DENVER — In a ribbon cutting event that included remarks by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and state housing leaders, Pinkard Construction celebrated the opening of its latest sustainably designed affordable housing project, The Irving at Mile High Vista.
Developed by Urban Land Conservancy (ULC), a Denver-based nonprofit that preserves, develops and invests in affordable community-serving real estate, the 102-unit apartment complex will serve households earning 20%–80% of Area Median Income (AMI), with affordability guaranteed for at least 99 years through ULC’s community land trust.
Located at 3270 W Colfax Ave., next to the Denver Public Library’s Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch, The Irving’s location connects its residents to educational resources and essential services that support stability and opportunity.
“As we build this city, we want to make sure this city leaves room for all of us,” said Mayor Johnston in his speech. “We want to be able to add housing in the city, and we want to keep protecting climate and sustainability at the same time. That is why what you see is not just an amazing building with 102 new affordable units, but an all-electric building that is 100% carbon free and relies on both rooftop solar and electric heat pumps, so that the folks that are living here are living affordably and sustainably. That is our goal for all of Denver and today is the incredible success along the way to that dream.”
The project is among the first developments funded through Proposition 123, a voter-approved statewide initiative that provides dedicated funding to support affordable housing across Colorado.
Designed by Studio Completiva, the all-electric, energy-efficient building is built to exceed National Green Building Standards (NGBS). The apartments feature heat pump heating and cooling, ENERGY STAR appliances and lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, water-efficient landscaping, and on-site electric vehicle charging. The Irving further incorporates universal, trauma-informed and biophilic design principles, creating homes that are accessible, comfortable and supportive for residents of all ages and abilities.
Built over a post-tension podium parking garage, the building’s construction utilized the Infinity Structural System, featuring pre-panelized load-bearing metal stud walls tied into concrete structural decking, which allowed crews to frame the seven-story, 105,000 square foot structure at the pace of one floor a week.
General project challenges included zero lot line site constraints with minimal parking and laydown area, requiring carefully timed deliveries and a robust effort to protect public safety and minimize disruptions to library operations next door.
As Pinkard has overcome on previous all-electric projects, one of The Irving’s earliest challenges was ensuring the building would have enough power given limits on the local grid, or risk the project being delayed until 2027. Thanks to some creative thinking and a highly collaborative effort between Pinkard, ULC and Xcel Energy, a solution was found to keep the project on track.
Other unforeseen challenges included the discovery of asbestos-containing materials in the soils, requiring extensive public safety measures to abate, and the necessary relocation of on-site electrical mainline, which together pushed back the project start date by three months.
Despite these delays, it was crucial for the owner’s plans that the project finish by the end of 2025. To make this possible, the Pinkard team ran an incredibly well-executed schedule with little room for additional setbacks. Their persistence paid off, with the job achieving its certificate of occupancy shortly before its December 31 deadline.
“Successfully overcoming challenges under a tight deadline requires a strong team effort from all stakeholders, and that’s what we got at The Irving,” says Joe Revielle, Construction Manager for Pinkard. “Studio Completiva was great to work with and got us what we needed, and we had invaluable partners in the ownership and owner's representation, with ULC and Artaic Group. What we were able to accomplish together would have been much more difficult with a different group.”
“This project was a challenge from start to finish,” said Jake Hopper, Senior Project Manager for owner’s representative Artaic Group. “From preconstruction through completion, the team navigated a number of logistical and scheduling hurdles, along with an aggressive push at the end. Through it all, Pinkard Construction remained focused, adaptable, and committed to delivering the project on time with the utmost professionalism.
“The Irving is ULC’s first time serving as the developer on a ground-up housing development,” said Sarah Harman, senior VP of real estate at Urban Land Conservancy. “Pinkard was a true thought partner. They kept attention on critical-path milestones while also developing real-time solutions that, in many cases, ended up looking so good as to appear by-design.”
