Risewell Homes debuts new models at father-daughter-owned development in Colorado.
Construction of the hospital and tech and entertainment corridor underway at The Aurora Highlands.
One of two model homes Risewell Homes is offering in The Aurora Highlands in Colorado. (Kevin Bree/Nordy Photography)
What started as a “cocktail napkin sketch” by father-daughter duo Carla and Carlo Ferreira has transformed into a living, breathing community with new homes and amenities debuting regularly.
The Aurora Highlands in Aurora, Colorado, located minutes from Denver International Airport, offers a variety of housing types, from apartments to single-family homes.
“It operates like a little city,” said Ferreira, 36, the CEO of The Aurora Highlands.
Risewell Homes, one of nine builders in the community, opened four model homes in early January.
Gabriella Reinoso, sales counselor for Risewell, said there will be about 60 units when building is completed in roughly two years. Prices run from $589,900 to $709,900, with square footages ranging from 2,043 to 3,022.
The entrance to The Aurora Highlands in Aurora, Colorado. (The Aurora Highlands)
Aurora Highlands is zoned for 5,000 apartments and 7,500 single-family detached units. “We have about 1,200 units on the ground,” Ferreira said.
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The community’s overall price range runs from the low $400,000s to more than $1 million. “It’s townhomes, duplexes, paired homes and then it goes to single-family detached, and those can either have basements or not have basements,” Ferreira said.
The great room of a Risewell home. (Kevin Bree/Nordy Photography)
The other eight builders in the development include Pulte, Richmond American, Taylor Morrison, Bridgewater Homes, David Weekley, Century Communities, Tri Pointe Homes and Lennar.
There are about 4,000 residents living in the community right now from all walks of life, including families, retirees and single adults, Ferreira said.
Like father, like daughter
Ferreira runs the development with Carlo, 70, who has been in land development for decades.
They went into business together in 2017 to make Aurora Highlands a reality. “We broke ground in 2018,” she said.
She said it’s difficult to find 5,000 acres of raw land, which the development sits on.
Father-daughter duo Carla and Carlo Ferreira launched and oversee The Aurora Highlands together. (The Aurora Highlands)
Ferreira described her strong working relationship with her father as being built on trust, one that allows her to represent her father in meetings and uphold their family’s values. Her father, a self-made developer and entrepreneur since his mid-20s, began his career converting apartments into condos in Las Vegas and later led major projects in Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, California and Texas.
Her background includes degrees in anthropology and business, as well as experience in art and fashion. She joined the family business at age 27.
“I love that we really took a vision and made it into reality,” Ferreira said. “We started out with all of these cartoon drawings, which then evolved … and now we have a real-life community.”
Ferreira said she enjoys working with her father and is proud of him: “He is the epitome of the American dream.”
Two-mile art walk is a central amenity
Ferreira said the Risewell homes sit along the community’s two-mile art walk. The team transformed what was once a major land constraint — a 180-acre stretch of unusable property dominated by a serpentine drainage system — into a central amenity for the community.
The area is landscaped with natural grasses. It also features about 20 art installations, from sculptures to murals to interactive pieces.
“Broken but Together” by artist Michael Benisty is one of many art installations along the art walk. (The Aurora Highlands)
“Umi” by Daniel Popper in Hogan Park at Highlands Creek in The Aurora Highlands. (The Aurora Highlands)
Initially met with skepticism and criticism, the project has since become a point of pride, with images of the art park now featured in marketing materials for the city of Aurora, Adams County and even on Colorado’s tourism website, according to Ferreira.
The installations include a mix of local and international artists, reflecting a vision of blending global creativity with the natural landscape.
“We’re only five minutes away from one of the country’s biggest airports,” she said. “We do have a lot of culture in Denver and Aurora.”
‘The year of openings’
All eight of the villages in the community are connected by 22 miles of trails.
Ferreira said the overall master plan includes five schools — one is operational — and a hospital campus, Ferreira said, adding that the goal is to allow people to grow and evolve with the development without having to leave it.
“We want them to be able to utilize the same amenities and have their kids go to the same schools,” Ferreira said.
Other amenities include a disc golf course and a carousel.
The Aurora Highlands’ event lawn in Winged Melody Park. (The Aurora Highlands)
More amenities are expected to debut in 2026. “The Beach Club is opening in May, and then AdventHealth is opening up their hospital later this year,” Ferreira said.
Additionally, Ferreira said development has started on a technology and entertainment corridor known as the Aurora Tech Center.
David Weekley is also slated to debut new models this year.
“This is our year of openings, and it’s very exciting,” said Ferreira
She said she expects the full build-out of the community to take about 25 years.
