Confluent Development has broken ground on the retail portion of The Ridge, a mixed-use project on 15 acres on the northeast corner of Arapahoe Road and Nome Court in Centennial in the southeast suburban market.

The 20K SF retail portion on 2.78 acres will house Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and a 2K SF Starbucks that already has been completed. There also will be a third tenant in the retail portion of The Ridge, which is in the Lincoln Executive Center, which includes a Holiday Inn, the Centennial Gun Club, two office buildings and more retail and restaurant buildings.

Confluent is teaming up with Equity Ventures Commercial Development to deliver the 13,300 SF Natural Grocers store in the third quarter. Natural Grocers is relocating from its Greenwood Village location on Arapahoe Road. The project represents Natural Grocers’ new store prototype, which will include a nutritional education center with a nutritional health coach, in addition to organic and natural groceries, dietary supplements and body care products.

“We are pleased to welcome Natural Grocers to the area,” Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon said. “We look forward to working with Confluent Development to continue enhancing the Arapahoe Road corridor."