By Bruce Goldberg
The business of man caves has spread to northern Colorado, where the Water Valley Land Co. plans to build large storage units for boys with toys.
Locals are told to expect to see a lot of boats, RVs and cars move in and out of the 120 or so units at Water Valley Vaults, which will spread over 12 acres. Owners can customize units in many ways, such as adding a mezzanine or home theater, building a bathroom and/or wet bar thanks to the included water and sewer hookups, or adding a large-screen TV for NFL game days and other occasions. Owners also will be allowed to apply any special floor treatment they wish.
But no marijuana grows, please; people have asked, and Water Valley tells them “no.”
Storage condos are often used as man caves, with room for sports car storage and entertaining under one roof.
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Individual Ownership
“It’s an extremely unique opportunity for the average person to own their own storage, be it for recreational use or business storage,” said Martin Lind, president and owner of the Water Valley Land Co.
“And this one probably has better architecture than most of them, because it is an entry point to the master-planned community, with masonry, an architectural roof and an exterior-grade finish all around it.”
Added Justin Donahoo, project manager: “If you need to invest money in something commercial, buy an appreciating asset. There’s not much else in real estate you can get at this price.”
A costly investment
The minimum unit cost will be in the 80s. Water Valley hasn’t released other pricing yet. ManCaves Colorado, located in Centennial, which is south of Denver, lists two units for sale, one for $93,995, another for $127,995.
Water Valley officials toured ManCaves Colorado for research. They learned that about 80 percent of units are used for extra storage or large items, and the other 20 percent focuses on business inventory.
Donahoo said construction could begin within four months. “We’ve had a ton of inquiries,” he said. “We sent out a teaser flier to membership at our golf club, and about 40 people have inquired.” And it’s not just the male of the species calling in; women also have asked about the units. “We have a lot of boats and RVs throughout this development. People calling in are interested in using it for boats, cars, RVs.”
Water Valley Vaults are just one part of the land company’s ultimate vision.
Work in progress
The Water Valley Land Co. is a developer. Its lead project is the Water Valley master-planned residential community in south Windsor, about 51 miles north of Denver. Water Valley has 2,500 residential units, 27 holes of golf -– including the semiprivate Pelican Lakes course — five lakes and a couple hundred thousand feet of mixed-use commercial space.
The project has been in Water Valley’s plans since 2007, but the Great Recession delayed building. The company won’t make any of the improvements in the new units, but will refer owners to its general contractor. Business use will be limited, other than storage. Water Valley is working with the Town of Windsor to determine approved uses.
The trend is catching on. Besides ManCaves Colorado, another company, Garage Town, has built 14 facilities in six states, including Colorado. Even the Wall Street Journal recently covered the phenomenon.
“I think it’s going to be a big success for our development,” Donahoo said.
Bruce Goldberg is a freelance writer and editor based in Denver.
