Should You Buy in Baseline, Broomfield? A 2026 Guide to the 80023 Town-Center Buildout
Is Baseline in Broomfield (80023) a good place to buy in 2026?
Nick Ahrens, a Broomfield real estate broker with The Apollo Group at eXp Realty, tells buyers that Baseline is one of the metro's biggest bets: a roughly 1,100-acre McWhinney master plan in 80023 that will eventually hold about 9,000 homes, 6 to 7 million square feet of commercial space, and a walkable town center anchored by a planned Whole Foods. New homes run from the low $500s to more than $1 million across builders like David Weekley, Boulder Creek, and Dream Finders. The 2026 trade-off, in Nick's words: you buy early pricing and a master-planned lifestyle, but you also live in an active construction zone and pay metro-district taxes while the town center is still years from finished.
By Nick Ahrens | June 23, 2026
Nick Ahrens is a real estate broker with The Apollo Group at eXp Realty who works the Broomfield 80023 market — Anthem, Baseline, and the rest of North Broomfield — every week. Baseline is the question Nick hears most from relocating buyers right now. It photographs beautifully, the renderings show a walkable downtown, and the homes are sharp and energy-efficient. But should you buy into a community that won't be finished for decades? Here's how Ahrens breaks it down.
What Baseline actually is — and what's being built
Baseline (originally platted as North Park) is a roughly 1,100-acre master-planned community by developer McWhinney, in Broomfield's 80023 ZIP, along Baseline Road (Colorado 7) and Sheridan Parkway just west of I-25. It's marketed as the world's first "pollinator district," with water-wise landscaping, energy-efficient homes, and parks and trails woven between the villages.
The scale is the headline. At full buildout — a 20-to-40-year horizon — Baseline is planned for about 9,000 residential units, 6 to 7 million square feet of commercial space, and roughly 170 acres of parks, trails, and native areas.
The 2026 news is the Center Street District, the town center. It's about 63 acres at the southeast corner of Sheridan Parkway and CO-7. Broomfield's City Council approved the first three components in the first quarter of 2026 — two infrastructure projects plus a site plan for roughly 130,000 square feet of Phase 1 commercial (about 55,000 square feet of dining, 40,000 of grocery, and 90,000 of work space). Construction is expected to begin later in 2026, with buildings emerging in 2027. At full district buildout, the plan calls for about 215,000 square feet of retail (including the anchor grocer), 620,000 square feet of office, a 180-room hotel, and 1,240 homes.
About that grocer: city planning documents reviewed by BizWest in March 2026 show a corner lot just south of Baseline Road labeled "Whole Foods." Here's Nick's caution — it's in the plans, not a signed, official announcement, so treat a Baseline Whole Foods as likely, not guaranteed.
Some amenities are already real. The Big Green, a wide lawn built for concerts and picnics, is open. The Buzz, a roughly 6,900-square-foot community gathering spot with a cafe and bar, dog park, beer garden, fire pits, and the HOA offices, is on the way. Rally Park — tennis, pickleball, basketball, and bouldering — is due in 2027. The community sits in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district, with a K-12 charter (Prospect Ridge Academy) adjacent and an on-site K-12 STEM school planned.
What homes cost in Baseline right now
New construction in Baseline runs from the low $500s to past $1 million, depending on builder and product. As of 2026, Ahrens points buyers to three of the active builders:
David Weekley Homes — the Baseline Peaks Collection runs 1,779 to 2,593 square feet, priced about $549,990 to $726,215, plus single-family homes in Parkside West.
Boulder Creek Neighborhoods — wee-Cottages start in the mid $500s; the three-story Limited Edition homes reach the high $800s to $1 million-plus.
Dream Finders Homes — Parkside West offers four-bedroom townhomes from 2,180 to 2,500 square feet, starting in the mid $500s.
Other builders, including Meritage, Thrive, and Berkeley Homes, are also active, and there are for-lease options like Finley at Baseline and AHV's townhomes if a buyer wants to rent the area before committing. Because several builders sell within a few blocks of each other, you can compare floor plans and incentives side by side — and Nick's one rule for new construction holds here: bring your own agent on the first visit, because the on-site sales rep represents the builder, not you.
The catch: metro-district taxes and a long construction timeline
Master-planned communities like Baseline are financed through metro districts — governmental entities run by elected boards that issue bonds for roads, parks, and infrastructure and repay them through a mill levy added to your property tax bill, on top of the base rate. Baseline's districts can levy up to 50 mills for debt. That's a big reason 80023 already carries some of Broomfield's higher effective property-tax bills. Before you write an offer, verify the exact mill levy for the specific filing and address — the same homework Nick walks through in his guide to Broomfield metro-district taxes.
Then there's the timeline. Full buildout is decades away, so for the next several years you'll live alongside active construction. The town center breaks ground in 2026 with buildings appearing in 2027, Rally Park opens in 2027, and CO-7 itself is being rebuilt into a multimodal corridor — added lanes, bus rapid transit, and a bike path from Brighton to Boulder. Great for long-term value; dusty and loud in the meantime.
So Ahrens frames the decision as buy-early versus buy-proven. Buying now means lower entry pricing, builder incentives, and first pick of floor plans and lots before the town center opens and, in all likelihood, lifts values. The risk is timing: the retail and amenities you're partly funding through the metro district aren't built yet, and master-plan phasing can shift. If you want a finished, turnkey neighborhood today, an established 80023 community such as Anthem Highlands or Anthem Reserve may be the better fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Baseline in Broomfield?
Baseline is a roughly 1,100-acre master-planned community in Broomfield's 80023 ZIP, along Baseline Road (Colorado 7) and Sheridan Parkway just west of I-25. Nick Ahrens points buyers to its three parts: for-sale villages, for-lease apartments and townhomes, and the new Center Street District town center.
Is Whole Foods really coming to Baseline?
City planning documents reviewed in early 2026 show a Whole Foods as the proposed grocery anchor for the Center Street District. As Nick Ahrens tells clients, it's in the plans but not yet an official, signed announcement, so treat it as likely rather than confirmed.
How much do homes in Baseline cost in 2026?
New homes range from the low $500s to more than $1 million. David Weekley's Baseline Peaks Collection runs about $549,990 to $726,215, Boulder Creek's wee-Cottages start in the mid $500s (its Limited Edition homes reach the high $800s to $1M-plus), and Dream Finders' Parkside West townhomes start in the mid $500s.
Do you pay extra metro-district taxes in Baseline?
Yes. Baseline is funded through metro districts that repay infrastructure debt through a mill levy added to your property taxes, up to 50 debt mills. That is a major reason 80023 carries higher effective tax bills, so verify the exact mill levy by address before you offer.
Is it worth buying in Baseline while it's still under construction?
It depends on your timeline. Buying early locks in lower pricing and builder incentives before the town center opens, but you'll live among active construction for years and pay for amenities that aren't finished. Nick Ahrens recommends weighing how long you plan to stay against how much unfinished surroundings will bother you.
The bottom line
Baseline is one of the most ambitious things happening in Broomfield real estate — a town center built from scratch, thousands of homes, and a real bet on the next 20 years of 80023. Whether it's right for you comes down to timeline and tolerance for construction. Nick Ahrens helps buyers compare Baseline's builders, run the real metro-district tax math, and decide between buying in early here or choosing an already-finished 80023 neighborhood. To talk through your specific numbers, call or text Nick at 949-230-3625, or email NickAhrensRealEstate@gmail.com.
About Nick Ahrens
Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker with The Apollo Group at eXp Realty, specializing in the Anthem and Baseline communities of Broomfield (80023). With 15+ years in the business and 350+ career closings, Nick helps North Denver sellers and relocating buyers navigate pricing, timing, and the path to closing. Connect with Nick at youranthemhome.com.
