Thornton Shopping Center Redevelopment

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"The Market at 88th"

Vision:  A Walkable, Retail-Driven Community Destination on 15.6 acres at the northeast corner of Washington Street and 88th Avenue in Thornton, Colorado

Welcome to the Market at 88th (former Thornton Shopping Center) Redevelopment Page, dedicated to providing useful information relative to the revitalization of this prime redevelopment opportunity, located at 8800 Washington Street. Thornton Development Authority (TDA) took title to the 15.6 acre property in April of 2024 and has successfully relocated tenants, demolished the buildings, conducted a community-based reuse visioning process, removed and disposed of contaminated soil up to 24 feet in depth, and pre-qualified developers interested in creating "A Walkable, Retail-Driven Community Destination."

  • Environmental Cleanup, Redevelopment Solicitation, and Community Visioning Processes 
  1. Environmental Cleanup: 

On September 29, 2026, active remediation of the site was certified substantially complete.  Highlights of the project included the following:

  • Installation of an E-Redox groundwater treatment system in the southeastern corner of the property. 
  • Excavation of two source areas and sanitary sewer with excavation depths of up to 24 feet.
  • Disposal of more than 24,500 cubic yards of contaminated soils.
  • Collection and analysis of more than 300 soil and groundwater samples. 
  • Treatment and discharge of almost 70,000 gallons of dewatered groundwater. 
  • Placement of a treatment amendment in main excavation for continued groundwater treatment.
  • Installation of an injection treatment system within main excavation if needed for future use. 
  • Backfilled and compacted excavations with clean on-site spoils and imported fill.

  • Capped excavation areas with asphalt millings to the original grade. 

    This work is part of Thornton’s commitment to remedy a decades-old environmental problem, thereby restoring the site’s commercial viability.  Environmental cleanup of the dry cleaning chemical perchloroethylene (PCE) is a complicated process which requires a tremendous amount of groundwater and indoor air monitoring data.  Now that active remediation activities are complete, the remaining onsite groundwater contamination, as well as that which has migrated downgradient to the southeast, will require long-term treatment and monitoring.  Mitigation of any resulting vapor intrusion issues will also be required.  For additional technical cleanup information, please see "Environmental Cleanup Status" pull-down tab below.

    2.  Redevelopment Solicitation:  

    • Civistruct produced the Site Evaluation and Development Framework [PDF/3MB], presented to Council October 21, 2025, and compiled a REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS [PDF/50.2MB] (RFQ) and Request for Proposals (RFP) developer solicitation process targeting both regional and national prospects.  The City's vision is to achieve " A Walkable, Retail-Driven Community Destination."
    • On September 29, 2026, TDA authorized staff to advance three pre-qualified redevelopment entities to the RFP phase:
      • Spark & Halo, Denver
      • Sire Group, Irving, TX
      • Colmena Group, Salt Lake City
    • Full redevelopment proposals, complete with detailed renderings, financial information, and implementation schedules will be due in early December, followed by individual presentations to TDA.
    • After analysis by an internal Selection Committee, TDA is expected to name a single developer with whom it will negotiate redevelopment terms.

    3.  Community Visioning:

  • February 18, 2026 Thornton Shopping Center Update
  • EPA Technical Assistance for Brownfields (TAB) program: April-October 2024:  The TAB team successfully shepherded a series of community meetings and analyses to enable community members to craft a vision for the site's reuse.  Links to this important work are found below.  TAB's Scope of Work

  • NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge [PDF/283KB]: January-May 2025:  this contest between graduate real estate programs at two major universities provides an aspirational glimpse at possible futures for the site.  Congratulations to the University of Denver team, who won the 2025 challenge.

     

  • Other Recent News:

April 22, 2026:  On April 14, 2026, City Council officially approved “The Market at 88th” as the interim name for the redevelopment site located at the northeast corner of 88th Avenue and Washington Street. This name was selected as the top choice through strong community input and feedback.  As the City continues environmental cleanup efforts on the 15.6-acre property, this new name reflects a shared vision for a vibrant, mixed-use destination centered around retail, dining, and community gathering spaces.

We appreciate the community’s ongoing engagement and support as we move forward with this exciting transformation. Additional updates will be shared as progress continues.

March 18, 2026:  Onsite excavation activities have begun!  Contractors have created soil, water tank, and other storage areas throughout the site in anticipation of contaminated soil removal and disposal activities.  The first major stage involves removal and proper disposal of asbestos water lines, which are regulated separately from the soil and bedrock remediation activities that will follow.

January 30, 2026:  A community meeting is scheduled for February 18, 5:30-7:00 at Community Connections, 9471 Dorothy Boulevard, Thornton, CO 80229 to provide updates on redevelopment progress and an opportunity to vote on an interim name for the Thornton Shopping Center. 

 

 

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