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International investment in Colorado is part of recent growth surge

'Our Colorado' explores intl. investment in Colo.
Posted at 4:04 PM, May 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-18 13:42:58-04

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DENVER -- Our Colorado is growing, fueled in part by money coming into Denver from all over the world.

“Let's say the last three years for example, Canada has maintained the top spot in terms foreign investment, after that Kuwait (which) actually comes in at number two, Germany's number three, Singapore number four and South Korea number five," said Pete Schippits, Colorado Market Leader of the commercial real estate firm CBRE.

On the international wish list: Warehouses, manufacturing facilities, along with apartment complexes and buildings. Data reveals more than a billion dollars was invested in Colorado by the end of 2017, compared to $499 million back in 2014.

Schippits said job creation, an educated workforce along with infrastructure are all helping to spur Denver's worldwide surge.

"We're seeing ourselves rise up the rankings and becoming more and more attractive year over year," he said.

The global investment here is significant, because unlike New York or L.A., Denver is landlocked. We're in the middle of the country.

"Most major cities are on coasts and as this happens, and Denver continues to grow, we've become a major city which means, of course, international money is going to want be parked in Denver," said University of Denver professor of real estate Ron Throupe.

That means new projects, new jobs and new investors.

"We saw Qatar and Japan come in as new entrants to the market last year,” said Schippits. "We want to continue to diversify that investor pool here."