Sometimes dreams don’t always follow a linear path, and we’re here to help with that, too. Benchmark clients Doniece and Dena Derani owned the once-thriving Gypsy House Café in Capitol Hill on Marion Street since 2004. Though one could find coffee and tea at Gypsy House, it always felt like more of a gathering place for much of Capitol Hill’s artistic community. In 2016, the building Gypsy House and other business occupied was sold, and Gypsy House was forced to close shortly after.

Twin sisters Doniece and Dena missed the excitement and familiarity of their Gypsy House community and felt like the vibrant place they’d worked so hard to cultivate for over a decade should be reborn with a cozy, relaxed feel.

This summer, Benchmark Commercial’s Ellory Read worked with the sisters to find a new home for Gypsy House. Similar to the old Marion Street location, Doneice and Dena needed a central, eclectic place that could house a thriving community of artists, designers and professionals.They also needed outdoor space where visitors could enjoy the beautiful Colorado scenery, as well as dedicated retail space to house a thoughtfully curated selection of holistic, local goods like crystals, oils, candles, jewelry and other art, as well as the ability to eventually serve up locally-sourced beer and wine offerings.

Together, Benchmark, Doniece and Dena landed on a 4,100 square-foot building along South Broadway, home to a former veteran’s affair’s post. Construction is 90% complete, and the re-imagined Gypsy Dreams is set to open in late December/early 2019.

While the opening is dependent on city approvals and not financial goals, Dena and Doneice plan to run Gypsy House on their own in the initial months of re-opening. Eventually, they’d like to add more employees as well as additional artistic offerings like open mics, dance and more. If you or someone you know would like to support the community vision for Gypsy House and its grand opening, you can donate to the Gypsy House GoFundMe campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/gypsy-house-cafe

LET US HELP YOU MAKE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS A REALITY!

If you’re traveling this holiday season, you may notice some dust settling as you rush off to your gate. While barrier walls and construction noise may feel inconvenient now, the addition of 39 new gates to the airport’s current 111 (a 35% increase!) and is intended to help address the airport’s current congestion. Here’s a breakdown of changes for each concourse:

• Concourse A: 12 new gates and reconfiguration of 4 existing on the west end
• Concourse B: 4 new gates on the west and 7 new gates on the east end
• Concourse C: 16 new gates on the east end

It’s hard to believe, but DIA’s original Master Plan was developed in 1988 and provided guidance for the airport through 50 million annual passengers (In 2017, the airport served a total of 61.4 million passengers). Construction is expected to continue for the next three years and meet passenger projections through the year 2030.

Benchmark Commercial is an internationally capable, Colorado-proud, boutique commercial real estate firm providing solutions for mid-size tenants and buyers of office, industrial and retail facilities.

In many markets, the term ‘boutique’ can mean high-end. But to us, it means we have the specialization and size to offer above-average representation in helping mid-sized clients find the next home for their business.

We believe bigger isn’t always better, and that growing for growth’s sake distracts us from what matters most: long-term relationships with our clients.

Being a small business for small businesses allows us the creative flexibility to innovate without the red tape. The close-knit communication that we share with our clients permits quick decisions and correspondence without wasted weeks spent on cumbersome processes.

Plus, our size affords us opportunities for niche specialization. Many large firms are all over the place, spanning their services from office, land and residential real estate. Benchmark prefers to focus on office, industrial and retail. Of course, we have the same access to data and listings that larger firms have. With every option in front of us, we focus on particular markets to find exactly what you need.

We can help you navigate space planning and take the time to help you interpret your goals and lease terms, because we are consultants, not salespeople. Our brokers are dedicated to our clients. We will not give your contract to a closing coordinator just to pass you off so that we can move on to the next client like larger companies do. Our brokers will see your transaction through from the beginning to the end because your success is our success.

But most importantly, we’re here to cheer each other on. We work diligently with our associate brokers to grow their skill set and help them work alongside senior brokers because we want to create thriving communities within the Denver metro + surrounding areas.

All over Denver, developers are snapping up high-ceiling industrial spaces and whipping them into modern, spacious artisanal food markets with bright, clean interiors that are filled with a variety of thematic restaurants and gourmet food options.

Whether you prefer to call them ‘hipster cafeterias’, urban food markets or gourmet food halls, these casual dining spots are becoming mainstays in the metro area. The trend really started with The Source and Denver Central Market, both located in Denver’s River North Art District. Now, the concept has expanded to Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, the newly-opened Milk Market in Denver’s historic Dairy Block and Rayback Collective in Boulder.

At Benchmark, we’ve noticed a surge in demand for these bare-bones industrial buildings with ceilings starting at a 24-foot clearance. These spaces are currently going for as low as $9-$10 per square foot, so right now is the perfect time to find your diamond in the rough and start a transformative build out.

Find Your Perfect Location!