A public hearing of the Englewood City Council is set for Aug. 19 to weigh the fate of a development plan for the former Kmart building at South Broadway and West Belleview Avenue.
The proposal for what would be called The Hive on Broadway envisions retail and restaurant space stretching north from the current Chuze Fitness facility along the Broadway-facing front side of the building, with self-storage — which would require a zoning change, and hence the public hearing — on the back side.
Jon Suddarth is vice president of real estate for the William Warren Group, which owns the self-storage brand StorQuest, the company that is hoping to open on the back side of the building. He says turning the site into a new development would create opportunities for the city.
The old Kmart at 200 W. Belleview Ave. closed in 2017. Chuze Fitness opened last month in a space of about 40,000 square feet facing Broadway on the southern end of the building. The plans call for about 60,000 square feet on the back of the building to be used for StorQuest, leaving about 40,000 remaining square feet for new retail and restaurants.
“We think it makes sense both economically and socially, and we're excited to be part of the Englewood community. We've been working on this project for a long time, and we're optimistic to get through this fairly quickly,” said Suddrath.
The Hive on Broadway proposal cleared a hurdle last month when Englewood's Planning and Zoning Commission approved the findings-of-facts process, a step in which a municipality either approves or denies an application or request. That decision cleared the way for the city council's upcoming public hearing.
“What they're proposing would be an improvement to what is there right now,” said Cate Townley, a member of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.
Developers hope to incorporate architectural elements like shop fronts and outdoor spaces to revitalize the property. Three or four tenants can possibly occupy the old Kmart building's northeast corner and one or two other retailers would take up the center of the building.
“We're talking about putting in a quality asset at somewhere that has been a little bit of an eyesore since Kmart shut down,” said Suddarth.
The developers believe that the Chuze Fitness facility would bring foot traffic to the proposed project.
“I'm open to hearing what they bring forth,” said Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Rita Russell. She added that the former Kmart site is attractive because of its location and size.
