Fast food and apartments envisioned near busy intersection on Colorado Springs' east side
Jun. 12—A busy Colorado Springs intersection could get even busier with a mix of new residential and commercial projects envisioned in the area.
McDonald's plans to build an approximately 4,600-square-foot, dual lane drive-thru restaurant as part of the Willowind commercial and retail development northwest of Marksheffel and Barnes roads on the Springs' east side, according to a proposal submitted to city government officials.
McDonald's would join a 7-Eleven convenience store that opened 11 years ago at Willowind and a multitenant retail building completed on the property in 2007, El Paso County land records show.
The fast-food giant didn't immediately respond to a Gazette email seeking more information; a project timetable and whether the restaurant would be corporately owned or operated by a franchisee were unknown.
McDonald's is seeking city approval of a development plan for the restaurant, which spells out project details such as its size, access and landscaping.
McDonald's wouldn't be the only new business at Willowind; a proposal submitted to city government officials shows Texas-based Champion Xpress Carwash plans to build a 4,350-square-foot building south of the restaurant.
It would be the first Champion Xpress in the Pikes Peak region; the chain has locations in Alamosa, Cañon City, Delta, Grand Junction and Pueblo, along with facilities in Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico and Texas, its website shows. Champion Xpress also is seeking city approval of a development plan for its project.
Doubletree Ventures, an Arizona-based real estate development company, bought the nearly 10-acre Willowind project for $3.9 million in December 2021, El Paso County land records show.
A half-dozen parcels at Willowind remain vacant and are being developed by Doubletree, including the McDonald's and Champions Xpress sites.
The company didn't develop the multitenant retail building, but purchased it along with the site's vacant parcels. The 7-Eleven property is owned separately.
Brian Zurek, Doubletree's managing partner, said he couldn't comment about plans for the McDonald's and Champions Express projects.
In general, however, he said the Willowind site was attractive to Doubletree because of its location on Colorado Springs' fast-growing east side.
"It's a high-growth corridor," Zurek said. "Marksheffel Road is getting expanded or is planned to be expanded into a four-lane from a two-lane. There's a tremendous amount of growth to the east in Banning Lewis Ranch. Good access, high visibility."
Marksheffel, a major north-sound roadway on the Springs' east side, is slated to be widened after voters in November approved an extension of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority sales tax. That tax funds a variety of road projects in the area.
In addition to the Willowind development, Texas-based DHI Residential, an affiliate of the national D.R. Horton homebuilding company, has submitted a proposal to city officials that envisions a 299-unit apartment complex and 156 townhomes on nearly 36 acres southeast of Marksheffel and Barnes.
The apartment complex would contain a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with amenities that include a clubhouse, pool, dog park and garages, according to the DHI Residential proposal submitted to the city.
Officials with D.R. Horton didn't respond to a Gazette email seeking more information.
