April 24, 2014
50 cents Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 30, Issue 43 A publication of
wheatridgetranscript.com
Hitting the sweet spot KareBear Bakery opens its doors
EDC eyes workforce in county By Amy Woodward
awoodward@ coloradocommunitymedia.com
By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com Baked goods and sugar fans looking for a bakery that isn’t a chain or tucked away in a grocery store have a new sweet spot in KareBear bakery. The bakery, 6150 W. 38th Ave., opened on April 15, but will celebrate its grand opening on May 3 and 4. KareBear was started by Roberta Lott and Karin Murray, who met while working together at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. “We disdained cubicle life, and when the opportunity came around to start a business, we lept at it,” Lott said. “Karin has been a baker since she was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to run a business. We started talking about in July, and by September we were out of CSM.” Murray described the vision she had for the bakery to be a homestyle, small-batch bakery. From cakes and cupcakes to scones and cookies. Their signature item is the RasBerta Bar — a buttery, homemade shortbread layered with raspberry jam, and topped with granola crumble. “We want to offer people the kinds of goods that you won’t find at chains,” Murray said. “We’re also doing breakfast goods and have an in-house bagel we’re offering.” Currently the bakery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., which Lott and Murray say really caters to both Wheat Ridge’s large senior community, as well as the new, young working adults. Along with Lott and Murray, are three part-time baristas and Donna Norbey, who brings 15 years ofexperience in the commercial baking business to KareBear. KareBear is right next to the Lewis Bakery continues on Page 7
Karin Murray and Roberta Lott opened the KareBear Bakery on April 15. The shop specializes in small-batch baked goods. Photos by Clarke Reader
KareBear Bakery is bringing homemade baked goods to Wheat Ridge.
Plans for Sprouts on schedule City OK’s $3 million to help fund renewal project By Hugh Johnson Council approved a pair of resolutions that will bring an additional $3 million to the 38th and Kipling Project. Renewal Wheat Ridge will pay $2 million and the city will pay up to $1 million to Millenium Venture Group. Renewal Wheat Ridge, RWR, has identified 38th and Kipling as a blighted and un-
More jobs forecasted
der-performing commercial corner. Working with the city of Wheat Ridge and MVG redevelopment, RWR plans to have the 6.3-acre property demolished and redeveloped. Plans include the construction of a 27,000-square-feet Sprouts Farmers Market and a 64-unit senior housing facility in addition to a drive-thru Starbucks and fastfood restaurant. However MVG found a financial gap in the project budget of about $3 million. The gap is due to necessary improvements to the site including widening Kipling for increased traffic flow and adding sidewalks and landscape buffers.
POSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
In response, the city, RWR and MVG have entered into a redevelopment agreement in which Renewal Wheat Ridge will pay $2 million to MVG. RWR is in the process of receiving a loan from Colorado State Bank and Trust in the amount of $2.61 million. RWR intends to use the increase in sales and property tax from the redeveloped site to repay the loan. The sales and property tax increments from the site can be used to pay off the loan for a period of 10 years, however, city staff expects to be able to pay off the loan much sooner. In the event those tax increments prove insufficient, the city is establishing a reserve fund to pay the off the loan with. If RWR must use the reserves the city has declared that they will replenish the funds and be reimbursed by tax increments at a future date. The city will pay between $800,000 and $1 million for the site improvements. The city will have an exact amount when the loan and interest rates are finalized. The money will come from the general fund reserve. The resolutions passed unanimously.
Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation is pushing ahead with its Forward Jeffco program, with 558 new jobs anticipated so far during the next five years for the county, the EDC reports. A first quarter report, revealed to the board of county commissioners during staff briefings last week, measured the EDC’s Forward Jeffco initiative for the first time — a program that intends to add 7,500 jobs to the county in five years. The 558 job prospects are due in part to the attractions of a few out of state engineering companies and expansions of bioscience companies like Sorin Group USA and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. Lockheed’s national consolidation of operations is expected to bring 300 plus jobs that includes job relocations for current employees who may be moving to the area from places like Pennsylvania and Arizona. Hamon Deltak, a mechanical engineering firm from Minnesota who opened a second office in Jeffco, will attract 120 jobs to the county over the next five years. “This is the most relocation activity we’ve had out of our office in a very long time,” said Michelle Claymore, vice president of EDC. “We’ve had a really, really good first quarter.” An economic report drafted by the EDC showed a tight industrial real estate market with a 1.90 percent vacancy rate for industrial warehouses. This offers a competitive market for companies moving out of Denver and into the burbs as pot growers and merchants begin to encroach on existing spaces, Claymore said. “For industrial, everyone wants to be here,” she said. “We just have a really slow office market.” Claymore reported that a lot of companies are heading to downtown Denver and taking the younger work force with them, known as the millennial generation. The report read that millennials are looking for public transit, walkability, sporting events and inclusive environments. Citing Brookings Institution in their report, an independent research organization, Denver has become the No. 1 spot for millennials to work and live. Claymore stated the migration to Denver is part of a cyclical trend that will see businesses and millennials moving back to the burbs. “I think that’s something we really need to look at,” said Commissioner Casey Tighe. “Arvada’s light rail station is probably the most ready-made location of all light rail’s we’ve had so it will be really interesting to see when Arvada’s opens if a lot of millennials attract to an urban setting that’s outside of downtown.” According to the EDC, Jeffco’s age distribution is 43 percent over the age of 45. “We are the oldest county from an age standpoint and it seems like a lot of what’s happening is we cater to the older population, more and more urban renewals that have senior apartment complexes but we keep talking about wanting to be young,” said Ralph Schell, county administrator. While the county will continue to work toward capturing a younger workforce, Claymore suggested that redeveloping old office spaces while making room for new ones is one way to attract more companies and people as less modern spaces contribute to the downtown migration.