Bruce A. James

We represented the owner of The Art Hotel, a nine-story, 165-room, art-themed luxury property at East 12th Avenue and Broadway in Denver. Our real estate team assisted with title/survey and financing as well the planned community structure plans.

We represented a joint venture among Grand American Inc., McWhinney and Sage Hospitality, in the redevelopment of Dairy Block in lower downtown Denver. The mixed-use development incorporates new construction with three historic buildings consisting of office space; the 172-room Maven Hotel; retail and restaurant space; and a 394-space underground parking garage. Our team negotiated the financing, the joint venture and the condominium documents for the project, as well as numerous management and property-related agreements. Completed in 2018, Dairy Block is a top downtown Denver destination.

We advised McWhinney on its acquisition of a site from Hyatt and negotiation of hotel and franchise agreements. The Hyatt Centric Hotel in Austin, Texas, will have 246 rooms and approximately 2,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Our team also negotiated a contract with Austin Theatre Alliance, which will move its offices into the hotel, thereby freeing up space so each theatre can be improved – allowing patrons to travel directly from the second floor to the hotel.

We are representing Invent Development Partners with respect to Train Denver, an 800,000 square-foot master-planned, mixed-use and transit-oriented development in Denver’s River North (RiNo) Art District. Our representation includes advising on the acquisition of 125,000 square feet of land previously known as the General Welding Supply and Mile Hi Express, where Train Denver’s office, residential, hotel and retail space will eventually be developed. We continue to represent Invent with the development, which will include 275,000 square feet of office space, a 200-room lifestyle boutique hotel, residential properties and a retail component with restaurants and shops called Studios in the Rockies.

We represented McWhinney in its acquisition and redevelopment of Foothills Mall in Fort Collins. The property was purchased out of foreclosure and will be substantially renovated as part of a national trend to “densify” Mall properties by converting former interior Mall space and large parking lots into a vibrant mixed used development.

We represented Clayton Early Learning in the sale of the 155-acre Park Hill Golf Course in Denver to Westside Investment Partners for $24 million. Our work with Clayton Early Learning involved evaluating potential litigation and condemnation as Clayton sought to navigate the complexities of potentially redeveloping the course.

We represent the joint venture of Continuum Partners and CIM in their ongoing efforts to redevelop the former University of Colorado Health Sciences Center at 9th and Colorado in Denver into a 30 acre mixed-use development. Our efforts have included acquisition of the site, negotiation of tax increment financing with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, various leases and construction contracts and ongoing disposition and financing work for the project.

We represented Union Station Alliance, the development and investment group responsible for the redevelopment of Union Station in Denver. Our representation included counsel on construction, hospitality, commercial real estate, public/private partnerships, historic tax credits and joint venture issues, among many others. Within two years the iconic Denver train station was transformed into both a multi-modal transit hub that caters to Amtrak and RTD light rail and bus passengers, and a destination for tourists and local residents.

We advised KKR, a leading global investment firm, as lender in connection with the recapitalization of a $1.7 billion portfolio of 95% leased, Class A office properties held by investment vehicles managed by Drawbridge Realty. Since closing in February KKR has continued to add to the loan pools.