Saunders Construction, Vita Development Group, and Terracon, have completed the soil remediation phase of the Fox Park redevelopment — a 41-acre mixed-use project located near the I-70 and I-25 interchange in Denver. This is the first project by Vita Development Group and Saunders Construction regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Superfund program. Vita Development Group entered into a bona fide prospective purchaser agreement (BFPPA) with the EPA in April 2022, which enabled the clean-up to be completed several years earlier than typical timelines.
“The completion of the environmental clean-up at Fox Park marks an essential milestone to enable the future development of this upcoming vibrant community,” stated Jose Carredano, managing partner. “Fox Park is an incredible example of transforming blighted spaces into innovative community assets through partnerships.”
During the clean-up operations, the team was required to test, clean, and purify the soil during two phases of soil remediation to meet the EPA’s rigorous standards. The site contained roughly 420,000 cubic yards of low-level contaminated or unsuitable fill material across the 41-acre site, reaching depths of almost 30 feet.
The team collaborated with the EPA, City and County of Denver, RTD, Denver Water and Xcel Energy to remove 478,320 cubic yards (equal to 31,888 truckloads) while maintaining an active elevated RTD rail line, I-70 on-ramp, and several major utilities that connect the neighborhoods of west Globeville and Sunnyside. The team imported 114,000 cubic yards of dirt to the site to support the next phase of construction.
“As a community builder, Saunders is proud to partner with Vita Development and Terracon to ensure this site is a healthy, vibrant asset for Denver,” stated Tom Alford, senior vice president/general manager. “We are excited to start construction of the civil site infrastructure, and the community will now start to see the development take shape over the next year.”
Future buildings of the Fox Park redevelopment project are currently in the architectural design phases. The civil utilities scope, currently under construction, consists of constructing four new City and County of Denver streets and infrastructure, preparing eight future building pads, and building a vehicle tunnel under the new 45th Street to connect two future parking garages.
Future phases of the project include three additional phases of civil utilities, the Huron Parking Garage and Park, and Fox Park Parking Garage and Park. When complete, the Fox Park redevelopment will include a new World Trade Center, Colorado’s first Virgin Hotel, office and residential space, as well as 14 acres of outdoor parks and amenities.
