Milender White breaks ground on Denver Metro Village senior housing project

Denver Metro Village, MGL Partners and Milender White began construction on the renovation and expansion project for DMV in Denver. Located on West Colfax Avenue off Quitman and Raleigh streets, DMV has been providing affordable housing for seniors for more than 50 years.

Financed largely by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority through noncompetitive Federal 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, the project includes the construction of a new four-story, at-grade structure that will include covered parking for 180 vehicles, 8,123 square feet of commercial space and 19 new multifamily units. The project also includes renovation of the 191 units in DMV’s existing 18-story tower that was built in 1971.

“This project is fundamentally about the preservation of an important community asset,” said Maria Michels, executive director of Metronomy Inc., the nonprofit management company created to manage DMV. “We had to adapt to meet the challenges of the rapid development of our West Colfax community. The new structure will provide much-needed parking for our residents and their visitors, and it will expand the existing amenity space by more than 5,500 square feet.”

The newly renovated tower will continue to provide income assisted senior housing; 121 units are eligible and will remain eligible for Section 8 Assistance via a housing assistance payment contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The remaining units, including the newly constructed units, will provide homes for residents earning between 40 and 80% of the area median income.

DMV has partnered with MGL Partners on the project. MGL is acting as both a consultant and a partner on the development. As experts in the LIHTC business, MGL specializes in completing complex redevelopment and new construction projects in the Colorado market.

Milender White, the general contractor on the project, plans to work on several floors on a rolling basis to allow unit demolition and renovation to occur prior to installing new mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems and all new finishes throughout the units and common areas.

Existing amenity spaces will also be renovated and enhanced, including a partially enclosed 18th floor walkway with seating areas and fire pits, a new library, community kitchen and upgraded laundry facilities. DMV marks the 21st affordable and/or senior housing project for Milender White.

“We were honored to partner with Denver Metro Village and once again with MGL Partners on a senior housing project,” said Darren Hinton, construction executive and senior vice president for MW. “Our main goal is to execute this work safely, with high quality and with as little impact as possible to the current residents.”

Parikh Stevens Architects designed the project. Construction will wrap up next fall.

Published in the Nov. 20-Dec. 3, 2019, issue of CREJ.