Home projects in Denver's Central Park neighborhood

Central Park is the neighborhood built on the former Stapleton International Airport site in northeast Denver, and it looks nothing like the rest of the city's older housing. Homes date from the early 2000s onward and come in many forms: detached houses on small lots with alley-loaded garages, row homes, duplexes and condo buildings. The neighborhood took the name Central Park in 2020.

Because the houses are relatively new, the projects owners take on are mostly about adding finished space and customizing, not fixing old systems. The two big process points are the community association's design review and Denver's own permit rules.

Design review comes before the city

Central Park has a Master Community Association (MCA) with a Design Review Committee. Its published process covers material exterior changes to residential properties: things like additions, many decks and balconies, significant architectural or roof changes, accessory structures and fence changes. Applications go in online with plans and supporting documents, and the MCA says the committee will approve, approve with conditions or deny within 45 days of submission.

Practical advice:

• Submit to the MCA before you apply for a Denver permit, and give your contractor the approval letter so the permit drawings match.
• Expect the committee to care about colors, materials and how a change looks from the street or alley.
• Colorado law limits some HOA restrictions. For example, state law bars associations from prohibiting xeriscape or drought-tolerant landscaping, though they can set reasonable design rules. Read your governing documents and ask the MCA when you're unsure.

Denver permits in a newer neighborhood

Central Park is inside the City and County of Denver, so permits come from Community Planning and Development. If you own and live in a detached single-family house, you may be able to pull your own permit under Denver's homeowner rules, including the requirement to occupy the home for at least a year after the work, with homeowner exams for trade work. If you own a row home, duplex or condo, you can't. Denver's homeowner path excludes those, and a Denver-licensed contractor has to pull the permit.

Projects that make sense here

Finishing the basement. Many Central Park houses were sold with unfinished basements, which makes this the neighborhood's signature project. Points to settle before you start:

• Radon. State health officials say high radon has been found in all parts of Colorado. Test before finishing. Some newer homes have a passive radon pipe that can be converted to an active system with a fan.
• Egress. If you want a basement bedroom, you need a code-compliant egress window. Some builders included one, but not all.
• Bathroom rough-ins. Many houses have stubbed-in drains for a future basement bath. Confirm their location and whether they're below the sewer line before designing around them.
• Floating walls. Builders on Front Range soils often specify basement partitions that hang from the floor framing with a gap at the bottom so the slab can move. Keep that detail.

Rooftop and upper decks. Many homes have second-floor decks or rooftop patios over living space. Waterproofing on these is unforgiving, and leaks show up as ceiling stains below. Repairs or resurfacing often need MCA review if anything visible changes.

Hail repairs. Northeast Denver is fully exposed to Front Range hail. Roofs, gutters, window screens, siding and AC condenser fins all take damage. If you replace a roof, an impact-rated shingle is worth pricing, and you'll need MCA approval for any change in color or material.

Cooling and heating upgrades. Upper floors in tall, narrow homes run hot. Options include zoning the existing system, adding a ductless head on the top floor, or replacing an aging AC with a cold-climate heat pump. Colorado's heat pump tax credit program requires registered contractors to pass part of the credit to you as a discount on the invoice, so ask whether your installer participates.

Exterior paint and stain. Many homes use fiber cement and wood trim that need repainting on a schedule. Color changes generally go through design review.

Before you hire

Ask for the contractor's Denver license, proof of insurance, and how they'll handle MCA submittals. Get a written scope that matches the approved design. Shared walls in row homes make access and noise more of an issue, so agree on work hours with neighbors.