After more than two decades anchoring Cherry Creek North, Denver design mainstay HW Home is packing up its flagship and heading east to the 9+CO neighborhood. The retailer is planning a roughly 10,000-square-foot showroom, about 50% larger than its Clayton Lane space, and will carry signature elements from the old shop into the new buildout. Construction is slated to begin imminently, with an anticipated opening in late spring 2026.
The deal and the development
As reported by Mile High CRE, HW Home will take 10,000 square feet at 9+CO, the 26-acre mixed-use redevelopment led by Continuum Partners. Continuum Partners describes 9+CO as a roughly two-million-square-foot campus of residences, retail, offices, and public open space laid out around walkable streets and plazas. The new storefront is set for the corner of 8th Avenue and Albion Street, giving the shop visibility along Colorado Boulevard.
Design and space
Owner Ron Werner called the relocation “a flagship move” and said the new space will offer broader access to customers, according to Furniture Today. Werner told the outlet the buildout will reincorporate hallmark pieces from Clayton Lane, including reclaimed maple flooring and a recreated onyx wall, while expanding the store’s ability to stage full-room vignettes and host events.
Who signed the deal
Continuum’s director of asset management, Matt Schartz, said HW Home will “essentially be a new anchor tenant” for 9+CO, Mile High CRE reports. HW Home’s brokerage team was led by Sean Kulzer of Blue West Capital, while Melissa Machell handled leasing for 9+CO, and architectural services for the move are being led by Jim Pfeiffer of UNUM Collaborative. The teams say the combination of scale, parking, and steady foot traffic at 9+CO made the site appealing for a destination-level showroom.
9+CO's role in the neighborhood
The 9+CO project has been developed as an urban infill hub on the former CU health sciences campus and was recently honored with a Mayor’s Design Award in the Open Space, Street Activation, and Placemaking category, according to the City and County of Denver. Over the last two years, developers have been filling the retail base with local and regional concepts, positioning 9+CO as a neighborhood destination rather than a traditional mall. A mix of housing, parks, and street-level retail sits at the center of Continuum’s vision for the site.
What this means for Denver retail
HW Home Depot’s move comes amid a broader uptick in destination home retail across the Denver market. National players are expanding brick-and-mortar here as well; Wayfair, for instance, has announced a 140,000-square-foot large-format store slated for late 2026. For HW Home, the larger showroom is expected to help the independent retailer better compete with big-box and online players by leaning into a more immersive, design-forward in-store experience. Longer term, the relocation underscores how mixed-use infill projects like 9+CO are reshaping where independent retailers choose to invest in Denver.
