Williams Village II Planned to Transform Boulder Shopping Center into New Mixed-Use District
BOULDER, CO – A major redevelopment project near the University of Colorado Boulder could transform one of the city’s most prominent student corridors.
Plans for Williams Village II would redevelop the existing shopping center located near Baseline Road and 30th Street, replacing the current strip retail buildings and large surface parking lots with a new mixed-use neighborhood district.
The project sits between U.S. 36 and the University of Colorado’s Williams Village housing complex, an area that sees significant student activity and continues to experience strong demand for housing and retail services.
Rendering Sourced from Williams Village II Public Resources
Project Overview
Current plans for Williams Village II include approximately 427 housing units, consisting of a mix of student housing and market-rate apartments designed to serve residents near the university.
In addition to the residential component, the redevelopment would introduce roughly 52,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. Early planning documents also indicate the potential for a future neighborhood grocery store, which could serve both students and surrounding neighborhoods.
Rendering Sourced from Williams Village II Public Resources
From Auto-Oriented Retail to Walkable District
Today the property is dominated by a traditional suburban retail layout with wide parking lots and limited pedestrian connectivity.
Williams Village II would replace that layout with a more urban design featuring smaller internal streets, new pedestrian pathways, bike connections, and ground-floor storefronts.
The redevelopment is intended to create a more walkable district that better connects the area to nearby student housing, transit corridors, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Rendering Sourced from Williams Village II Public Resources
Connection to the Dark Horse Site
The redevelopment would include the property currently occupied by the World Famous Dark Horse, which recently announced it will close after more than five decades in operation.
While the existing building is expected to be demolished, developers have previously expressed interest in incorporating a new location for the Dark Horse within the future project, though no final plans have been confirmed.
Rendering Sourced from Williams Village II Public Resources
Development Team
Developer: Williams Family and Morgan Creek Ventures
Architect: Coburn Architecture
Urban Design, Landscape Architecture: Civitas Inc
All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
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