Food and beverage hall taking shape at 4th Street Crossing

Bluebird Market is set to take flight at 4th Street Crossing, Silverthorne’s new “Main Street” destination.

The 29,000-square-foot food and beverage hall at the new downtown destination is tentatively slated to open early next year.

Bluebird Market will feature a mix of culinary concepts ranging from grab-and-go groceries to prepared food to full-service restaurateurs.

Seven leases have been signed with local operators, which include chef-driven concepts featuring foods like fish tacos, sweet and savory crepes, poke bowls, burgers, coffee and a neighborhood marketplace and bakery, commented Scott Vollmer, director of property operations at Milender White, master developer for 4th Street Crossing.

In total, 10 to 12 food and beverage concepts and a few pop-up retail concepts are anticipated for Bluebird Market, including the revitalized Old Dillion Inn.

The developer is looking for several more concepts between 300 to 500 sf to fill out the space along with an operator for the historic Old Dillon Inn.

The Old Dillon Inn, allegedly established in 1871, was relocated in 1961 to make room for the Dillon Reservoir to its current location in Silverthorne. The bar, which last operated in 2007, will be fully encapsulated in the new food hall and its original interiors in the bar and restaurant area are hoped to be preserved with a new operator, added Vollmer.

Bluebird Market also will feature “ample” outdoor seating along Blue River Parkway as well as 6,500 sf of event space, which will be used as additional or overflow seating if faced with occupancy limits this winter.

“We understand the importance of cleanliness and consumer comfort so in addition to having a dedicated janitorial staff cleaning tables, bathrooms and common areas, Milender White will be installing UV light filters inside the HVAC duct system to help kill potentially harmful air particles, including viruses. This technology has been used in hospitals and has proven to be effective with COVID-19,” said Vollmer.

He also noted that despite the current challenges with reduced seating capacity, food halls offer ample seating with more flexibility than a traditional restaurant and the model provides restaurants with a lower start-up cost and profit-sharing lease structure as well as the opportunity to share and divide operating costs for things like bathrooms, maintenance, janitorial service, etc.

“Silverthorne is very excited to see the construction of the Bluebird Market and looks forward to the opening of the market hall within the 4th Street Crossing development in early 2021,” said Mark Leidal, assistant town manager, town of Silverthorne.

“Silverthorne has needed additional restaurants in the downtown and the Bluebird Market will be a destination for those who are looking for a variety of food and shopping choices. The town is very supportive of the market hall concept to help enrich the vibrant, pedestrian downtown environment and is pleased that Milender White is bringing the Bluebird Market to Silverthorne. The indoor/outdoor public spaces with multiple vendors will be a gathering area for residents and visitors. The town is also encouraged with the preservation the Old Dillon Inn and looks forward to how the ‘building within a building’ is incorporated into the Bluebird Market.”

The 4th Street Crossing is a mixed-use development, designed to establish a town core for Silverthorne. Located between Third and Fourth streets in downtown Silverthorne, north of Interstate 70 off of Highway 9/Blue River Parkway, the project also includes a 115-key hotel, two mixed-use buildings along Fourth Street with 6,600 sf of retail and 57 for-sale condominiums and townhomes.

Featured in the August 19-September 1, 2020, issue of CREJ