800 Ford Street, Golden, Colorado
AC Development has completed the first major phase of Clayworks, the 14-acre, six-block redevelopment of the former CoorsTek manufacturing campus in downtown Golden. The milestone comes with the opening of The Pottery, a 188,600-square-foot office building that now serves as the global headquarters for CoorsTek, bringing the company's corporate operations back to the site where its ceramics manufacturing operations began in 1910.
Developed by AC Development, the Coors family's real estate development company, The Pottery represents the first completed building within a broader redevelopment that will transform the former industrial property into a mixed-use district featuring office space, housing, retail, restaurants, public gathering areas and a boutique hotel.
CoorsTek and AC Development completed their relocations into the building earlier this month, with approximately 165 CoorsTek employees expected to work from the new headquarters. Additional office along floors 1-2 and two retail spaces along the ground floor remain available for lease. However, ownership indicated that the office spaces could be occupied as we head into 2027.
The completion represents a significant milestone for one of the largest redevelopment projects underway in downtown Golden, bringing new activity to a property that has been closely tied to the city's industrial history for more than a century.
The Pottery was created through the adaptive reuse of former CoorsTek headquarters and manufacturing facilities, retaining portions of the historic industrial campus while introducing modern office space.
Rather than replacing the site's manufacturing history, the development incorporates original architectural and industrial elements such as the historic brick façade along Ford Street and preserved kiln components associated with former operations. The five‑story portion of the former CoorsTek campus still stands to the west of The Pottery building with plans for future adaptive‑reuse development in another phase.
The site has served generations of Coors family businesses, producing everything from pottery, glassware and dinnerware to laboratory equipment and advanced technical ceramics. Today, CoorsTek manufactures specialized ceramic components used in semiconductor production, medical devices, aerospace, energy systems and other industries.
"The Pottery brings CoorsTek's headquarters back to our roots in Golden while giving our employees a new home for the work ahead," said Michael Coors, CEO of CoorsTek.
During our recent visit, we saw how the property's industrial history has been incorporated throughout the building's interior, extending well beyond its preserved exterior architecture.
Ceramic tile appears throughout the common areas, including walls and backsplashes, providing a direct reference to the manufacturing operations that once occupied the property. Much of the common-area furniture consists of reclaimed pieces sourced from estate sales and other locations throughout Colorado.
The furnishings introduce a mix of materials, textures and styles that complement the building's industrial character.
Illuminated amber artwork lines portions of the interior walls, using real amber pieces that have been repurposed from the former CoorsTek operations.
When lit, they create a warm glow that recalls the heat and color of the former kiln processes.
Outside, utility transformer boxes have been transformed into public art by local artist Olive Moya, who recently completed a mural at the Denver Pavilions.
These elements, along with other design features throughout the project, reinforce the site's industrial heritage while introducing touches that connect the campus to the surrounding community and its future identity.
That history was also physically uncovered during construction, when artifacts representing different eras of CoorsTek's operations were discovered throughout the site.
The items were collected by the Coors family archivist for preservation, with plans to eventually display them throughout Clayworks.
While much of the project's design draws from its industrial past, the interior has been reconfigured to accommodate contemporary office tenants.
The ground floor features a modern fitness center, providing an on-site amenity for building occupants, along with extensive bicycle parking.
The building also includes a large conference room available for tenants to rent, providing additional meeting and event space beyond their individual office suites.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters is the first announced retail tenant at Clayworks and is scheduled to open on the ground floor of The Pottery in late 2026. Construction on the interior space was well underway during our visit.
The coffee shop will introduce a publicly accessible use within the building and serve both office tenants and the surrounding Golden community.
We were also told that interest from prospective office tenants has been increasing. Although the building began pre‑leasing during construction, activity has strengthened now that the project is complete and tenants can evaluate the finished space firsthand.
While no additional leases have been announced, the reported increase in inquiries reflects improving leasing momentum as the building moves into full occupancy.
The Pottery represents the first completed phase of a much larger effort to transform approximately six city blocks of downtown Golden.
Located near Ninth Street and Washington Avenue, the former manufacturing campus is being repositioned as a walkable neighborhood combining commercial, residential, hospitality and public uses.
Future development plans include additional office space, urban apartments, restaurants, retail, parking facilities, public plazas and a boutique hotel.
The project also envisions pedestrian promenades, gathering spaces, public art and community events, introducing new connections through property that historically operated as a manufacturing campus.
"The opening of The Pottery is a significant milestone for Clayworks and the first step in realizing our vision for this historic property," said Darden Coors, CEO of AC Development. "We set out to honor the legacy of this site while creating a place that can serve Golden well into the future."
One of the major sustainability features of the redevelopment is its district‑scale geothermal system, supported by approximately 42 wells drilled to a depth of about 500 feet. The system is expected to meet roughly 80% of the campus’s heating and cooling demand and reduce overall energy use by about 25%.
The Pottery is targeting LEED Gold and WELL Gold certifications, and construction of the geothermal system included an apprenticeship partnership with CanAmerica that received recognition from the U.S. Department of Labor.
With The Pottery now complete and its first corporate occupants in place, AC Development is turning its attention to later phases of the project. A planned boutique hotel is expected to repurpose the historic Golden High School building, further extending the development’s approach of integrating existing structures into new uses.
Given the limited hospitality supply in Golden and the growing concentration of corporate users on and around the Clayworks campus, the hotel component should be well positioned to move forward as demand for nearby lodging will continue to strengthen.
The Pottery was designed by Tryba Architects, with Holder Construction as the general contractor, and is part of the broader Clayworks redevelopment led by AC Development.
Founded by the Coors family in 2020, AC Development is guiding the long‑term transformation of the historic campus while maintaining its connection to Golden’s industrial heritage.
The completion of The Pottery establishes the first finished component of that larger vision. What was once an industrial manufacturing campus is beginning its transition into a mixed-use neighborhood, with CoorsTek remaining at the center of the property more than a century after its manufacturing operations began there.
Additional information about the redevelopment is available at Clayworks Golden.