Community College of Denver Boulder Creek Topping Out Celebration
The Community College of Denver (CCD) marked a significant milestone in the transformation of its Boulder Creek building on the Auraria Campus with a topping out ceremony attended by project partners, CCD students and faculty, and community members.
The ceremony celebrated the placement of the final structural element for a 9,484 SF addition as part of a broader 59,900 SF renovation of the nearly 50-year-old facility. Once complete, the updated building will house all of CCD’s Health Sciences programs in a single location, improving student access, enhancing collaboration, and creating operational efficiencies across programs.
This investment supports CCD’s continued growth and commitment to addressing workforce needs in Colorado’s healthcare industry. By expanding and modernizing its facilities, CCD will be able to serve more students and help meet the rising demand for trained healthcare professionals throughout the state.
The reimagined Boulder Creek building will feature state-of-the-art learning environments, including a nursing simulation hospital for immersive training, modern classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, a teaching kitchen for nutrition and culinary-based health programs, a veterinary teaching hospital with specialized instructional areas, and a dental teaching clinic equipped with advanced simulation technology.
Designed by Clark & Enersen, managed by CBRE, and constructed by Howell Construction, the project emphasizes student development, hands-on learning, and community connection.
“This new space will support the growth of CCD’s health sciences programs and the students who participate in them,” said Andrew Gilstrap, Vice President at Howell Construction. “We are proud to have taken part in CCD’s initiative to educate Colorado’s next generation of healthcare professionals.”
The topping out ceremony represents one of the first major milestones in CCD’s broader efforts to enhance its teaching and learning environment, ensuring students have access to modern, high-quality facilities that prepare them for in-demand careers.
