones District sign, north of Ikea off Interstate 25, erected about 60 days ago, said Neil Marciniak, the city’s economic development manager. Opus has submitted a final plan to the city. Once the city issues a building permit, construction can begin, Marciniak said. The long-term project is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete. “Our hope is that the economy will continue to remain strong,” Coakley said, “and the demand will continue to be there.”
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Snowsports complex would be second in country
By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com A year-round snow sports facility — only the second of its kind in the United States — slid one step closer to becoming a reality in Castle Rock when the Town Council entered into a memorandum of understanding with P3 Advisors LLC, the company interested in developing the synthetic-snow park tentatively named SnowSports365 at Philip S. Miller Park. “I am 100 percent behind this project,” Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue said. “I think we have a lot of things going on here in Castle Rock and families are looking for more.” No contractual rights or obligations
have been established yet, but now that council voted unanimously Dec. 1 to continue with the project, both parties can move toward a potential development agreement. The project cost is estimated at $28 million, all of which will be paid for by the developer. However, P3 requested a $2.7 million loan with 2.5 percent interest from the town of Castle Rock to help pay for improvements that will help benefit the entire park, including additional parking lots, utility extensions and additional lighting. The loan was approved as part of the Dec. 1 agreement. SnowSports 365 would be built on 9.5 acres at the Philip S. Miller Park, which is Snow continues on Page 9
Alex Budnick performs a backside 360 over the 6-footer at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre. Liberty University in Virginia is currently the only Snowflex system in the nation. Castle Rock Town Council recently took a step toward building the second one at Philip S. Miller Park. Photo courtesy of Liberty University
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