Reclaiming brighton boulevsrd: projects in the works to transform corridor from 1-70 to downtown.

• Position: PEAL ESTATE ROUND UP

LONG EYED BY DENVER planners for its potential, the Brighton Boulevard corridor is attracting the attention of developers and businesses wanting to locate in what once was a tangle of rail yards and large industrial plants.

Though slow to evolve, the renaissance started with the early vision of urban pioneer Mickey Zeppelin, whose 20-acre mixed-use project TAXI was catalytic to the development of River North (RiNo) - a neighborhood north of downtown that Brighton bisects. Firm believers in the area, Zeppelin and his son Kyle recently opened The Source, an urban artisan market on Brighton. They're also planning a 50-unit family housing project expected to break ground this spring.

"The next chapter is really thinking about families and how different demographics can have living spaces here," Kyle Zeppelin said.

Revitalizing the area is also a priority for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who, during his State of the City address last July, said a coordinated push on six key projects will turn the corridor into an inviting entry to downtown.

NATIONAL WESTERN CENTER

In July 2013, Denver, the Western Stock Show Association, Colorado State University, the Denver Museum of Nature 8, Science and History Colorado agreed to collaborate on the redevelopment plan for the National Western Center: a year-round destination that aligns education, economic development, tourism and entertainment to celebrate the city's Western heritage.

A group of 30 neighborhood business owners, residents and public officials formed the National Western Center Advisory Committee in October to help guide the planning process "Whatever plan we come up with has to be finished by December 2014 to be approved," said Jin Tsuchiya, associate account executive at CRL Associates Inc., who is helping guide the committee. "We want to work with the current City Council so we can get to a decision more quickly."

SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

A recent study commissioned by the City and County of Denver found that the South Platte River corridor has the potential to attract investment of nearly $260 million that could generate 773 construction jobs and 352 permanent employment positions with an average annual salary of $55,370. About 1,230 new residents would live near the river in new developments and spend $8.7 million each year on taxable goods.

The Greenway Foundation has been working with the city on a plan for the river and has about $20 million to put toward improvements.

"When you invest in...