Uplands Colorado, a new 236-acre master-planned community in Westminster that faced a drawn out fight for approval, has unveiled its first model homes and a new sales center, hitting a major milestone in its development.

The model homes are in Uplands West, one of the community’s four neighborhoods. The single-family and paired-home models at 3841 W. 82nd Ave. start in the mid-$500,000s.

Uplands is a partnership between two homebuilders, Brookfield Residential and Dream Finders Homes, who have combined to build more than 30 housing communities in Colorado.

Uplands West is being developed by Dream Finders. Brookfield will soon reveal its first models in the Uplands Village neighborhood, according to Matt Childers, vice president of land operations for Dream Finders Homes.

“From ‘neighborhubs’ and pocket parks to walking trails and open green spaces, every element of Uplands has been planned to foster connection, recreation, and a true sense of belonging,” Childers said.

The model homes now open to the public include The Berkeley, which offers 2,142 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, three and a half baths and a two-car garage; The Crescent, featuring 1,921 square feet with three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a two-car garage; and The Lowell, providing 1,633 square feet with three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a two-car garage.

Childers said sustainability is also central to Uplands’ design, with water-wise, pollinator-friendly landscapes and energy-efficient home designs that minimize both energy and water use.

Childers said the first model homes are targeted at first-time buyers and would add up to 1,200 new residences once completed.But before a scoop of dirt was turned on the land, area residents raised strong objections to the development, highlighting that the site was one of the city’s last open spaces with views of the Front Range Mountains and the Denver skyline.

They also expressed concern about the added pressure the project would place on traffic, water, schools and infrastructure.

As a result, the community organized public meetings, wrote letters to officials, attended City Council and Planning Commission meetings in large numbers, staged protests and launched a petition against the development that ultimately collected over 10,000 signatures.

The Westminster City Council approved the master-planned community in 2021 with a 5-2 vote.

“The biggest thing is community outreach, and we went through a several-year-long process of engaging the community,” Childers said when asked about the pushback.

The Denver Post couldn’t reach anyone involved in the opposition for comment on the opening of the model homes.

Childers said the property had long been designated for high-density development in the city’s plans. But after community feedback, Uplands proposed a lower-density project than originally modeled, with significantly reduced water usage, added energy-saving measures and preserved views of the Front Range.

He also said that this is an infill project, surrounded by existing development, and the goal is to minimize disruption to nearby homeowners and businesses.

With the project now taking shape and model homes open to the public, Childers said they’re seeing “amazing” levels of interest.

“It’s been an iconic piece of property. It’s a massive piece of the remainder of what’s developable in the city of Westminster. So people have been aware of this site for years and years, and so there’s a lot of pent-up interest.”

Childers said every new home sale contributes a builder-sponsored Foundation Fee that supports Westminster Public Schools, alongside ongoing partnerships with local organizations such as Food for Hope, the Westminster Chamber, the Legacy Foundation and Luminaria. Childers said they estimate Uplands to be fully built out in seven to 12 years, as communities like this take five plus years to develop.

Dream Finders Homes, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., builds single-family homes throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, including Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, which comprises Washington, D.C,. Northern Virginia and Maryland.