Metro Denver is densifying. Everywhere there is available land – whether unfilled, unmanaged or underutilized – real estate developers are working overtime to deliver multifamily housing and flexible offices connected to vibrant retail, entertainment and green spaces. Driven by significant population growth and the expanding urban fabric, in 2026, Interstate 225 isn’t the edge of oblivion; it’s the spine of what’s next. Aurora has been adding roughly 5,000 new residents annually for over a decade. Today, Aurora’s population exceeds 400,000, making it Colorado’s third-largest city and perhaps the one with the most to upscale.
“The Aurora Metro Center is planned as a dynamic urban center offering a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options directly connected to RTD’s light-rail station,” begins R. Lane Cutter, senior managing director of Legacy Partners’ Denver office. Since 1968, Legacy Partners has developed over 78,000 apartment homes, working with some of the world’s largest financial institutions and real estate companies. Joining the light-rail station, the Town Center at Aurora across Sable Boulevard, and the Aurora Municipal Center complex a block east, Legacy Metro 525’s residents will have the best of Aurora on their doorstep.
“Legacy Metro 525 brings 380 units of much-needed market-rate multifamily housing to this transit-oriented development offering direct access to several of the state’s largest employment centers in Fitzsimons, Denver Tech Center and DEN [Denver International Airport].”
A licensed architect who practiced across three decades and managed a Denver design firm focused on multifamily housing for 18 years, Cutter migrated to development in 2014. Hired by Legacy 10 years ago to lead the Denver office, Cutter oversees a real estate team that owns, develops, and manages a growing collection of multifamily communities along the Front Range.
“I like the hunt; seeking deals and turning properties into something we’re all proud of,” says Cutter of what he loves about his work. “The Colorado office takes projects from site selection through financial modeling, design, construction administration, marketing and lease-up. In real estate, you really need a great team. Commercial development is always tough.”
The key to success in multifamily housing is to stay ahead of the curve. People want choices. Fueled by the luxurious lifestyles lavishly portrayed on reality TV, today renters of premium properties have extremely high expectations.
“Legacy Partners is design centric. Our properties are all Class A. So, we’re very focused on the details of the amenity package, the interiors, and curb appeal. Our rent structure is based on a high-quality environment that feels best-in-class upon entering the property. Legacy Metro 525 certainly will be,” shares Cutter. “Two large courtyards allowing light into interior units are community hubs. The south courtyard is designed around a large pool with sun decks, grills and fire pits. The north courtyard adjoining the fitness center features patio fire pits and lounge areas as well. Both focus energy and activity.”
The potential challenges to development are many. Most projects seem to have a few key concerns. For Cutter, that’s what keeps it interesting. On Legacy Metro 525, the big issue was the site. Located behind the Town Center at Aurora, Legacy Metro 525 is built on a slope.
Two large courtyards allow light into interior units and serve as community hubs.
“Building on a sloped site, we’ve got a stepped foundation supporting a precast concrete parking garage with the wood-framed building wrapping around it,” says Cutter. “This activates complex civil and structural engineering issues that affect fire separations. The detailing required tremendous design and construction coordination. Cost-effectively phasing the project was a team effort.”
Filling out his dance card, Cutter returned to familiar faces for both design and construction.
“The architects at KTGY have a great deal of experience in the product type. Legacy Partners built a relationship with KTGY on projects in California, which we’ve continued in Colorado,” continues Cutter. “Similar story with Catamount Constructors. This was bid out in 2022, which is now four years ago. Given the cost escalations over the years, pricing was an additional challenge.”
Scott Bryans, AIA, is the studio director of KTGY’s Denver office. He has been with KTGY for 13 years and took a leadership role on Legacy Metro 525.
“KTGY is focused on residential architecture in all forms. From single-family homes to high-rise multifamily and everything in between, KTGY is where design lives,” says Bryans. “We have a passion for how people live and how each building fits into the urban fabric. We consider ourselves experts in the typology and the geographic markets we serve. Legacy Metro 525 is an excellent example of stitching a building into a challenging site.”
Renters of today’s premium properties have extremely high expectations.
Bryans reveals that the site is the first of several parcels in the vicinity of the Aurora Metro Center Station, adjoining the municipal center and mall. Fully built out, the new whole will be a gateway to Aurora, a true city center, rather than a suburban outpost. Anticipating this future context, where presently very little density exists, gave Bryans and the KTGY things to consider.
Legacy Metro 525 includes a well-equipped fitness center.
“On the north end, at the corner of Dawson and Center, where the site connects to the Metro Center Station, we’ve created a more commercial feel. As the building steps down the slope, we’ve used a variety of materials and colors to break up the massing. Inside, the aesthetics are industrial, semi-exposed, giving an urban vibe,” says Bryans. “This building is over 700 feet long. It’s assembled using three different construction types – Type I, Type III and Type IV – in both four- and five-story sections. Having Catamount integrated into the preconstruction process was invaluable in solving these challenges.”
Delivered as a combination of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, Legacy Metro 525’s nod to the forthcoming urbanity of Aurora is embodied by the property’s public art program.
“The Aurora Metro District wants the new city center to be heavily influenced by high-impact art,” says Cutter. Denver-based art consultants Nine dot Arts curated a collection of local artists to create public focal points across the site. “We’ve got everything from a 7-foot wire bunny to interactive art trees. The artists involved really took cues from the gritty industrial interiors to create murals and installations that are very bold, bright and cohesive.”
Interior aesthetics are industrial, semi-exposed, giving the development an urban vibe.
Connecting a building to a future cityscape sounds like the kind of challenge that makes development fun. Connecting the dots is what makes it profitable.
“The complexity of assembling the various construction types led us to phasing,” explains Cutter. “In Phase 1, which opened in February, we brought 160 units to market. We’ll deliver the remaining 220 units in March. Activating some units early helps the sales team start populating the property and generating some income. On the back end, next year, we don’t have 380 lease renewals coming due at the same time, which has both financial and operational ramifications.”
As Cutter and Bryans await the awakening of the Aurora Metro Center, Cutter has the last word.
“These projects are complex and require a lot of coordination,” he concludes. “They don’t pop out of the ground fast and furious. It takes a team effort of developers, designers and builders working with the city. Beneficially extending the urban fabric is always a challenge. If development were easy, it wouldn’t be any fun.”
