Cohousing projects feature separate dwellings complemented by alarge "common building" that includes an expansive dining room,kitchen, lounges, meeting space, recreation area, library,workshops and child-care facility. The 33-unit, $7-millionHearthstone complex is being built in Highlands' Garden Village onthe site of the old Elitch Gardens amusement park in the city'sNorthwest sector.

Colorado has more co-housing communities than any place in thenation and Boulder's Wonderland Hills reportedly is the most activebuilder for the concept. There are 45 such projects in the US andsix in Canada. "We're the only developer who has done multipleprojects," says Jim Leach, head of Wonderland Hills.

Leach had spent two years lobbying Highlands' Garden Villagedeveloper, Chuck Perry, on the project. Wonderland Custom Homes isthe single-family homebuilder for Garden Village, where dwellingsrange in price from $250,000 to $370,000. Co-housing units costbetween $150,000 and $250,000 and range in size from about 750 sfto almost 1,700 sf. To date, more than 20 units have been sold,Leach says.