As Verrbena nears 50% completion, Maiker’s Board of Directors and Leadership Team came together onsite to see the community’s progress firsthand and celebrate a major construction milestone.
During the walkthrough, participants toured the building, learned more about the community’s unique design features, and signed a structural beam that will become a permanent part of Verrbena.
The moment served as both a celebration of how far the project has come and a reminder of the impact it will have for future residents.
Once complete, Verrbena will provide 70 affordable homes within the Uplands community in Westminster, including homes intentionally designed to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The community will provide shared gathering spaces, a rooftop deck, a sensory garden, fitness amenities, and other features designed to foster connection and belonging.
Built on the Belief That Everyone Belongs
As Maiker leaders reflected on the significance of the project, Peter LiFari, Chief Executive Officer, connected Verrbena to the organization’s core belief that everyone has gifts, strengths and potential to contribute to their community.
“There’s a certain audacity of hope in the process of building a home for your neighbors, especially for our neighbors who are neurodiverse, those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The reason that we exist at Maiker is to do exactly this. At Maiker, we believe in people. We believe that we all have transcendent gifts and strengths to share with the world if we open our ears, eyes and hearts to receive them. Communities such as Verrbena allow that to take root and to happen in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.”
– Peter LiFari, Chief Executive Officer, Maiker Housing Partners
Designed for Opportunity, Inclusion and Independence
Verrbena represents a first for Colorado through its use of the Kelsey Inclusive Design Standards, a nationally recognized framework that promotes neuro-inclusive living environments.
Throughout the walkthrough, project partners highlighted examples of those standards already taking shape, including wayfinding features, thoughtful lighting choices and design elements intended to support residents with diverse cognitive and developmental needs.
Located within Westminster’s growing Uplands community, Verrbena will be surrounded by parks, schools, trails and future neighborhood amenities that support community life.
Turning Vision Into Reality
For Chuck Christian, Housing Developer at Maiker Housing Partners, the milestone represents years of planning, collaboration and execution.
The community also incorporates energy-efficient design features, solar infrastructure and electric vehicle readiness as part of Maiker’s long-term investment in sustainable housing.
“Overall, we’re finishing out this first story of framing and we’re about 50 percent complete. It’s been an absolute pleasure working here with Deneuve and Van Meter Williams Pollack. We’ve had a good vision of this project from the start, and with that vision, we were able to create Colorado’s first building utilizing the Kelsey Standards, which creates a livable community for neuro-inclusive housing. Nobody else in Colorado has done that yet, so we’re very proud of that. The project overall, we’re on budget and we’re on schedule. We’re very proud of what we’re building.”
– Chuck Christian, Housing Developer, Maiker Housing Partners
Seeing the Future Take Shape
For board members, the walkthrough provided an opportunity to see years of planning and collaboration become something tangible. Standing inside the building, they witnessed firsthand how Verrbena is beginning to take shape and what it will mean for future residents and the broader Westminster community.
Emma Pinter, Board Chair of Maiker Housing Partners and a Westminster resident, reflected on the impact the community will have close to home.
“We get to have the Head Start community here while providing dedicated housing for those experiencing developmental disabilities and making sure that housing is affordable for so many families. Verrbena is really going to be a community asset in so many ways. I’m just so proud that our team has come together to support this project, and Maiker’s staff always make sure they’re prioritizing community amenities, affordability and beautiful buildings. I live in Westminster, so watching this project come to life is so beautiful.”
– Emma Pinter, Board Chair, Maiker Housing Partners
Board Member Joe Frey emphasized the importance of creating quality homes that serve residents with dignity while meeting the needs of the community.
“Projects like this can help many individuals. The quality of our homes makes everyone feel proud and can help people take pride in their home. I’m very appreciative of our team and the Maiker staff. They’re always upholding the highest standard because that’s what residents in Adams County deserve.”
– Joe Frey, Board Member, Maiker Housing Partners
Leaving a Lasting Mark
As the tour concluded, board members and leaders added their signatures and personal messages to a structural beam that will become part of the finished building.
The signatures and messages of hope written across the beam serve as a lasting reminder of the belief in people behind this project and the possibilities Verrbena will help create for future members, families and the community.
This milestone is only one part of the story. Watch your inbox for future updates as Verrbena moves closer to welcoming members and families home.
