Aurora's waterfront: developers target reservoir's shores.

• Author: Titus, Stephen

It's a blustery day on the shores of Aurora Reservoir about four miles east of E-470. Wind whips out from Kansas across grassy plains blocked by maybe two or three trees and half as many houses before it reaches Aurora's supply of drinking water. The view to the southwest across the lake is more of the same, with a handful of windsurfers ripping grooves across the water adding to the scenery. But that is changing. A magical combination of infrastructure--E-470 and Denver International Airport, and precise land planning at the City of Aurora--has turned this edge-of-nowhere patch of land from a former bombing range and a home to intercontinental ballistic missiles into what developers hope will be the next hot address in the Cherry Creek school district.

"We have strict design standards in that area of the city," said Aurora's Mayor Ed Tauer. "We planned the entire corridor from DIA all the way past Aurora Reservoir to Parker. It's designed so that there is a transition between the developments that make sense. It's really pretty creative and appropriate."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Aurora mayor's enthusiasm is shared by developers. But so far, new homes are not exactly springing out of the ground like daisies.

Developers expect that to change once infrastructure and customer awareness is built. All of the new developments bordering the lake and its associated open space are populated by the biggest names in regional and national homebuilding: Lennar, Richmond American, John Laing Homes, D.R. Horton, Village Home and Carma Colorado, to name a few. Several of those builders are looking for an aggressive four- to six-year build-out time.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Together, the big builders plan to change the landscape, with Aurora government approval, adding more than 8,000 units to the area immediately adjacent to the lake, many with a view of the water and a few very near the southern shoreline. Despite the ambitious projections and lack of public transportation, sales representatives are excited about the area given its rare proximity to water, open space, highways and the airport.

"I'm looking out my window right now and I see water," said Tim O'Brien, a new-home consultant with Lennar. "I can walk to the lake in about 10 minutes."

Lennar started the first phase of its Beacon Point development in June and has sold 29 homes. The second phase will offer several properties that back to open space on the lake so owners can walk out their back...