A proposal by Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner and Rep. Ed Perlmutter to allow residential development on portions of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal transferred to Commerce City has failed in the U.S. Senate. The proposal was contained in an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

Because the proposal was included in the House version of the bill, Bennet’s office maintains hope that the amendment could be included in a final version of the bill prepared in conference committee.

The land in question is known as Victory Crossing, a 917-acre parcel transferred to Commerce City in the early 1990s. Existing development at the site includes municipal facilities as well as the Dick’s Sporting Goods athletic complex. Commerce City believes the success of the Victory Crossing development “could be strengthened with multifamily housing (owner occupied and rental) and ground floor retail, particularly along the site’s Central Park Blvd. and 56th Ave. frontages.” That area is adjacent to the first filing of Section 10 in Stapleton

Commerce City’s hopes for continued growth at Victory Crossing are also wrapped up in the extension of Central Park Blvd. north from 56th Ave. to Prairie Parkway. That extension is under construction with the roadway scheduled to open for traffic in September. The cost for the extension is being shared between Commerce City, Denver and Forest City. A new RTD bus route, number 62, will use the CPB extension when it opens for service in October.

Julia Emko with Commerce City told the Front Porch that once the land use restriction is removed, the city would initiate a rezoning, plan amendment and re-platting to allow residential uses, a process requiring about 12 months.