The closure of Arvada's longstanding Kmart store left a big “hole” in a busy part of town.

Now, two years later, a Texas-based developer wants to fill that hole with a mixed-use development that it says will offer a more walkable lifestyle than can be often found in suburban-centric Arvada.

On Nov. 13, Scott Makee, a regional partner at the Morgan Group, said the group was readying to submit an application to the city of Arvada for a conditional use permit to construct the new development at the site.

That submittal will outline plans for a development that would include between 300 and 330 apartment units and about 10,000 feet of commercial space. The development would also include a new park space that would measure about a quarter of an acre.

“The idea is to really, really follow what the intent of the updated land development code is, which is what we believe to be including a mix of uses creating a pedestrian-scale development and maintaining some degree of connectivity to those surrounding businesses so that we kind of fit well into the mix of what is already out there,” said Makee.

The current plans for the apartment units to be contained in five story buildings that would take up much of the current location of the Kmart building and parking lot. The bulk of the commercial space would be located in a building on 58th Avenue near the entry to the property. However, there would also be commercial space on the bottom level of the residential buildings.

Makee said much of the site's appeal comes from its proximity to surrounding businesses, particularly the neighboring King Soopers.

“Imagine being able to come home from work and park your car and walk over and grab groceries for dinner,” said Makee. “Or in the morning you wake up and walk to the Starbucks down in the front corner. Those surrounding uses are incredibly attrative to the lifestyle of someone who would want to maybe have a little more of a pedestrian life.”

The location is also attractive, Makee said, because of its accessibility to varied employment centers, including downtown Denver and Interlocken.

The apartments will be a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, although it will likely have more studios and one-bedrooms. About 5% of the units would be priced as affordable units for those making 80% of Arvada's area median income.

The bulk of the parking for the development would be located in a two-level parking garage behind the main residential building, although there will also be some parking in the front of the development.

Adding to the urban vibe is Morgan's plan to dress the exterior of the building in murals or other large scale artwork.

“We'll be likely working with the Arvada Center or other groups within Arvada hopefully to figure out how we can involve the local art community in dressing up those areas of the building,” said Makee.