Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan

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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.


Thank You For Participating

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.

Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan Cover Page with aerial photo of the Lutheran Campus

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. Explore the project outreach summary for more info on how participants engaged in the process!


What is This Plan?

This document outlines a framework for future development. 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:

  1. that we expect a buffer and transition on the perimeter,
  2. that we will allow more flexibility on the interior, and
  3. 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.


What’s Next?

With the plan now adopted, the City expects the property to eventually be listed for sale by Intermountain 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. 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. 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.

While the current property owner—Intermountain 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
  • 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.

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.


Thank You For Participating

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.

Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan Cover Page with aerial photo of the Lutheran Campus

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. Explore the project outreach summary for more info on how participants engaged in the process!


What is This Plan?

This document outlines a framework for future development. 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:

  1. that we expect a buffer and transition on the perimeter,
  2. that we will allow more flexibility on the interior, and
  3. 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.


What’s Next?

With the plan now adopted, the City expects the property to eventually be listed for sale by Intermountain 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. 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. 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.

While the current property owner—Intermountain 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
  • 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.

Page last updated: 27 Mar 2024, 09:49 AM