Urban Villages

The countdown to Denver’s most anticipated hotel opening is on! From hosting Bisnow's Hospitality & Mixed-Use Summit, discussing the future of sustainable hospitality with Populus as an example, to celebrating its exterior completion and hosting local media for exclusive first look tours of the hotel, it’s been a busy summer. Not long now until we’re ready to open the doors of Populus later this summer! #UrbanVillages

Our adaptive reuse project, RailSpur, breathes new life into Seattle's oldest neighborhood, Pioneer Square—once a haven for independent bookshops and art galleries. Committed to maintaining this area as a vibrant hub for creatives and the broader community, we have hosted various interactive art and music events over the past few years, including the now infamous Forest For the Trees, an annual multi-day art extravaganza and block party. This year, in collaboration with ARTXIV, we launched a pop-up art studio in RailSpur's 419 Occidental Ave building—a sprawling 10,000+ sq. ft space that has served as a creative incubator for over 30 artists in the past three months. The results? 328 thought-provoking works that will grace the walls of Hotel Westland, opening in RailSpur in spring 2025. We invite the public to catch an exclusive first glimpse of this collection during an exhibition at RailSpur from July 26-29. Additionally, selected pieces will be showcased at a Hotel Westland booth at the Seattle Art Fair from July 25-28, 2024. 📷: ARTXIV

We're hiring! We're looking for highly qualified candidates for two roles in asset management: an executive-level Head of Real Estate Investments & Asset Management and a Senior Asset Management Analyst. Know someone in your network who would be perfect for building upon our foundation of asset management, taking it to new heights, or, someone with 2-5 years of professional experience in real estate analytics and reporting? We want to meet them. Share with your network and learn more about the big impact these team members will have on the future of sustainable development. #UrbanVillages

Urban Villages President and environmentalist, Jon Buerge, is a member of Denver Business Journal's Power Book class of 2024! Returning for the first time since 2016, Power Book celebrates the 45 Denver business leaders to watch. Featured in the Architecture, Construction & Engineering category, Jon's industry-changing idea of inspiring other developers to take a people and planet-approach, and desire to push the standards of environmental stewardship, earned him a spot on this coveted list. His next big goal? Successfully completing and opening Populus in downtown Denver. Congratulations, Jon! #UrbanVillages

Sustainable corporate outings will have a new home! Populus, the country's first carbon-positive hotel, will feature over 3,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed event space, offering an alternative to traditional corporate environments. Spaces like The Hollow echo the natural shapes of a tree and can include a custom bar setup, ideal for small group interactions or educational cocktail classes. Set to open this summer, Populus is conveniently located near Denver’s key convention and government districts, providing a unique venue for forward-thinking businesses and groups. #UrbanVillages #PopulusDenver #ApariumHotels

This National Brother's Day, we’re tipping our hats to Grant and Tom McCargo—brothers and the dynamic co-founders of Urban Villages—whose yin-yang synergy powers through every boardroom with a blend of honesty, openness, and a sprinkle of sibling rivalry. Tom, the "younger and wiser" of the two, brings a fresh, strategic vision that often leads to good-natured ribbing about who’s really the brains of the operation. Meanwhile, Grant, our entrepreneurial maverick, steers the ship with bold ideas and a "long view" that might make you wonder if he’s secretly the younger one! Their rapport is legendary: “It’s rare to find two brothers who are so different yet hold such deep respect for each other's viewpoints.” Grant, the instigator, and Tom, the voice of reason, complement each other perfectly. Grant provides the bold ideas and entrepreneurial spirit, while Tom brings a wealth of strategic insight and wisdom, despite being younger. When it comes to disagreements, they rarely clash but rather challenge each other to quickly find the best way to execute decisions. Their collaboration is always a blend of respect, brotherly love, and a lot of fun! We're very lucky to have these two visionary brothers leading the way! #UrbanVillages

What do travel insiders say about our carbon positive hotel? Skift, a leading travel news source, featured Populus in an article titled “No Carbon Credits, No Problem.” The story explores our environmental approach to offset initial carbon emissions, including why we decided not to take the carbon credits shortcut but instead plant 72,000 trees. The piece also recaps our innovative, ongoing plans to reduce carbon after Populus opens this summer, and encourages other real estate and hotel firms to embrace nature-based sequestration strategies.

Happy Earth Day! Inspired by the idea that change begins with awareness, we embrace every opportunity to innovate for the planet’s health. Through sustainable projects like the RailSpur micro-district in Seattle and the country’s first carbon-positive hotel, Populus, in Denver, we’re transforming inspiration into tangible action. Today reaffirms our commitment: to keep evolving, keep engaging, and keep protecting our irreplaceable Earth.

Wondering where in the world to go this year? We're excited (but not surprised) that Outside Magazine included Colorado in its roundup of the "23 Best Places to Travel in 2024." And, gave a shout-out to Populus, which opens this summer as the country's first carbon positive hotel! Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4ayfKBW

Throwback to CNBC's recent shoot on Populus' rooftop for their "Cities of Success" episode. They interviewed our President, Jon Buerge, about the resurgence of sustainable, nature-forward buildings in Denver and how Populus is poised to breathe new life into its Civic Center Park neighborhood and be a “catalyst for change” in meeting the growing consumer desire to travel responsibly and connect with nature. To view the full segment, visit: https://bit.ly/4cOfFMB