Centennial, CO 10 Years Young

The City of Centennial hit its 10 year anniversary back in February of this year, no this is not the City that James A Michener wrote about in his fictional Colorado novel titled "Centennial", but it does have a few similarities. The city was founded in 2001 by a group of local leaders that had been meeting for the previous 3 years to keep control over the local businesses and help create a city with positive future growth,

The city has seen several new businesses and retail centers open in its very young, but impressive history, including a much anticipated IKEA that will have 415,000 square foot of retail space and employ over 400 people. IKEA is a Swedish home decor store featuring over 10,000 exclusive design items and a 500 seat restaurant featuring Swedish specialties.

When Centennial was founded in 2001, it constituted the largest incorporation of a developed urban area in U.S. history. Centennial also boasts a foreclosure rate of less than one percent and the lowest crime rate of any large city in Colorado. The 12 mile long, 2 mile wide city has far exceeded the expectations of many of the residents, especially those that did not want to incorporate. Centennial consists of just over 100,000 people covering 18,000 acres and ranks second in the state as being the most affluent community. The city also boasts the two premiere school districts in Colorado, Cherry Creek Schools and Littleton Public Schools.