Hundreds of acres of open space for thinking, dreaming, innovating. Thriving cultural centers filled with people powering these ideas. It’s no wonder six major industries have chosen Denver South as their homebase. From the teams making multi-modal transportation happen, to the people leading the charge, to the educators preparing the future workforce, there is opportunity.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUSINESSES FUELING THE DENVER SOUTH ECONOMY.
Why Denver South? “Proximity to executive airport, highway and light rail access, overall quality of life.”
- VP, Engineering Firm
Corporate Infrastructure
Six key industry clusters drive the Denver South economy, representing a diverse combination of businesses, occupations, and opportunities.
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Entrepreneurship
ACCELERATING STARTUPS
Finding a homebase with like-minded business and a supportive economy is crucial for a startup. Our entrepreneurial support serves as a singular entry point to all the resources available in the Denver South entrepreneurial ecosystem. Want to connect with the region’s tech pioneers, startups, growth-stage companies and a wide-reaching spectrum of resources and support organizations? Contact our team to get a head start.
We have curated a network of partners and services that are aimed at helping entrepreneurs succeed in launching & scaling their business, while serving as a trusted ally to entrepreneurs & connecting them to relevant resources.
Denver South has a strong base of small businesses.
More than 85 percent of the businesses in the Denver South region employ fewer than 10 workers and nearly 98 percent employ fewer than 100 workers.
Business Size
A common metric used to measure innovation and R&D is patents. Among the three counties, Douglas County had the most utility patents granted per resident from 2000 to 2015.
WHERE DO YOU FIT IN DENVER SOUTH?
Chris Shapard
Senior Director of Economic Development
Commercial Real Estate
Denver South leads the Denver Metro region in realizing new ways of working, and developing new workspaces, with 45.5 million square feet of existing commercial space. Developments track with the changing needs of employers and the workforce, many of whom are currently favoring vibrant low-density corporate campuses with pedestrian connections to amenities, restaurants, retail, recreation, mixed-density housing, and transit. Denver South anticipates the needs and wants of today and tomorrow’s workforce, building and bettering to maintain prosperity.
The Denver South region has over 86 million square feet of combined office, industrial, flex, and retail space across over 2,200 buildings as of the fourth quarter of 2022.
Office space (54 percent) accounted for the largest share of space among the four market types in Denver South, while industrial represented the largest share of Metro Denver’s commercial real estate market (37 percent).
Historically, the Denver South region has contained nearly 13 percent of the total space in Metro Denver.
Since 2011, the Denver South region added nearly 11.5 million square feet of total space.
Belleview Station is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development adjacent to RTD’s eponymous light rail station. With a focus on sustainability and accessibility, Belleview Station hopes to set a precedent for the future of the metro area and as the gateway to the Denver South region and the Denver Tech Center. Western Union, Newmont Mining, and Vectra Bank are early anchors in the development.
Photo Courtesy of Belleview Station
Dove Valley is a master-planned industrial, flex, and office business park located within unincorporated Arapahoe County, home to a wide range of businesses and facilities. The area plays host to numerous corporate citizens including iSpace, DIGICOMM, Mikron, Centennial Airport and its many aviation businesses, and the Centura Health Training Facility utilized by the Denver Broncos. Dove Valley continues to have a massive appeal for new and established companies of diverse origins and goals to conduct business in the region.
Photo Courtesy of Centennial Airport
Located on E-470 and Peoria Street, Highfield is an industrial hub on the northern edge of unincorporated Douglas County. Spanning over 100 acres, Highfield is uniquely positioned with Class-A shallow-bay buildings that are prime locations for technology, assembly and distribution, laboratories, and high-intensity office users.
Photo Courtesy of Highfield
HUB Arapahoe represents Denver South’s most infill industrial development. With over 3000,000 square feet spread across four buildings, HUB Arapahoe represents the closest new generation warehouses to I-25 in the region. Amenities include on-building signage, easy access to Peakview Park recreation area, and abundant nearby retail and service amenities.
Photo Courtesy of JLL
A multi-phase, mixed-use location in the City of Lone Tree, the focus on transit-oriented development has made this piece of Denver South real estate a prime location in the region. A wide range of office and retail spaces are available, all within walking distance of transit and housing options.
Photo Courtesy of Lincoln Station
RidgeGate is a massive development in the City of Lone Tree. With an immense amount of land zoned for urban villages, corporate campuses, as well as a new City Center, this new development is by the far the largest in the Denver South area. Running parallel with three light rail stations, this Ridgegate expansion is primed to be among the most transit-activated areas in the Denver Metro area and will include plenty of space for future retail, office, restaurant and entertainment opportunities. With 400 acres expected to be built out within the next few decades, Ridgegate will be able to accomodate 32 city blocks of urban development, 5,000 residents, and up to 40,000 new jobs.
Photo Courtesy of Colorado Real Estate Journal
The District is a walkable mixed-use community that will include over 2.5 million square feet of office space, a 200-key hotel, 1,800 residential units and over 30,000 square feet of retail on 36 acres. Located in the heart of the Southeast submarket, The District has close proximity to some of Colorado’s top companies. The 36-acre site is highly visible with 1/3 mile of prominent I-25 frontage and easy accessibility to RTD’s Dry Creek Station and Centennial Airport and supports a full range of flexible office spaces, from small-scale co-working to multiple-building corporate headquarters.
Rendering Courtesy of The District
With a unique and innovative location in the heart of Greenwood Village, Westray is an office and retail development with a tenant focused approach. Westray hopes to change the way development impacts the communities they reside in, and how they house companies within their spaces.
Photo Courtesy of Westray
100k and Larger Office Spaces Available in Denver South
Transportation / Accessibility
Mobility is a central part of maintaining and improving the Colorado quality of life Denver South residents thrive on, and makes the region extraordinarily attractive.
Denver South continually strives to reduce traffic congestion with mobility options by prioritizing freedom of movement, mode choice, accessibility, and practicality for the public, government, businesses, and visitors.
The region’s strong transportation infrastructure supports business development and expansion. At the crossroads of major highways, and served by I-25, C-470, I- 225, and E-470, residents and workers have easy access to Denver International Airport (DEN), Centennial Airport (APA), and downtown Denver.
Transportation Services
APA is the second-busiest generation aviation airport in the U.S. and the premier international reliever and business airport in the U.S. connecting people, places and products. Located on 1,400 acres, APA has four, award-winning, fixed-based operators with premium hangar space providing all concierge services, a fully staffed 24/7 FAA Air Traffic Control Tower, and 24/7 on-demand U.S. Customs clearances.
DEN, approximately 25 miles from the Denver South region, is the 20th-busiest airport in the world and the fifth-busiest airport in the United States, with over 69 million passengers traveling through the airport annually.
Passengers can reach more than 215 nonstop destinations from DEN, including 28 international destinations to 14 countries.
Denver RTD provides award-winning transit services throughout the metro area. RTD provides for the transportation needs of over 2.8 million people across the region.
RTD’s E, F, and R light rail lines connect the Denver South region to Metro Denver and DEN with nine light rail stations, numerous bus connections, bike storage, and call and ride services.
The South East Rail Extension opened in 2006 as a 19-mile extension of rail from I-25 & Broadway, with 15-miles along I-25 to Lincoln and an additional four miles along I-225 to Parker Road. This extension brought light rail into Lone Tree, with three new stations and an additional 1,300 parking spaces. The RidgeGate station opened in May of 2019.
RTD’s Bustang also serves the Denver South region, with 16 stops between Arapahoe Road/Yosemite Street and Belleview Light Rail Station. CDOT added another Bustang stop in Lone Tree in May 2020.
Infrastructure
- Colorado Department of Local Affairs has awarded over $20 million in matching grants for a statewide investment of $34 million to numerous communities throughout the state to advance broadband deployment.
- Colorado ranked first among the 50 states in the Consumer Technology Association’s 2020 U.S. Innovation Scorecard. According to the report, 65% of the state’s households have highspeed fixed broadband and 71% have moderate-speed broadband. 5G Deployment
- Denver is one of the first U.S. cities in the nation where Verizon and other telecommunications companies will deploy 5G service. Verizon will upgrade 20 cities, including Denver, with 5G Ultra Wideband service.
*Source: MDEDC Broadband Industry Cluster Study
Incentives
Denver South’s pro-business environment, regulatory environment, and competitive tax structure foster a favorable business climate. We welcome the opportunity to work with new and expanding businesses in our region. Our team works closely with the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, and local government to promote economic growth and advocate for your businesses throughout the incentive process. Here are some of the state and local incentive programs we can help you pursue:
New and expanding businesses in the Denver South region may be eligible for state-sponsored incentive programs which include performance-based tax credits and grants for customized job training.
Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit is a performance-based job creation incentive program which provides state income tax credit to new and expanding businesses undertaking job creation projects.
Strategic Fund Incentive is a performance-based program designed to encourage recruitment, retention, and economic growth by supporting businesses that have created and maintained permanent net new jobs for one year.
Colorado FIRST and Existing Industry Customized Training provides grants to new and existing companies by reimbursing costs associated with job training.
New and expanding businesses in the Denver South region may be eligible for local incentives which are considered on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for additional information.
Business Personal Property Tax Rebate
The program allows for rebates of up to 100% of the County’s portion of business personal property taxes for new and expanding businesses. Rebates are considered on a case-by-case basis and require approval by the Board of County Commissioners (Arapahoe or Douglas).
Local Tax Abatements
Local jurisdictions may consider waiving or rebating local sales/use taxes for construction materials, personal property, and manufacturing equipment.
Waiver of Permit Fees
Local jurisdictions may consider waiving all or part of various permit fees.
Workforce and Customized Employment Services
Available to employers and job seekers through the Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center and include:
- Timely and accurate labor market information
- Customized staffing services (recruitment, screening, assessments)
- Hiring events
Commuter Planning Services
Denver South provides commuter assistance to both employers and employees by analyzing multi-modal travel options for each individual worksite inclusive of all modes of travel including train, bike, carpool pedestrian access at no cost.
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Financial Capital Availability
We attract sources of investment capital throughout the growth spectrum, from seed stage to private equity, making our business environment conducive to building and scaling companies.
International Business
Here are just a sample of the few international companies with a presence in Denver South:
Employees: 850
Origin Country: Australia
Industry: Finacial Services
Employees: 747
Origin Country: United Kingdom
Industry: Data analysis
Employees: 414
Origin Country: England
Industry: Travel IT software
Employees: 405
Origin Country: Australia
Industry: Medical devices
Employees: 320
Origin Country: Japan
Industry: Container manufacturing
Employees: 317
Origin Country: France
Industry: IT consulting
Employees: 290
Origin Country: Germany
Industry: Engineering services
Employees: 247
Origin Country: Netherlands
Industry: Engineering services
Employees: 242
Origin Country: Canada
Industry: IT consulting
