Aveda Institute Coming To Denver

About half of Aveda's space will be on the ground level and half in the basement. The Media Play, before it closed, was the only one in the country that was in a Downtown and spanned two floors. The Aveda Institute is expected to open this summer, pending the approval from the Colorado Division of Private Occupational Schools.

"This is a fabulous location for an Aveda Institute," says Dale Le Monds of Aveda. "It is in the heart of Downtown Denver, within walking distance of the convention center, the Auraria campus and it is on a light rail line. We think it will be very convenient for students and customers alike."

The Aveda Institute was founded to create the entrepreneurs in the professional beauty and body care industry. The curriculum incorporates the practical knowledge from experts in hair care, skincare, makeup, total body care and retail service. Professionals educate students,blending professional techniques with retail and business-building skills. A wide array of salon and spa services are offered. Students, under thesupervision of licensed instructors, perform all services at Aveda Institutes. In addition, guests can purchase Aveda's flower and plant essences and plant-based products at the institute.

The Aveda Institute currently operates in 16 states. The Institute at theDenver Dry will be the first in the Rocky Mountain region and only the third located west of the Mississippi.

"An Aveda Institute is an ideal use for this space," says retail broker Pat McHenry of Trammel Crow, who represented Jonathan Rose's Denver Dry Retail II, L.P. in this transaction. "Aveda has a wonderful name and fabulous products and will bring a new dimension to Downtown Denver."

McHenry says there has been tremendous interest in the Denver Dry's prime retail space from quality tenants ranging from high-end restaurants to traditional retail. She notes there still is approximately 25,000 sf of space available for lease on the first floor and in the basement.

Robert Lattin of Betts Interest represented the Aveda Institute in this transaction. "We are very grateful for the support we received from the Denver Office of Economic Development and the Downtown Denver Partnership in helping to attract the Aveda Institute to this site," says Denver developer Chuck Perry, partner of Rose Cos. Management, which manages the Denver Dry. "Both organizations met with the principals from Aveda and were able to demonstrate the vitality of locating a unique high-end business in downtown Denver."

John Huggins, director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, says the Denver Dry corner "is the gateway to the convention center and the new convention center hotel. Having a national environmentally-sensitive retailer like Aveda on this corner demonstrates the vitality of Downtown Denver and is consistent with the vibrancy and environmental consciousness of Colorado."