400 E Simpson, Lafayette

The building now known as Lafayette Commons is located at 400 E Simpson, in Lafayette, Colorado, purchased in April of 2014 in total disrepair. The building was in need of a new steward not only to restore its beauty but to respect its historical significance as one of the first structures of historic downtown Lafayette. You can learn more about the history of this building here.

We envisioned a beautiful community building, taking advantage of the bright 3-story atrium, ample windows, and structured layout. We created Lafayette Commons, a 16k square foot unique collective of businesses to coexist with shared amenities, a community building providing tenants with two shared conference rooms, a kitchen, workout room, and more. Originally built in 1898, surviving two fires and rebuilt by Chernoff Boulder Properties in 2014, this community business office building is located in historic old-town Lafayette, currently maintaining 22 office suites across three floors around an open atrium.

The renovation project was a major undertaking and one with great visibility within the community. The City of Lafayette and the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority partnered to provide partial funding and guidance for the exterior renovation. To reconstruct the historic façade we rehabilitated the building’s exterior, removing aging siding, rebuilding the structure behind the siding, installing period-size lapboard siding on the majority of the building, and reinstalling historically accurate corbels on the north elevation. On the western portion of the building, limestone block replaced the wooden siding to match historic pictures of the building.

There are more contributors to this project than we can name, but it couldn’t have been completed without the shared vision of many within our community, and the tenants who took a leap of faith while it was under construction. On December 9th, 2014, we had a celebration to commemorate the building re-opening, in conjunction with Lafayette Urban Renewal, Historic Preservation, the City of Lafayette,  Tenants, Guests, and Friends. We were honored by the attendance of the mayor of Lafayette Christine Berg, Representative Mike Foote, Lafayette City Manager Gary Klepake and the many other guests in attendance. Special thanks to Lafayette Assistance City Manager Phillip Patterson, Jenn Ooten, Karen Westover, Sally Martin, and LAER Realty.

On September 23, 2015 – Lafayette Commons earned the very prestigious Governor’s Award for Excellence (Best Adaptive Reuse or Rehabilitation” – more information here: http://www.cityoflafayette.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2104. “Lafayette Commons is sure to remain a keystone project as further development of the area continues under the direction and contribution of the Urban Renewal Authority. It has set the scene for many more good things to come. The building has an amazing history, and it continues with this Governor’s Award for Excellence,” LURA Chair Sally Martin said.

The Lafayette Commons project has acted as a catalyst to the re-enlivening of Lafayette’s historic Simpson Street and has helped downtown meet goals identified in Lafayette’s 2011 Downtown Vision, which outlines the strategy for the area’s revitalization. Learn more about the award-winning Lafayette Commons at http://www.LCommons.com.