Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 3, Issue 3

81 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 COMMERCE C I TY , COLORADO arrivals and families that have been here for generations. We also have Russian residents as well as many other internationals. We anticipate hitting a population of 80,000 by the end of 2025; a massive difference from the 21,000 recorded by the U.S. census of 2000.” The city can anticipate and prepare for this growth because of the significant amount of land yet to be developed. During the last several years, an average of 1,000 new units were permitted annually for residential housing, especially for single- and multi-family homes. One such project is Reunion, an Oakwood Homes Community. Currently under construction in the city’s northern range, the 3,000-acre development is a residential community with some mixed-use and commercial areas. It includes parks, trails, pools, and a recreation center. On the other side of town, Delwest is redeveloping the former Mile High Greyhound Park. This mixed-use development will offer duplexes and townhomes as well as apartments both below and at market rate. The redevelopment also includes land for a new hotel and other commercial and civic development. Developers are actively looking for buildable land in Commerce City because of the city’s proximity to Denver International Airport (DEN) – one of the world’s busiest airports. DEN is a major employer for the area, along with a flour mill and several food product manufacturers. “Ardent Mills has been in the community a long time and is even part of our skyline. They produce flours for many of the country’s baked goods,” states Claymore. “There’s also Asahi Foods, a Japanese company that imports fish to process for most of the sushi restaurants in the Denver area. When you slice raw fish for sushi, it requires a high level of skill mastered through rigorous training. These companies are two examples of the many diverse and unique