After years of contentious debate surrounding the meadow behind the Glenwood Springs Mall, a new project is bringing fresh commercial energy to West Glenwood.

Citadel Business Park, located at 305 Center Drive near the intersection of Storm King and Donegan roads, has introduced eight leasable units designed to accommodate a range of office, storage and warehouse needs.

Citadel, a Kentucky-based self storage company with locations throughout the mideast, is taking its first step past the Mississippi River. Marketing Manager Jack Sheroan said Glenwood was the perfect place to set up shop.

“There’s really no replacement for personal connections, especially in Glenwood,” Sheroan said. “We want to get to know other businesses and other locals, because we are just 10 minutes away from the furthest side of Glenwood. We are a community amenity.”

The new Citadel Business Park was built on the land once proposed to generate 40 new townhomes, over 200 new apartments, and retail and restaurant spaces, but was shot down by a referendum of voters in 2022 due to a lack of infrastructure. 

During disputed conversations in 2023 about what to do with the area, residents in West Glenwood wrote letters to the city to express their displeasure. 

In a region with a well-documented wildfire risk, many residents questioned how evacuation would be managed with the addition of hundreds more people. Public letters also challenged the idea that the proposed housing would serve the existing workforce or essential workers, arguing that the projected prices catered more to middle to upper-level professionals.

Instead of contending with a dramatic increase in traffic and population density, longtime West Glenwood residents are now adjusting to 24-hour floodlights from the business park — though blackout curtains have quickly become a practical fix.

The development totals more than 18,000 square feet and includes two flexible floor plans. Both layouts offer office and warehouse space, complete with amenities such as separately metered electric and gas, 225-amp electrical panels, HVAC in the office, heating in the warehouse, wet sprinkler systems and private bathrooms.

“A lot of times when people think of self-storage, it’s pull-up garages, no HVAC, low ceilings, dark lighting, and that’s completely different from everything we’ve done at Citadel,” Sheroan added. “Citadel prides themselves on the cleanliness and modernness of these facilities.”

Floorplan A totals 3,425 square feet, while Floorplan B features 2,250 square feet. 

“(Both) have small office space and a drive-in warehouse space in the back,” Sheroan said. “We’ve been able to accommodate any sort of operator. We mostly see contractors that have a two or three person front office, and run the rest of the team out of the warehouse, but if someone wants to fully open up the space and run retail, that’s also possible.”

Two of the eight available units have already been reserved, and local companies are in their final stages of moving into the new units in West Glenwood. 

For more information about the new business park in West Glenwood, visit citadelselfstorage.com/glenwood-springs, or reach out to info@citadel970.com.