HomeMy WebLinkAboutUNIVERSITY CENTER P.U.D. (WARDS REDEVELOPMENT) - MINOR AMENDMENT / REPLAT - 40-01 - MEDIA -Borders shuts book on Ward' �tilding, for now - Business - coloradoa- -om Page 3 of 3
Borders, which has stores in Longmont and Greeley, had expected to be
open in time for the Christmas rush.
Originally published Friday, July 4, 2003
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One is a Fort Collins upscale liquor and wine business that is interested
in moving to the site; the other is a restaurant, he said.
If those two tenants sign leases to go into Wards, it will shut Borders out
of the picture.
Meanwhile, construction on the interior of Whole Foods Market is under
way, with opening tentatively set for February, Dragul said.
A grocery store at that location has been approved by the Fort Collins
City Council, said Steve Olt of the city's current planning department.
Olt said he still is waiting on changes to the building design before
giving final approval to Whole Foods plans.
Whole Foods officials were unavailable for comment on this story.
Approval includes significant changes to the exterior of the 70,000-
square-foot building and parking area, Olt said.
The fagade will be a combination of rock and stucco, a raised roof on
one corner and lots of glass, Dragul said.
Whole Foods is extremely serious about how it impacts Fort Collins, he
said.
"They're sensitive about issues that concern the city and people who live
in the city as far as how the property looks, how people will park, traffic
flow and impact on shopping pattern," Dragul said.
Trees, shrubs and more landscaping islands will help improve the look
of the property that has long been an eyesore, Olt said.
"I'm excited," Olt said. "It will be nice to have Whole Foods in the city
and nice to see improvements to that area that is one of the only truly
ugly sites left in Fort Collins."
The Ward building has been vacant since Chicago -based Montgomery
Ward closed the location in 1997. The retailer went out of business in
2000.
Over the years, numerous redevelopment proposals have come and gone,
including Kohl's and Gordman's department stores, a movie theater and
24-Hour Fitness Center.
All backed off because of the high cost of redeveloping the property.
Cost of the current project has not been disclosed.
http://www.coloradoan.com/news/stories/20030704/business/592098.html 7/7/2003
Borders shuts book on Ward ' ilding, for now - Business - coloradoar -om
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Business - Friday, July 4, 2003
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Borders shuts book on Ward building,
for now
By PAT FERRIER
PatFe� - ier n,coloradoan.com
Borders Books & Music has
pulled out of its deal to share
the old Montgomery Ward
building with Whole Foods
Market, property owner GDA
Real Estate Services LLC
confirmed Thursday.
Borders, which announced in
January it planned to occupy
22,500 square feet of the long -
vacant Ward's building at
2201 S. College Ave., is
changing its store layouts, said
Gary Dragul, president of
Greenwood Village -based
GDA , which bought the
property in January.
I ,
t n^
a I
lip
xr..
Emily Hemmis/The Coloradoan
NEW HOPE: Construction is underway on
the Whole Foods store in the Montgomery
Ward building. The building has been
considered an eyesore by many in Fort
Collins since it went vacant in 1997.
Homes Custome
During that process, Borders put a temporary freeze on developing new
stores, Dragul said.
"I think Borders is still excited about Fort Collins and they may still
come to the site, but there was a timing issue," he said.
Borders officials were unavailable for comment Thursday.
GDA is within about a month of signing two other undisclosed tenants
for the site, Dragul said.
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http://www. coloradoan.com/news/stories/2003 0704/business/5 92098.html
7/7/2003