Fine Dining Eatery and Culinary School Slated to Open Next Summer
Trevor Phipps
Ever since the Saddle Club and Bergstrom rodeo arena exited from downtown Woodland Park in the early 2000s, residents and merchants have patiently awaited what development would take its place.
For nearly two decades, the city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has seen a spree of plans for for future developments at this prime site, known as Woodland Station, but none of them came to fruition.
However, the nearly 20-year wait may finally be over, as work has officially begun on the highly publicized Tava House development. And according to preliminary reports, this time the DDA may finally have scored a big win for the community and for the future development of downtown. And for once, Woodland Station may become more than an empty field of lofty dreams.
In August 2022, developer Derek Waggoner and a team of investors purchased the Woodland Station property for $800,000 cash with grandiose plans. After nearly two years of getting through permit approvals and paying to relocate the Manitou Springs Cog Railway Car, the group of developers officially broke ground on the ambitious, multi-use development and unveiled more details of their plans
The ceremony was held on Sept. 19 during an event that drew a large crowd. Tractors from the local Lamb Plumbing and Excavating Company were set up with an American flag on top and Pikes Peak in the background. After some short speeches, each of the investors got the chance to scoop a shovel full of dirt to signal the start of the long-anticipated construction project.
Many city and county leaders attended the Woodland Station ground breaking. . The development group also brought digital renderings of what the property will look like when finished, which were on display.
The development of the 6.3-acre downtown property could eventually come in multiple phases with housing possibly making up a portion of the project. But for now, the project’s phase one just includes the construction of a two-story facility that will include a fine dining restaurant, a tap room, a banquet/event center and the home to a culinary school.
The two-story building will be the home to the Firebrand Chophouse that will have its own bar. One section of the building will house The Tap Room and Tava House Bar.
The River Room Banquet Hall will be situated upstairs with a beautiful view of Pikes Peak. The banquet hall will be open for more upscale events and conferences.
The Firebrand Chophouse will also feature a roof deck that has its own bar that people can enjoy on a nice day while taking in the exquisite views. Another section will house Master Chef Victor Matthews’s Paragon Culinary School that will educate the region’s next generation of chefs.
Woodland Park’s “Field of Dreams”
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Nicole Waggoner spoke on behalf of her husband, Derek, who couldn’t attend due to health reasons. Overall, the investment team expressed much elation over the fact that the town came together to a point that enabled them to break ground on the new project.
The Waggoners started pursuing the Tava House Project back in 2018 with fellow investors Mark and Mary Jean Weaver, Mary and Alan Sekowski, Philip and Deborah Waggoner, and Victor and Rhianna Matthews. Nicole Waggoner said that they were proud to have finally made it to this point after “more meetings than we can count” and “hours and hours of work.”
“This new building will serve as a gathering place for the citizens of Woodland Park and Teller County,” Waggoner said. “We will have two types of restaurants: a tap house and a high end steak house. It will have an events center, which will be able to accommodate year-round rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, community meetings, events, and gatherings of all kinds.”
Depending on how the construction process goes, the facility should be open for business in the summer of 2025 or possibly sooner. In the end, Waggoner said that the project will greatly benefit the city and region once it is completed.
“We believe that this innovation and initiative will create jobs, boost our local economy and foster a sense of community,” Waggoner said. “As we dig into the earth today, let us also dig deep within ourselves to remember the values that guide us: community, collaboration and commitment. Together we are not just creating a physical structure, we are building a foundation of camaraderie and connection that will last for generations to come.”
Woodland Park DDA President Jon Gemelke agreed that the Woodland Station development process has been excessively long. At the same time, he was happy to see the project officially getting off the ground. “Let’s just get it going!” Gemelke said. “I want to see some concrete getting poured and some foundations going in.”
Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case said that she has been involved with the Woodland Station property for over two decades through the combination of her time as the city’s finance director and her years on city council. “This is very exciting for everyone in the community,” Case said. “Thanks to all of you in the community that supported this. This is so important to my heart I have been watching for a really long time. So, let’s make this happen!”