Nearly 20 years after development of the Reunion master-planned community began, Oakwood Homes is starting to plan for the project’s town center, which will give residents access to amenities like restaurants and shops that up until now they haven't had.

Oakwood, which took over as master developer of Reunion from Shea Homes just over a year ago, is assembling the public, private and nonprofit partnerships that will be necessary to build support for Reunion Center and move the concept from a vision to reality.

Reunion, started in 2001, is a 2,500-acre master-planned community in Commerce City. The property was part of L.C. Fulenwider Inc.’s 40,000-acre Box Elder Farms. There are currently about 2,000 homes in the community, with a projected build-out of 10,000 homes.

Reunion Center will be a 430-acre mixed-use development on the eastern edge of the master-planned community.

“We’re trying to bring the best of urban and suburban living to what was dry-land wheat farm 20 years ago,” Oakwood Executive Vice President of Operations for Reunion Kelly Leid said. “The intent is to implement the Reunion Center through a phased implementation strategy. Details of what aspects of the Reunion Center will be implemented are expected to emerge this fall as partnership discussions solidify.”

Plans for Reunion Center include building The Grange, an authentic market and food hall serving local and regional fare that will help expand the cottage food industry in Commerce City and Adams County, and local retail to meet the needs of the growing community.

Oakwood’s BuildStrong Foundation is leading the effort to develop a NextGEN Education Campus, a ninth- through 12th-grade charter school. There also is a regional sports tourism destination in the works, which will include five baseball fields, a multipurpose field and a field house with eight basketball courts and 12 volleyball courts. There will be a 50-meter competitive swimming pool and a 50K SF ice house — an indoor hockey ice rink.

Oakwood is working on a partnership with Anythink Libraries to develop a public library. The measure is subject to a vote in November. The company is considering developing a performing arts center at Reunion.

“The buildings will be designed with a nod to the land’s agricultural past,” Leid said. “We want to make the community a regional destination.”