Skills Academy, a Colorado Springs-based vocational school that serves the local special needs community by providing vocational training in the culinary, maintenance and technology fields, expanded its operation by leasing a large block of space in Corporate Ridge Office and Technology Center on the city's northwest side.
The 51,470-square-foot Skills Academy space, which provides classroom training working with industry professionals to help students with special needs develop marketable skills that allow them to develop their careers and become self-sufficient members of the community, was selected by a panel of local industry professionals as the winner of the 2023 CoStar Impact Awards for lease of the year in Colorado Springs.
In early 2022, the Skills Academy was notified by the landlord of its previous location that its lease would not be renewed to accommodate the expansion of an adjacent tenant. Weston and Colin Thomas of Westward Properties worked with Skills Academy executives as well as the landlord of 1575 Garden of the Gods Road to put a lease and design plan in place to accommodate a short timeline for occupancy. This involved negotiating a staged takedown that would allow Skills Academy to take immediate occupancy while additional classroom and kitchen space was planned, permitted and built.
The Westward Properties team collaborated with Real Capital Solutions, Griffis Blessing, YOW Architects and Skills Academy to solve the unique problem of building a culinary school within an office/flex building in a six-week timeline. With the help of all the members of the team, the academy was able to continue its operations without interruption.
About the project: The two-story, 217,496-square-foot light manufacturing facility owned by Real Capital Solutions of Louisville, Colorado, is located at 1575 Garden of the Gods Road with direct access to Interstate 25 close to the Garden of the Gods and Ute Valley Parks.
What the judges said: "Moving and setting up a vocational school for a special needs population, within a short time frame, is an exceptional challenge to overcome. Additionally, high office vacancy exists along the GOG corridor, where the Skills Academy long-term lease contributes to the economic vitality and diversification of this submarket," said Paul Morrow, senior analyst with the city of Colorado Springs community development.
"Interesting adaptive reuse of challenged second-generation space and meaningful impact in terms of vocational training to the Skills student population," said Mike Helwege, SIOR, founding principal at Core Commercial Brokerage Co.
"This was a challenging space and took a very creative approach to lease," said Newmark Managing Director Brian Wagner.
They made it happen: Colin and Weston Thomas of Westward Properties.