Aurora Sentinel
June 3, 2009, The Voice of Aurora

What a boondoggle. Three years after the Colorado Land Board set in motion a plan to build a new community southeast of Aurora and create millions of dollars for statewide public schools, Colorado is instead out almost $5 million. A story by The Associated Press on Tuesday revealed that the state will pay developer Lend Lease Communities $4.5 million for work it did in trying to create a new community for more than 30,000 on the former Lowry Gunnery Range. Lend Lease, an Australian-based development giant, was chosen by the Colorado State Land Board in 2006 to develop 21,000 acres set aside long ago as a trust for public schools. Lend Lease agreed to create a world-class, “self-sustainable” community on part of the land. Lend Lease touted the project as a cutting-edge development, one that would become a model for new development all over the world, complete with 13,000 new homes, a main-street commercial and retail center, schools and enough amenities and businesses to keep residents close to home. The project withered, however, when Lend Lease couldn’t coordinate sustainable water for the project. Despite huge efforts by the developer, the best the area was able to offer was well water and some junior water rights....

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