Mayor Mike Coffman expects the Fitzsimons complex to be one of the main economic engines for Aurora once development is done for its housing, research and commercial properties. It sits on 184 acres of land in northwest Aurora, just north of East Colfax Avenue outside of Denver.
"To me, it's everything," says Coffman, who sits on the FIC governing board. "It will redefine Aurora."
FIC encompasses the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is home to University of Colorado programs and hospitals. Although two Aurora City Council members and the mayor sit on the FIC board of directors, it's independently run, with executives from the university, hospitals and life science research companies also sitting on the board. FIC doesn't receive any city, county or state funding, according to spokesperson Annie Coghill.
FIC encompasses the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is home to University of Colorado programs and hospitals. Although two Aurora City Council members and the mayor sit on the FIC board of directors, it's independently run, with executives from the university, hospitals and life science research companies also sitting on the board. FIC doesn't receive any city, county or state funding, according to spokesperson Annie Coghill.
Before becoming a contender in Denver's 2022 mayoral race, Brough was CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce for twelve years and the chief of staff for former mayor John Hickenlooper for six years. She eventually lost her bid for mayor to Mike Johnston, and moved on to work for Colorado Mesa University as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships.
Fitzsimons Innovation Community has been a work in progress for more than 25 years, and Brough is coming in as Coffman and the rest of the governing board seek to wrap up development, mostly on housing and retail properties. More than 3,200 employees are already working there along with 4,500 students studying on the campus, according to Coffman, and more than eighty companies call the Fitzsimons community home. Once completed, FIC will have about 45,000 employees, including those on the Anschutz campus.
The development also has luxury townhomes, a boutique hotel and apartment complexes as well as restaurants, pubs and taprooms, coffee shops, a hair salon, a pharmacy and even a place to buy scrubs.
The Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, an independent agency, owns most of the property on the campus, while real estate firm AIR Communities owns two apartment buildings, retail space and an outdoor space known as the Central Green on the campus. Aimco, another private real estate company, owns the Benson Hotel & Faculty Club, which is a boutique hotel at FIC.
Former FIC CEO Steve VanNurden, who was at the helm for twelve years, announced his retirement on December 3.
FIC is about halfway through in terms of projects it still plans to complete, according to Coghill. Current undertakings include a 230,000-square-foot research facility that will be able to scale up to 800,000 square feet in the future and nearly 400 additional apartments from Aimco and FIC at the northeast corner of Scranton and East 22nd streets, which is in the middle of the development.
The development also has luxury townhomes, a boutique hotel and apartment complexes as well as restaurants, pubs and taprooms, coffee shops, a hair salon, a pharmacy and even a place to buy scrubs.
The Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, an independent agency, owns most of the property on the campus, while real estate firm AIR Communities owns two apartment buildings, retail space and an outdoor space known as the Central Green on the campus. Aimco, another private real estate company, owns the Benson Hotel & Faculty Club, which is a boutique hotel at FIC.
Former FIC CEO Steve VanNurden, who was at the helm for twelve years, announced his retirement on December 3.
FIC is about halfway through in terms of projects it still plans to complete, according to Coghill. Current undertakings include a 230,000-square-foot research facility that will be able to scale up to 800,000 square feet in the future and nearly 400 additional apartments from Aimco and FIC at the northeast corner of Scranton and East 22nd streets, which is in the middle of the development.
Coffman says that the City of Aurora and the Anschutz Medical Campus are anxious to see the Fitzsimons community completed, adding that the project is "really at an inflection point."
"Both sides really want to move it forward, fast," he says. "Kelly brings a lot of credibility to that process."
Brough is also "interested in going faster" to create more jobs, she says.
"When you can deliver a really good job for a family, you really do change their lives," Brough says. "I look at the work we're doing at Fitzsimons, and I see the urgency. These are jobs for Coloradans, for Aurora residents, that I think are critical, and I'm committed to getting them here faster."
"Both sides really want to move it forward, fast," he says. "Kelly brings a lot of credibility to that process."
Brough is also "interested in going faster" to create more jobs, she says.
"When you can deliver a really good job for a family, you really do change their lives," Brough says. "I look at the work we're doing at Fitzsimons, and I see the urgency. These are jobs for Coloradans, for Aurora residents, that I think are critical, and I'm committed to getting them here faster."
For Coffman, the completion of FIC means the campus can start delivering an economic boost to the city's historic center in northwest Aurora. It's not lost on him that "when most people think of Aurora, they're thinking of northwest Aurora," he says.
Across East Colfax Avenue from Anschutz, Coffman notes, businesses and housing are "all new," and he wants to see the same kind of growth farther west along the Colfax corridor. He expects he'll see new businesses opening once the campus completes development on its north side.
"I need to grow that campus and to provide that economic growth west from Peoria [Street] all the way to Yosemite [Street] on the Denver line," Coffman says. "This is just central to the future of our city."
In the FIC statement announcing Brough's hire, she mentioned the campus's "untapped potential." Talking to Westword, Brough says the local government has done a good job investing in the area around it, and FIC has set up companies with what they'll need.
"The foundation is built for Fitzsimons to take off," she says. "We have made investments in the transportation system, the location puts us close to DIA, we built the lab space and office space and just what companies need to come in immediately and be successful."
Brough's also impressed by FIC's location. In addition to running along East Colfax Avenue, the campus also has Interstate 225 on its eastern edge and Denver International Airport about ten miles away.
"The proximity to the airport literally is our port to the world, and these companies need that access," Brough says. "You can't get any better access than what we're offering. We're right on a light rail line, and the ability of people to visit or come in is really positive."
"The foundation is built for Fitzsimons to take off," she says. "We have made investments in the transportation system, the location puts us close to DIA, we built the lab space and office space and just what companies need to come in immediately and be successful."
Brough's also impressed by FIC's location. In addition to running along East Colfax Avenue, the campus also has Interstate 225 on its eastern edge and Denver International Airport about ten miles away.
"The proximity to the airport literally is our port to the world, and these companies need that access," Brough says. "You can't get any better access than what we're offering. We're right on a light rail line, and the ability of people to visit or come in is really positive."
The new CEO envisions "docs coming in to be trained on some of the innovation, being able to have them come from the airport, stay at the Benson Hotel, go through the training with one of our companies and go back to the airport."
On top of that, construction has started on East Colfax for the Bus Rapid Transit system, a faster and more frequent bus service line that's expected to connect the Anschutz Medical Campus with downtown Denver by 2028.
On top of that, construction has started on East Colfax for the Bus Rapid Transit system, a faster and more frequent bus service line that's expected to connect the Anschutz Medical Campus with downtown Denver by 2028.
"It's one more way people can get in and out, hopefully easier," Brough says. "My hope is that it helps continue to drive what we're trying to drive."
But for Brough, the most attractive part of the Fitzsimons community is the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is home to "some of the best hospitals in the world," including Children's Hospital Colorado, the University of Colorado Hospital and the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Brough has no personal connections to Aurora, but she promises that she's "committed to driving that economic growth and positive impact in the community surrounding Fitzsimons." However, she'll need the help of local government officials and business owners to deliver, mostly by developing East Colfax Avenue, before FIC is expected to generate more business.
"Frankly, the entire state benefits. The more successful we are, the more successful everybody is," she says. "That's how I see the development of Colfax: The more successful we are along Colfax, the more successful I'll be in my direct mission of getting life science companies on the Fitzsimons campus and delivering on innovation."
