Posted on: May 29, 2025
ColoradoBiz celebrates its first-ever Top Projects winners
Source: ColoradoBiz
ColoradoBiz honored 25 construction projects during its first-ever Top Projects awards and networking event on May 22 at Social Capitol in Arvada.
The event was an opportunity to honor those in the built industry whose projects exceeded expectations this past year. The honorees included general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers and project owners.
The 25 projects honored had a major impact on the state’s landscape, including projects that have literally reshaped skylines around the state and made big changes to some of the state’s most well-known venues including Montbello FreshLo.
Montbello
The Montbello FreshLo project in Denver brought affordable, energy-efficient housing to a lower-income community through a 110-kW rooftop solar installation completed in under two weeks. This project aimed to utilize our services to support the overarching objective of making this property energy-efficient and keeping costs low for residents living in this housing complex. Despite challenges posed by rooftop HVAC equipment, the project was delivered with zero change orders, thanks to streamlined coordination, safe work practices and efficient staging using a guideline system set up and shared by all of the contractors who needed to complete work on the rooftop.
Sandbox Solar, working with DEA and iCast, a Denver-based nonprofit, played a central role in executing this initiative to reduce utility costs and keep housing affordable. The installation supports long-term savings for residents and helps shrink the community’s carbon footprint.
The Roybal Corp led architectural design, and Alliance Construction Solutions and Gilmore Construction Corp. constructed the project. Engineering partners included Van Meter Williams Pollack, Boulder Engineering, KL&A, and others, who ensured the project met structural, civil, and sustainability standards.
The project stands out as a model of collaboration and purpose-driven work, transforming an unused rooftop into a source of stability for the community.
The full list of the 25 exceptional projects honored are listed on ColoradoBiz:
More about Montbello:
Montbello FreshLo Hub – Under Construction | Denver, CO
Affordable Housing Atop Community Hub
The mixed-use Montbello FreshLo building redevelops an infill 1.6 acre former RTD bus storage site, that is adjacent to commercial, residential, healthcare and open space uses. The 7-story structure consists of 5 levels of 97 units of family affordable housing.
The above dynamic program engages NE Denver’s Montbello community on many important fronts providing for a series of community-oriented spaces for gatherings, meetings, pop-up retail, and community offices; as well as a critical local need for affordable family housing. Montbello FreshLo is designed to achieve not just multiple community benefits, but also achieve a National Green Building Standard Silver Rating with a full focus on Health and Wellness.
The $40,000,000 Montbello FreshLo project financing synthesizes Low Income Housing Tax Credits with New Market Tax Credits in concert with local City of Denver funding. This project is a partnership between Roybal Architects and VMWP, collaborating with the client team of the Montbello Organizing Committee and Burgess Services.This project is a partnership between Roybal Architects and VMWP, collaborating with the client team of the Montbello Organizing Committee and Burgess Services.