Urban meets suburban in Briargate

Lofts in Briargate? What's next -- a strip shopping center in downtown Colorado Springs? A developer is touting a plan to construct what it's calling the Lofts at Briargate on the northeast corner of Research Parkway and Telstar Drive in north side Briargate. The master-planned, suburban community is probably the last place you'd expect to find an urban staple such as lofts. Actually, while developer Mountain View Homes describes its project as lofts, its Web site also refers to the units as residential condominiums. Mountain View says it's an affiliate company of Chicago-based Orchard Development Group and is developing residential communities in Nevada and Colorado. Gary Reyner, commercial sales director for master Briargate developer La Plata Investments of Colorado Springs, said Mountain View recently contracted to buy its property from La Plata and now has launched its due diligence -- or research -- on the project to decide whether to go forward. A rendering on Mountain View's Web site that shows the loft-condo building might not be the finished product. "We'll see if it's successful," Reyner said. www.loftsatbriargate.com