Denver Magazine / Denver Magazine Summer 2008 / Prominent Landmark

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Prominent Landmark

A $500 million mixed-use community In Greenwood village is an opulent new luxury property where the lavish life is offered 24/7.

Living at The Landmark is a lifestyle choice more than a "where to lay my head down at night" decision. If you like five-star hotel-style amenities in your own condo, manor home residence or brownstone, and you've got deep pockets, this new mixed-use community in Greenwood Village might be for you.

Do you want to throw a party for 25 the evening you return from a three-week trip around the world, have your poodle walked or your Mercedes washed? Call the concierge, 24/7. With a resident staff of more than 30 led by a general manager whose skills were honed at Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts properties, no request is too pretentious.

The sense of style and luxury in this $500 million mixed-use community, which when finished will include two condominium high-rise towers, the European Village of Homes with 140 Manor Home residences and 60 Brownstones, and a retail sector, was set during the opening sales event in November of 2005. Partygoers were entertained by acrobats climbing silk ropes and flying through overhead rings, while dining on Chateaubriand and lobster. At the end of the day, 90 percent of the units in The Landmark Tower, with prices ranging from $300,000 to $1.8 million, were reserved.

Residents began moving into their units this spring. Only 12 units are still available in the adjacent Meridian Tower, expected to open in December. Sales for Phase II, the European Village with Manor Homes and ultra-posh Brownstones, are brisk. Two thirds of the buyers are empty nesters, age 45 or older. For some, it's a second home or downsizing where they can enjoy a "lock-and-leave," high-service lifestyle, and a few companies purchased units for visiting employees or to utilize public areas for events.

Zack Davidson, president and CEO of the Everest Development Co., which is building this enclave tucked between Belleview and Orchard west of I-25, explains why the units sold so quickly.

"Affluent people understand authenticity," said Davidson. "They realize the difference between look-alike and the real thing." Davidson presented units that include Andersen wood windows that open, Bain Ultra jetted tubs, slab granite countertops, hardwood and travertine flooring and GE Monogram appliances as standard features. Davidson said buyers responded by signing on the dotted line.

Only 40 years old, Davidson already has learned what wealthy buyers desire while engaged in the development, redevelopment and acquisition of more than $1.5 billion in real estate assets the past 15 years. His success stems in part from a relentless drive to deliver more than he has promised. (He encourages buyers to attach photographs of the trim, cabinetry and other special items they've chosen to the contract, so there can't be any "bait and switch.")

The Landmark and The Meridian Towers

Davidson marches into the sales center late, apologizes, then spends two hours walking me through the high-rise towers. When planned, the side-by-side 14-story The Landmark and 16-story The Meridian Towers housed 300 units. (The number dropped to 272 because several owners combined two units, which started at $1.5 million.) The towers, which he labels "classic contemporary," are commercial grade post-tension concrete structures, with high-end commercial systems for air conditioning and heating. The stucco walls are applied with a three-step application.

Inside The Landmark Tower, Davidson races through the guest unit on the ground floor, (which owners can request to house overnight guests), the business center with video conferencing, a wine cellar for residents, and finally, the glassed-in space where Chinook Tavern opens in the fall. Natural light floods upper floor units through windows, many 20-feet high. Ceilings stretch from one-foot high in many apartments to 14-feet high in penthouses. Patios have brushed steel and glass railings. On the fourth floor, Davidson reveals a rooftop spa and garden, where residents can relax or use for parties.

Next, he shows the mountain view from the lowest floor of condos (as good as the views from the penthouse), walking quickly through one of the smallest units to prove everyone has walk-in closets and tray ceilings with recessed lights in the master bedroom, plus a large jetted tub, separate rainfall shower, and double sinks in the master bath. To emphasize his point, Davidson reiterates his mantra: buyers must get the quality they expect, unless he can provide even better, such as upgrading everyone to Caruso kitchen cabinets with dovetailed drawers.

Stepping out of the elevator on the 11th floor, Davidson's eyes glitter through his round, frameless glasses as he points at shadow boxes on the wall. They're ready to be filled with mosaics, glass, clocks and other collections of antiques and artworks. You could say Davidson is addicted to art. He has two curators on retainer to help create and maintain the incredible collection of art and antiques from around the world that will decorate the buildings. A 17th century French Louis XIII limestone fireplace, a 19th century Sung Dynasty wine pot, an elaborate antique bronze chandelier, 19th century paintings and a Neo-Classical terra cotta bust are just a sample of the valuable collection that will decorate the community's public areas.

Next door, Davidson steps into the 13,000-square-foot lobby of The Meridian. He points to the water-wall entrance to the European pool and garden, and asks me to visualize the clubroom, library, wine cellar and guest suite. The average unit size is larger here, and the master bedrooms will have bay windows. A fifth-floor roof deck will feature a fireplace and garden.

The European Village Houses, Manor Homes and Brownstones

Across the street from the high-rises, Phase II: a European Village on 11.4 acres is underway.

In the early planning stages, Davidson took the architects and designers to Rome, Florence, London, Bath and eastern cities in the U.S. to study the design elements and architectural details being incorporated into the village.

"We zeroed in on Georgian-style architecture, which had its roots in Rome and Florence, became Georgian in England, and was taken to the U.S. by our founding fathers," said Don Ruggles, president of Denver-based D.H. Ruggles & Associates, which is responsible for the residential architectural designs.

The seven low-rise Manor Homes buildings and 60 Brownstones will be set among cobblestone walkways, plazas and fountains, which all will be shaded by 1,000 caliper trees being planted to ensure a mature landscape from the day owners move into their homes.

Manor Homes, priced from $500,000 to $1.8 million, are designed so each of the four units per level will have corners expanding the views. The tri-level Brownstones, which range from 2,800- to 5,000-square-feet and cost from $1.5 million to $2.9 million, will have garages on the ground level, main living areas on the middle level and bedrooms on the top floor. The rooms are laid out in a classic architectural form, so each one can be decorated in a distinct style if the owner prefers.

The exteriors of the buildings will be a combination of brick and prefab material, which replicates cut stone, and mahogany windows. Brick will be laid in an expensive pattern called Flemish bond, which gives the walls a unique quality. The groundbreaking for the European Village of Homes was held in April and the first residences are expected to be ready for owners in fall, 2009.

Homeowners will have the opportunity to change interior walls if they want to vary any of the 11 floor plans, which range from 1,200- to 2,700-square-feet. All apartments and homes will have patios or terraces to expand living space, and some owners may choose to add rooftop decks. The interior furnishings will be posh, from Miele and Sub-Zero appliances to mahogany doors in the Brownstones.

The Village Shops at The Landmark

The Village Shops at The Landmark, the final component of this new community, is designed for both residents and the public. It's filled with upscale shops such as Moda, Players Men's Shop and Ella Bleu, plus restaurants including Ted's Montana Grill, Jing Chinese Restaurant and Slattery's Irish Pub. Even the multiplex Landmark Theatres, where popcorn and fountain drinks are included in the price, has an upscale ambience. For an extra $2 you can jump to the front of the entry line, sit in a reserved area with premium seating and have a VIP host take your beverage and snack order. Comedy Works at The Landmark opens a restaurant and lounge in the fall.

Award Winning Community

The Landmark was one of five developments named "Community of The Year," by the National Association of Home Builders in 2007. It also received several Bar Awards from the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver for setting new standards of excellence in the local building industry. Davidson named the community The Landmark to meld the past, present and future.

"A Landmark at its most fundamental level is a point or place in time when history changed, it is an architectural significant point on the horizon," explains Davidson. "Most Landmarks require hundreds of years to be recognized as such. Our objective is for this Landmark to be recognized in this manner on the day of its opening."