Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan
The Lutheran Medical Campus is located at 8300 W. 38th Avenue in the heart of Wheat Ridge, and it has operated as a medical use since 1905. A new Lutheran hospital is currently being constructed at the Clear Creek Crossing development, and the hospital’s move presents a rare opportunity to reimagine the future of the Lutheran Legacy Campus.
What's New?
SCL Health is now known as Intermountain Healthcare. The two merged into one organization in April of 2022. You can learn more about that here.
The hospital plans to stay at the Lutheran legacy campus (8300 W. 38th Ave.) until the new Lutheran hospital at Clear Creek Crossing has completed construction which is estimated to be done in late summer 2024. The legacy campus will then be de-commissioned before going on the market for sale. It won’t be until then that the City anticipates to see proposals for new entitlements at the legacy campus.
When the time comes, City staff will rely on the community-backed master plan for guidance.
Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan
The master planning process for the Lutheran Legacy Campus concluded with a public hearing on October 25, after which City Council approved and adopted the master plan. The document lays out the community’s vision and will serve as a roadmap for development over the next 15 to 20 years or more.
The overarching goal of this project was to invite as many people and perspectives as possible into the process. Thank you to the many hundreds of you who engaged and thousands of you who followed the progress. This was an unprecedented public process including in-person and online engagement options resulting in diverse contributions. The project outreach summary shows that thousands of people were aware of the project and many hundreds actively engaged in the process—thank you!
What is This Plan?
The master plan document reflects the vision of the community and is informed by a market study to ensure that the plan is realistic and has the best possible chance of coming to pass. This document outlines a framework for future development. It is not a site plan, it does not prescribe specific uses, nor is it a zoning document. Rather, it describes what the community likes and dislikes, it articulates goals and desires, and it creates guardrails. Ultimately, it communicates to future owners our expectations, without which the property could be developed in a way that runs counter to community wishes. The master plan has a lot of important detail, but in short it communicates three key expectations:
- that we expect a buffer and transition on the perimeter,
- that we will allow more flexibility on the interior, and
- that future owners need to explore ways to integrate existing assets.
The Lutheran Medical Campus has changed and evolved many times over the last 120 years, and this document recognizes the once-in-a-generation opportunity to consider the next many decades that lie ahead. The Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan is considered an amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Envision Wheat Ridge. It is a guiding document in that it outlines a long-range vision, it will inform future decision on development applications, and it will likely take decades to implement.
What’s Next?
With the plan now adopted, the City expects the property to eventually be listed for sale by SCL Health, and potential buyers will be provided with the master plan so they can understand the community’s expectations.
Once a buyer is identified they will work with the City to propose a zone change for the property. It is through the process of the zone change that the project moves from vision to reality. While the master plan is a guiding document, zoning is the set of rules and regulations that describe what specific uses are permitted and what structures will look like (height, setback, design, et cetera). The zone change process will be a public process and will be subject to review and approval by the Planning Commission and City Council; consistency with the master plan will be among the criteria for review. Following zoning, subdivision and site plan reviews will occur. As part of these entitlement processes, the City will review drainage plans and traffic studies.
Though the timing of next steps will depend largely on the market and a future buyer, the process of sale, entitlements, and construction often takes many years. The new hospital campus at Clear Creek Crossing is not expected to be completed until 2024, and the current Lutheran campus will continue to operate in the meantime.
While the current property owner—SCL Health—seeks a buyer, the City can in the meantime be exploring several next steps that are within its control. This includes three specific actions: exploring the creation of an urban renewal area, exploring the possibility of a charter height amendment particularly for the middle portion of the campus where some buildings already exceed 50 feet, and assessing the City’s facility needs to determine what public or civic uses may be suitable components of a redevelopment.
Since the property is held under private ownership, the City does not have full control over what this land will become, and this master plan will help guide prospective buyers to make the community’s vision a reality.
Plan Documents & Public Process
View and download the master plan and appendices files here. Please note they are large files!
- Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan (October 2021) and Appendices (September 2021)
- Summary of Outreach
Below are a few links to past meeting summaries to get an idea about what we are hearing from the community-at-large. Please note that this is not intended to reflect all public comment received. The master plan (also linked below) incorporates comments received through many sources including feedback in meetings, from surveys, over the phone, and from email. A full summary of outreach is provided above.
- Stakeholder Committee Meeting #1 Summary Board (April 2021)
- Focus Group Meeting #1 Summary Board (May 2021)
- Public Meeting #2 Presentation (June 2021)
- Summary of Phase 1 (Visioning) Public Input (July 2021)
- City Council and Planning Commission Presentation (August 2021)
- Public Meeting #4 Open House Boards (September 2021)
I think the campus should continue to be used as a medical facility - not as a regular hospital but as a center for medical research and specialized treatment of medical conditions. This is a tremendous opportunity to establish Wheat Ridge as a medical center and to create high-end jobs. This will benefit our community for a long time and give impetus to improve our institutions and businesses.
I would like to see the Lutheran hospital campus become a new Wheat Ridge High school , wheat ridge high school needs a new modern building and the land would be there. Then the wheat ridge high school property could be developed into homes or senior living, probably homes, but I envision Lutheran hospital as parks and a modern wheat ridge high school I say work with the school district
Activity 2 & 5 - I'd like to see a hybrid with some residential or commercial and some public space. I like the idea of incorporating a pocket park with an amphitheater or some other type of space for outdoor movies or concerts that some people have mentioned already. I would also like to see some park area left as open space with a way to connect to Crown Hill.
Activity 4 - I get to the campus primarily by bike, and I would like to see it continue to have lots of space for biking and walking. It would be nice if it was designed to reduce car traffic through the center or to at least have some areas cordoned off from cars and preserved as parks and pedestrian space.
1 - 80' - 100' range, I would guess. Key features like the N. Tower serve as visual and functional anchors in a coherent community. I enjoy this scale for that purpose.
With the size of this site in our neighborhood, one community minded facility, such as a civic center offering arts/entertainment/engagement spaces, could be a community magnet, and tether other community resource sites into a more cohesive community.
2 - hybrid...
3 - Our family 'escaped' to Wheatridge, leaving our 34 yr home in Highlands. We longed for connection with community, and that had been developed out of our old neighborhood. WHEATRIDGE is our home community now, and our gkids are going to know THIS community like our own kids knew North Denver. We are having these conversations with many neighbors, at the rec center or grocery or walking at Crown Hill, about what are long term assets to develop in WR, versus short term trends and financial gains. We WANT to make a contribution to WR that preserves the character AND supports a flexible long term investment approach to redevelopment plans.
4- all of the above with cars on outskirts of property, and walking/biking/public transit inside. Ditto to connecting site to other community sites with walk/bike paths.
5 - Connect to nearby parks, and use this unique site for broader community engagement. Outdoor performance space, interactive creative space, a community gardening/botanical/science area, intermittent abstract play structures like tree houses and kinetics, an open field for 'whatever. Important to keep buffer zone for existing residential.
Thanks for the conversation. Nancy and Danny
Having lived in Wheat Ridge since 1955 and our 2 daughters were born at LMC, and using the hospital for ourselves and family members over the years, we feel very connected to this hospital and location. We also understand change happens.
Exciting times ahead for the new hospital that will almost be in our back yard. But, also a challenging time for the existing 38th/32nd Aves. neighborhoods change from a hospital to an unknown.
We would like to suggest, that the redevelopment take into consideration the surrounding neighborhood's needs verses any other developer's ideas of economic gains and the City's hopes for this opportunity for redevelopment. This area has supported and lived with the challenges of the hospital.
Single family homes/open space, verses apartments/condos/commercial uses would be a great gift to the City of Wheat Ridge. As a member of the Wheat Ridge Housing Authority which has encouraged ownership verses rentals, but not speaking on this commission's behalf, I feel homeownership is so important to the City's long range goal of have having "ownership" in the City.
To the City of Wheat Ridge and any developer, please listen to and act upon the needs and concerns of the surrounding neighborhood. In the long run, you will be rewarded.
I am both a clinical and healthcare physician professional who has worked with the largest healthcare companies in our great country. A rare breed with both clinical and administrative skill sets at the management level. The era of "big hospital campuses is over". Thoughtful planning requires collaboration within our Denver area--YES LUTHERAN IS IN THE DENVER AREA. Someone has to "pay for an expansion" and infrastructure. Fiscal responsibility along with the needed collaboration will be required in collaboration with visionary leadership. As healthcare "morphs" to the ambulatory care setting (our Pandemic has taught us many lessons about "brokenness" of primary care), Lutheran has to ask itself "What do we do very well?" How can we SERVE THE PUBLIC. Not...expand to provide high cost and low yield procedures to try to capture revenue. There can be only one level of care: EXCELLENCE with VALUE. A care that combines both the academic and community values to "serve the people of WR." True patient-centric care.
It is exciting to consider the opportunities of the master plan vision, but it is key that the site is developed with a sense of place that is relevant to Wheat Ridge.
Rather than the adjacent develoment at 38th and Wadsworth that consists primarily of chain businesses, there is an opportunity to provide space for local businesses. Walkability, outdoor dining, flexible plaza spaces, shaded areas, and pedestrian-focused design lead to an interesting hub in a central location within the community.
Establishing a connection to the neighboring the Crown Hill Park through park space and a trail would provide connectivity between the destinations. Site elements could include outdoor amphitheater, area for food trucks, adaptive reuse of the existing buildings, and also passive areas for accessing natural elements.
There is an opportunity to deviate from many of the existing parks in Wheat Ridge by utilizing sustainable practices like low-mow lawns, permeable surfaces at gathering areas, perennial and xeric plantings, and water conserving/reuse techniques.
Overall, this is an exciting opportunity for the residents of Wheat Ridge and our greater community!
Activity 2 -I would like to see a hybrid of residential, small businesses and restaurants, parks, and open space. Not apartments but more row homes and town homes. Maybe something similar to what they have done at MidTown in Westminster, with residential, parks, a main street with brewery, shops and restaurants and even a Montessori preschool. Tie it in to access to Crown Hill and Clear Creek. Designated parking area like they have at Olde Town Arvada.
Activity 3- My first son was born at Lutheran in 2016. Most vivid memory was riding bikes to the campus to watch the jets fly over at the beginning of the pandemic.
Activity 4- We are walking and biking distance to Lutheran. Would love to see it developed with walkability and biking in mind, especially since so many people bike down 32nd to and from Golden.
Activity 5 - Would love to see some of the ideas that didn't make it into the Anderson Park remodel - bike skills park for kids, zip line, a water feature for kids to play in (splash pad or nature canal thing like they have at the childrens garden at botanic gardens) pocket park, area for summer concerts. We ocassionally drive to Ralston park and Clear Creek valley park, so would love to have a park on the same level in WR.
I love that you are revitalizing this area. This project has the potential to make Wheat RIdge a destination, similar to Old Towne Arvada or Belmar. Here's my thoughts:
1. I like the idea of having a mixture of shops, bars/wineries/breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, flower shops, bakeries, studios (ex. craft, dance, pilates), etc. I would really like to see local, unique businesses vs. chains.
2.I think it's very important that the area be walkable and that traffic flow is well planned, as 32nd is already a bit congested at times and this could make it much worse. (Many of the side streets require accessing 32nd in order to leave the neighborhood.)
3. I also like the ideas of having parks in the complex. Perhaps there could be a children's play area, yard games area (ex. cornhole, horseshoes), workout area (with the built-in exercise equipment), and grassy area for picnics and the like. It would be great if there could be an area to host events such as concerts and movie nights.
4. I would like to avoid having apartment buildings as we have many nice, new buildings nearby. I'd like to see nice rowhomes if residential is included.
5. It must be safe. Ensure there's good lighting, it's patrolled by police, homeless are not allowed to live there, etc.
Thank you for your efforts on this project and soliciting our feedback. I can't wait to see the end product!
Activity 2 - I'd like to see something of a hybrid with parks, residential, small businesses, and some open space. Something very walkable & bikeable with low traffic but accessible to outside neighborhoods.
Activity 4 - I'd like to see it be walkable and bikeable, with lower car traffic, or keep parking on the outer edges/sides to keep it quieter and safe.
Activity 5 - I'd like so see some pocket parks disbursed with businesses like coffee shops, restaurants and bars, something like Fort Collin's downtown area plaza where kids can play, there could be an adult game area with bags / big yard games, people can get ice cream or a beer and hang out. A new dog park would be nice!
It is a beautiful campus. It breaks my heart to see old buildings torn down when they are needed for something else. We need to stop being so wasteful. What will be recycled, etc.? I know what I am going to type will not be popular with many people. With so many homeless, wouldn't it make sense to house them in the hospital building? It's already built and mostly equipped to function as a small little community on its own. There would need to be safety measures among many other things that would need to occur as well. Also, strict guidelines around loitering if the rest of the campus is turned into a park and walk way. Why can't both exist? I know cleanliness would be an issue and that would need to be addressed as well.
Hi There,
As a Wheat Ridge Resident off of Allison Street, I think it is important to be able to create a pedestrian by-way through the Lutheran campus that connects neighborhoods along the Wadsworth cooridor with the Crown hill park and the Clear Creek Trail. With the coming widening of Wadsworth and the access that it will provide to neighborhoods, the renovation of the Lutheran campus should keep at its heart the movement of people. Main pedestrian by-ways that intersect the campus would help to create connections between adjacent neighborhoods, and would promote human-powered transportation.
-Logan R.
Wheat Ridge Resident