The first phase of a project that will transform a large industrial site in the heart of Golden is underway with the start of work on what will become the new global headquarters for CoorsTek.
The recent groundbreaking for the first building in the development called Clayworks is being followed by demolition of structures that housed CoorsTek’s manufacturing and research and development work for more than a century. The 182,000-square-foot building will be the new headquarters for the company, which manufactures technical ceramics for such industries as aerospace, defense, energy, agriculture and electronics.
The office building, expected to take a couple of years to complete, will provide space for another company and three food and beverage outlets. Cohen said the developer is still talking to prospective tenants.
Plans for other parts of the 12.5-acre site include more office space, apartments, a hotel, retail outlets, open spaces and public plazas.
“It’s been almost four years since we conceived of the idea of redeveloping the property. It’s a thrill to have reached this milestone,” said Dan Cohen, president of AC Development.
AC Development is owned by the Coors family, who started what became Coors Brewing Co. in Golden and owns CoorsTek, once called the Coors Porcelain Co. CoorsTek’s new headquarters will incorporate the site’s first building, put up in 1910, another original structure and will contain other family businesses.
A five-story building that was constructed later will also be part of the redevelopment. The entire project, which will cover roughly 1.25 million square feet, will take from six to 10 years to finish, Cohen said.
AC Development hasn’t said how much the first building will cost, but Michael Coors, co-CEO of CoorsTek, said in a 2022 interview that all the work would likely cost between $600 million and $900 million.
“We are proud to be part of this exciting project that will redefine this historic area,” Coors said in a statement.
The new CoorsTek headquarters will be designed by Tryba Architects and will reflect “our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and an exceptional work environment for our employees,” Coors said.
This first phase of Clayworks will be built by the Denver office of Holder Construction. The building will be all electric and sit atop one level of below-grade parking. Dozens of 500-foot deep geothermal wells will help power the building and solar panels will likely be added.
The Golden City Council approved rezoning the former CoorsTek manufacturing site and the redevelopment plan in the summer of 2022. Cohen said the unanimous approval followed more than 110 community meetings and hearings.
“A lot of buildings had to be abated for asbestos. We did a lot of salvaging of machinery and ephemera from the history of operations of the manufacturing,” Cohen said. “We’ll be incorporating some of those features, like kiln carts, into the design.”
Much significant work took place on the industrial site, such as the perfection of the aluminum beverage can and advancement in technical ceramics, Cohen said.
“We want to embrace that. The name Clayworks is a nod to that history,” he added.
Porcelain was manufactured at the Golden site because of the quality of the clays in the soil.
“We’re excited to reknit this site into the downtown Golden urban fabric and build some beautiful buildings and bring people there,” Cohen said.
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