Yes, Lutheran moved. Since August 3, 2024, Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital has operated at 12911 W. 40th Ave. in Clear Creek Crossing, just northwest of Applewood Villages, and the old campus on 38th Avenue near Wadsworth is being redeveloped for housing.
For decades, “Lutheran” meant the hospital campus on West 38th Avenue near Wadsworth Boulevard in Wheat Ridge. Many Applewood Villages owners still give directions by it, and buyers looking at homes along 38th Avenue between Youngfield and Kipling often ask how far the hospital is and whether it is still there.
The short version is that the hospital did move, but not far, and in the direction of Applewood Villages rather than away from it. The new building sits at Clear Creek Crossing near Interstate 70 and Highway 58, northwest of the neighborhood. The old campus is now a construction site that the city and its developer expect to turn into roughly 1,300 homes, and the hospital itself is heading toward new management.
Jason Sirois is a Realtor with FORM at Compass Denver and an Applewood resident. This post covers where the hospital is now, how Applewood Villages sits relative to both campuses, what is happening on the old site, what the planned management change means, and what to ask if hospital access matters in a move.
Where is Lutheran Hospital now?
Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital is at 12911 W. 40th Ave. in Wheat Ridge, according to Intermountain’s location page, which lists it as open 24 hours a day. It is part of Clear Creek Crossing, the mixed-use development at I-70 and Highway 58.
The new hospital opened on August 3, 2024, replacing the longtime campus near West 38th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. The Neighborhood Gazette describes it as a six-story, 620,000-square-foot building with 226 patient beds, 10 operating rooms and a Level II trauma center, and reports that it remains Jefferson County’s only hospital with a labor and delivery program.
Intermountain has described the new campus as about 3.5 miles west of the former one, which put the hospital on the Applewood side of Wheat Ridge.
How close is Applewood Villages to the new hospital?
Applewood Villages is the Wheat Ridge neighborhood along West 38th Avenue between Youngfield Street and Kipling Street. The new hospital is a short distance north and west of it, in the Clear Creek Crossing area near Youngfield Street, West 40th Avenue and the I-70 and Highway 58 interchange.
In practical terms, the neighborhood now sits between the two campuses: the new hospital is just to the northwest, toward Youngfield and 40th Avenue, and the old campus is in the other direction, east along 38th Avenue past Kipling toward Wadsworth. Drive times depend on the block, the hour and the signals, so check the exact trip from a specific address on a map before relying on it.
Here is how the two campuses compare:
| Former Lutheran campus | Current Lutheran Hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 8300 W. 38th Ave., near 38th and Wadsworth | 12911 W. 40th Ave., Clear Creek Crossing |
| Direction from Applewood Villages | East, along 38th Avenue | Northwest, near Youngfield and 40th Avenue |
| Status | Stopped admitting patients Aug. 3, 2024; demolition under way | Opened Aug. 3, 2024; open 24 hours |
| Size | Being cleared for housing, roughly 100 acres | Six stories, 620,000 sq ft, 226 beds |
| What comes next | About 1,300 homes planned; first homes expected late 2027 | Joint venture with AdventHealth expected to close early 2027 |
Sources: Intermountain Health; Neighborhood Gazette, September 2026; City of Wheat Ridge Legacy Campus page. Directions are general; confirm a specific route on a map.
What is happening to the old Lutheran campus on 38th Avenue?
The former campus is now called the Lutheran Legacy Campus. E5X Management, the master developer, bought the property after the hospital moved, and the city approved a concept plan in January 2026. The City of Wheat Ridge’s Legacy Campus page says deconstruction began in February 2026 and is nearing completion, that the Blue House, the Chapel and the TB Tent are being preserved, and that no vertical building construction is expected this year.
The Neighborhood Gazette’s September 2026 update adds detail from E5X principal Chris Elliott:
- Demolition is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026, slightly ahead of E5X’s public timeline of early 2027.
- The plan still calls for about 1,300 residences, including single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes and a large apartment site.
- Five builders are under contract, covering nearly all of the residential areas.
- Home construction is expected to begin around spring or summer 2027, with the first homes likely in late 2027 and apartments a few months later.
- Pricing has not been set, and retail uses are still being studied.
Elliott also said land use approvals are behind schedule, so those dates can move. For more background on the plan, see our earlier post on what is being built on the old Lutheran Medical Center campus in Wheat Ridge.
Separately, BusinessDen reported in late October 2026 that HCA HealthONE bought the retail site at 7615 W. 38th Ave., at the corner of 38th and Wadsworth, with plans for an emergency room and medical offices. No construction schedule has been announced. We will cover that site in its own post.
Is Lutheran Hospital changing owners or names?
The hospital is heading toward new day-to-day management, not a closure or another move. According to the Neighborhood Gazette’s report on the proposed joint venture, Intermountain Health and AdventHealth reached a definitive agreement on August 6, 2026 to combine eight Denver-area hospitals in a joint venture, with AdventHealth slated to lead operations, including at Lutheran.
The Gazette reports that the deal still needs regulatory approval and is expected to close in early 2027. Intermountain will remain a partner, so AdventHealth is not buying the hospital outright. Until the transaction closes, the hospital continues to operate as Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital, and no rebranding, handoff date or patient-facing changes have been announced.
For anyone checking insurance networks or a physician’s affiliation, that is the piece to watch. Nothing announced so far changes the building or its address.
What does this mean if you are buying or selling in Applewood Villages?
The hospital’s move changed what sits at each end of the neighborhood’s main corridors. To the northwest, Clear Creek Crossing now has a full hospital, along with a growing set of shops and restaurants. To the east, the old campus is moving from demolition toward years of new home construction near 32nd and 38th Avenues.
A few practical points for a sale or a purchase:
- Directions in listings. “Near Lutheran” now means near Clear Creek Crossing. Older listing remarks and neighborhood descriptions may still point to the 38th and Wadsworth campus.
- Traffic and noise. Hospital traffic, including ambulances and helicopter flights, now centers on the I-70 and 40th Avenue area rather than 38th and Wadsworth. Construction traffic at the Legacy Campus is expected to continue for several years.
- Timing. The first new homes on the old campus are not expected until late 2027, and pricing has not been set, so nobody can yet say how that supply will compare with existing Applewood Villages homes.
For neighborhood context and current listings, visit our Applewood community page. If hospital access, construction timing or a specific block is part of your decision, Jason Sirois and the FORM Team at Compass Denver are glad to walk through it with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge close?
The old campus at 8300 W. 38th Ave. stopped admitting patients on August 3, 2024, the day the new Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital opened at 12911 W. 40th Ave. The hospital moved; it did not close.
Where is the new Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge?
It is at 12911 W. 40th Ave. in Clear Creek Crossing, near I-70 and Highway 58. Intermountain lists it as open 24 hours a day, with a Level II trauma center and labor and delivery services.
How do I get from Applewood Villages to Lutheran Hospital?
The hospital is northwest of the neighborhood, near Youngfield Street, West 40th Avenue and the I-70 and Highway 58 interchange. The best route depends on your block and the time of day, so check a map from your exact address.
What is being built on the old Lutheran campus?
The Lutheran Legacy Campus is planned for about 1,300 residences, including single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes and apartments. Developer E5X expects home construction to begin in 2027, with the first homes likely late that year.
Is AdventHealth taking over Lutheran Hospital?
Intermountain and AdventHealth signed an agreement in August 2026 for a joint venture in which AdventHealth would lead operations. It needs regulatory approval and is expected to close in early 2027. Intermountain remains a partner.
Will the hospital’s name change?
No new name has been announced. Until the joint venture closes, it continues to operate as Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital.
This article is general information based on Intermountain Health, City of Wheat Ridge and Neighborhood Gazette materials available as of November 9, 2026. Development timelines and the proposed hospital joint venture can change. It is not legal, medical or financial advice. For emergencies, call 911.
