Development Near Centennial Airport Dropped

Developers behind a controversial proposal to build homes and businesses near Centennial Airport withdrew their plans Monday night, opting instead for new discussions on the future of the land.

Armstrong Capital Development and 7353 Investments announced the move at a packed meeting in which Centennial City Council members were set to vote on whether to back the project.

The companies said they reached the decision after various parties, including the airport, the city and Arapahoe County, agreed to collaborate with developers to map out a vision for the site.

"We're willing to withdraw to allow the various stakeholders to come together and be a part of that process," said said Greg Armstrong, a partner with Armstrong Capital.

The project has become a hot topic in Centennial in recent weeks.

Opponents of the plan - which include businesses, pilots, and airport and Arapahoe County officials - fear that building homes in the proposed location could create noise and safety issues because of its proximity to runways and low-flying planes. They argued that companies also might decide to fly elsewhere if complaints rose, which would dampen the airport's standing as a busy hub for private and corporate flying. The community would have included homes 1,600 feet from Centennial Airport's east runway.

"We want everybody to come to the table and take a deep breath and see if we can create some opportunities for the area," said Robert Olislagers, the airport's executive director. "We didn't want to discuss this with a gun to our head."

Developers envisioned a neighborhood featuring 1,615 residential units, trails, athletic centers and parks as well as space for retail and offices.

Armstrong and 7353 had submitted a plan in which the city would annex 380 acres of unincorporated land and then rezone it to allow residential development. The site, located in Dove Valley just east of the airport, isn't open for residential building under an agreement between Arapahoe County and the current owners of the land.

News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.