Lakes are scarce in Colorado, so when house-hunters get the chance to live near one, they jump on it. At least, that’s what is playing out in the tiny lakeside community of Dillon (population 977), where buyers are taking advantage of a rare lakeside living opportunity and snapping up condos at the new Uptown 240 development. More than half of the stylish units have already been sold before construction has even been completed, and move-ins are expected in early 2022.

The stellar location is one key to the project’s success. A little over an hour’s drive from Denver, and surrounded by the Gore and Tenmile mountain ranges, Lake Dillon is a stunning freshwater reservoir with North America’s highest deep-water marina. It doesn’t hurt that several of Colorado’s top ski resorts are also located nearby.

The contemporary condo complex offers upscale amenities including an alfresco lounge deck and indoor-outdoor restaurant. Image courtesy of Uptown 240

Now that working remotely has become widely accepted, many home-buyers are choosing to live closer to the places where they play. According to the Summit Daily News, Summit County is experiencing record-low real estate inventory as the area moves toward becoming a bedroom community for Denver. Almost half of Summit County buyers come from the Front Range, 32 percent are from outside Colorado, and 22 percent are local.

Uptown 240 brings a fresh infusion of contemporary style and upscale amenities to Dillon. With architecture by Kathy Baker, principal of Denver-based Studio PBA, and interiors by Shari Cahill, interiors principal at Denver’s PlaSe Design, the six-story complex offers 80 condo units on four levels, plus a two-level, heated parking garage with additional “toy storage” for residents.

An open-plan kitchen and dining space share a pale Daylight color palette and clean, modern lines. Image courtesy of Uptown 240

One-bedroom condos range in size from 681 to 764 square feet; two-bedroom/two-bath units are 1,022 to 1,238 square-feet; and three-bedroom/two-bath residences offer 1,431 square feet of living space. Buyers can choose between Daybreak- or Dusk-themed interior schemes with a transitional-contemporary vibe. Daybreak’s brighter direction features a color palette with “champagne undertones,” while Dusk smolders with “espresso undertones.”

All units come equipped with G.E. kitchen appliances, white polished-quartz kitchen countertops and stacked matte tile backsplashes, brushed-nickel cabinet hardware, luxury vinyl flooring, in-floor radiant heat, recessed lighting, walk-in closets, private balconies, and horizontal gas fireplaces with tile surrounds.

A bedroom decorated in the Dusk palette features tall windows overlooking Lake Dillon. (Mural and furnishings are an artistic rendering and not included in actual units.) Image courtesy of Uptown 240

The complex offers resort-like amenities including a fitness center, yoga studio, pet area, business center, community room with coffee and wine bar, and a 4,300 square-foot third-floor deck with lounge seating, fire pits, an oversized hot tub, and two outdoor kitchens with BBQ grills, bars, and TVs. Uptown 240’s street level will also feature a yet-to-be-named, 6,500 square-foot, indoor-outdoor restaurant.

In fact, this location has a longstanding culinary tradition as the former site of Adriano’s Bistro & Deli. The popular Dillon eatery was owned and operated by the Ottoborgo family, and they’re also the developers of the Uptown 240 project. “Our grandfather, through his incredibly thick Italian accent, always spoke to the value and importance of family and creating a sense of community,” says Chantelle Ottoborgo. “He would be tremendously proud that we are building homes for future generations to experience the same lifestyle my brothers and I grew up enjoying: grabbing freshly cut flowers and baked goods from the farmer’s market in the morning, listening to concerts down the street at the amphitheater, and watching the Fourth of July fireworks over Lake Dillon from our patio.”

And if brisk sales are any indication, that lifestyle is in high demand. Those units still available range in price from $600,000 to $1.4 million.