Pradera Colorado

Pradera was featured in the latest issue of South Denver Lifestyles Magazine. Along with features on both The Club at Pradera and available homes in the community, the magazine had articles about the latest fitness trends and the best South Denver pools to cool off at this summer.

Click here to view the full issue.

Barry Riddle is the Director of Tennis at Pradera and has been at the club for the past four years. Barry also serves as the director of tennis for the cities of Parker and Castle Rock and at Legend High School. He is a native of Colorado, attended Northglenn High School, and played on scholarship at the University of Northern Colorado.

What types of programs are available at Pradera:
“We have a great kids program at the club, and tennis instruction for kids has changed dramatically over the past several years. We use smaller rackets, low compression balls, and smaller courts. Our program is called “QuickStart.” We also have Assistant Pro Craig Marshal coming back this year. Craig is great with kids and I know the parents will be happy to hear he will be back.”

“We also offer a Junior Tennis program for kids ages 11-18 years that want to play a little more seriously. This program is geared toward kids that are looking to play tennis in high school.”

“As far as adults, there are both beginner and intermediate programs offered on Saturdays starting in May and continuing through August. Our Drop-in Program has been very popular – it costs $10 for 1 ½ hours of drills, games, and instruction. As the name says, members can just drop in, and it’s on Thursdays at 6:30PM. Members also like our flex leagues where you play a round robin tournament and the games are played when both competitors can schedule it in. We also offer mixers for the members where food and drink are provided. The mixers are a great way to meet people. We do these once a month through the summer. We will also have the club championship tournament again for men, women, and doubles.”

What is your impression of the membership?:
“Pradera is great, the members are a lot of fun, and they are dedicated and enthusiastic. We try every year to grow the tennis program and I really want everyone to know that it is a great game for all ages! Also, the courts at The Club at Pradera are well-maintained and the setting is beautiful.”

OK, between Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, whose game do you most admire?
“Roger Federer! Of the three, I appreciate that he is the best at outsmarting his opponent, and I like that he has a one-handed backhand. I’m “old-school” and I have that, too!”

Barry can be reached at the club at (303) 607-5700 or parkertennis@gmail.com.

The Hess Road interchange (which connects Interstate 25 to South Chambers Road) is now open. Art Griffith, capital improvements project manager for Douglas County said: “It takes three to six months to see a change, but the first week we had 2,500 to 3,000 trips a day using Hess Road. We predict more traffic after six-months.”

The new exit is expected to alleviate traffic on both Lincoln Avenue and the new Ridgegate Parkway extension that recently opened. “It gives people another option,” said Town of Parker streets, traffic and capital improvements manager Chris Hudson. “There’s still a lot of growth in the southwest quadrant. This road is a culmination of years of partnerships and collaborations. It is a very important east-west connection for the town.”

With this interchange now open and with last year’s opening of Ridgegate Parkway, access to Pradera has really improved. For anyone working in the Tech Center, or for those who like shopping at Park Meadows Mall, their drive time just got a little shorter! See a map of the new interchange below:

Recently, the strength of the Denver real estate market received national attention on the Today Show. Real estate expert Barbara Corcoran identified Denver as the number one real estate market in the national economic recovery. Click here to watch the full report!

The Custom Collection sales office at Pradera has recently moved into a new model home constructed by Celebrity Custom Homes. This two-story home, The Valencia, is the latest home in Celebrity’s new European Hillside Collection. The first four homes in the collection are modeled at Pradera’s sister community, The Overlook at Heritage Hills. The Valencia offers 3,946 finished square feet, with an open design and plenty of outdoor living space including a 3-sided enclosed “outdoor room” off of the main level and a private deck off of the master suite. The home’s Italian Country inspired design includes stucco, stone, wooden beams, stone arches and a barrel-tiled roof. Interior finishes include alder cabinets, doors and trim, old-world lighting and beautiful granite and tile throughout. The 1.5-acre homesite overlooks the neighborhood’s open spaces and rolling terrain, and includes both Pikes Peak and golf course views. Jeff Kloenne, neighborhood sales manager says, “The home is a great representation of what can be built at Pradera. The amount of visitors and feedback has been great!” The plans on which the European Hillside Collection are based won numerous local and national awards this year, including:

National Association of Home Builders
2012 Best Architectural Design for a Detached Home (2,500-3,499 square feet) Gold Award
2012 Best Interiors for a Home (over 2,500 square feet) Silver Award
2012 Best Architectural Design for a Detached Home (2,500 to 3,499 square feet) Silver Award
2012 Best Architectural Design for a Detached Home (over 3,500 square feet) Silver Award

Bar Award Winner
Home Builders Association of Metro Denver
2011 Best Interior Design for a Detached Home (priced $700,000+)
2011 Best Architectural Design for a Detached Home (priced $700,000+)

Click here to view a photo gallery of the European Hillside Collection. For contact information and directions to the new model home, click here.

The Club at Pradera’s busy social calendar started 2012 off right with its annual New Year’s Eve party. The Club was pleased to offer a night of dance music featuring the Moses Jones Band, elegant reception food, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Member Relations Manager, Tiffany Messer said this event has become one of the best social nights of the year and this year was no exception. For more information about The Club at Pradera, contact Tiffany at tmesser@brightstargolf.com or Membership Director, Kerensa Cox at kcox@brightstargolf.com.

The Fox News Business Network recently aired a “Rand on Real Estate” report about the strength of the Denver housing market. The report, which contained extensive statistical data, showed strong growth in Denver housing prices over the last 15 years. Also noted were the relative young age of Denver-area residents, our comparatively low unemployment rate and the quality of life that people enjoy here. Click here to watch the full report.

Local real estate expert John Rebchook recently wrote an article about the uncommonly low number of homes for sale in the Denver Metro area. Current inventory levels are down 30% from their level just one year ago. Other Metro area real estate metrics continue to hold steady including closings, sales price and total sales volume. These strong numbers have also helped propel Metro Denver to a #5 ranking in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Click the links below to read both articles:

Case-Shiller Index
Local Inventory Down 30%

Custom Collection at Pradera builder Celebrity Custom Homes was recently honored at the Metro Denver Home Builders Association’s BAR Awards ceremony. The BAR Awards recognize excellence in new home construction and marketing. Celebrity took home two awards:
1. “Best Interior Design” for a detached home priced $700,000 and above for Plan Two
2. “Best Architectural Design” for a detached home priced $700,000 and above for Plan Three

For more information on these homes, contact Jeff Kloenne by clicking here.

Some photos of the award winning homes: