Louisville’s charming downtown is putting out the welcome mat for its newest neighbors: mixed-use development DeLo (from “downtown east Louisville”), on track for completion this summer. Situated on 12 acres of land just east of historic downtown Louisville, the urban infill project will feature street-level retail, restaurant, and office spaces with a mix of residential units.

Developer Justin McClure, a partner at RMCS Inc., conceived DeLo in 2008 and spent two years assembling the necessary acreage adjacent to downtown. Investing $10 million in public infrastructure, McClure partnered with the city of Louisville and the BNSF Railway to build a new pedestrian walkway to connect the east side of Louisville with downtown. Construction will begin in early 2016; once completed, it will serve as a bridge to Cannon Street, an innovative curbless thoroughfare designed to accommodate pedestrians, motor vehicles, and bikes in a shared space, called a “woonerf.” (Pronounced “voo-nerf”; it’s Dutch for “living space.”) McClure says he expects restaurant patios to spill into the area, which is designed to be a perfect host for farmers’ markets and street fairs.

But the public spaces aren’t the only things drawing in would-be residents. Key to the mixed-use development are Boulder Creek Neighborhoods’ creative residential townhomes, which are designed for active adults who are ready to downsize. “This project fits perfectly with what we do,” says owner David Sinkey, whose company built the well-received Centerra community in Loveland, also aimed at empty-nesting baby boomers. “We try and bring a variety of housing stock wherever we build.”

In this case, that means adding options for homeowners looking for high-end residences close to downtown Louisville that aren’t built for families. These buyers, no longer tethered to school districts and carpools, are happily swapping yards for elegant decks and sacrificing playrooms for main-floor master suites. The Boulder Creek Residences’ two- and three-story townhomes are between 2,000 and 2,300 square feet; prices start in the high $500,000s and top out in the low $700,000s.

“We understand that our buyers want high-quality, low-maintenance ‘lock and leave’ homes,” says Sinkey. “Often they have second homes elsewhere or simply travel a lot.”

At first glance, the townhomes do look different, built much wider than the industry standard. Allowing for larger rooms affords space for the owners’ current furniture and gives the entire home a feeling of more space, says Sinkey. Windows are bigger and more abundant than those in traditional townhomes. Larger garages also play a big part in the design, as most of the new owners bring the typical trappings we Coloradans acquire. “Whether it’s a workshop, a few bicycles, a motorcycle, or a kayak, we know these buyers come with a lot of gear,” Sinkey says. In some designs, three-car garages are built into the plans, although many opt to turn the third bay into a guest room (perhaps to accommodate a boomerang kid) or a professional office space.

With a total of 60 townhomes in the DeLo plan, 13 units had already been sold after just three weeks of presales. More townhomes will be released in stages, Sinkey explained.

Despite Boulder being the first word in his corporate ID, Sinkey and his company moved their offices to downtown Louisville a few years back and have been on board with the DeLo vision since 2008. “There is some really cool design stuff going into this project,” Sinkey says. “When spring comes along and it looks less like dirt, you’ll be able to see how all the pieces fit together. It’s a really exciting project for Louisville.”

(Check out 5280‘s Neighborhood Guide to Boulder’s Pearl Street)