Elevate, a convenience center located on the outskirts of the Denver International Airport, was designed with travelers in mind.
The soon-to-open 12,000-square-foot center is targeted at people returning and picking up vehicles at the Denver airport’s remote rental car facility, located a few miles from the terminals. Located on 5.49-acres of airport land, the niche-driven Elevate is poised to serve as a premium travel convenience center designed as a “welcoming haven” for travelers and Coloradans, the management team said.
The development, a collaboration between the Denver International Airport authority and investment company Aaravya Investments LLC, was approved by the Denver City Council in 2023, broke ground in November 2025 and is slated to open this summer. The Elevate design scheme was created by Fort Worth, Texas-based Paragon Solutions, which leverages a multidisciplinary approach to design that’s driven by insight, imagination and expertise.
“We specialize in ‘one-off’-type retail concepts,” said Austin Burns, CEO of Paragon Solutions, meaning stores with unique designs, not cookie cutter.
One example is Port Fuel Center (PFC), Savannah, Georgia, which targets the business of interstate and port truckers. PFC is designed for trucks traveling from the Savannah Port.
“We don’t look at projects as ‘another’ c-store but ones that differentiate, that emphasize the store experience,” Burns said.
Paragon Solutions, which has secured multiple design award over the years, including in 2026 for delivering Fireside Market, Slinger, Wisconsin, perceived the Elevate project with the same spirit as Fireside, Port Fuel Center and others, the company said. When it opens, Elevate will provide customers with 48 fueling positions under solar canopies; a two-story convenience store with premium coffee; drive-thru service; express tunnel car wash; electric vehicle charging stations; dog park; and rentable conference room.
It will also offer a publicly accessible cell phone waiting lot, secure parking area for vehicles rented through car-sharing platforms and complimentary shuttle service to and from the Jeppesen Terminal.
Elevate’s On the Rise Kitchen will offer a variety of fresh and healthy food options, and the On the Rise Bar and Lounge on the second floor features a rooftop deck.
Aaravya Investments CEO Rutul Patel said the Elevate/Denver International Airport development sets “new standards in the convenience store category with focus on premium experience and outstanding customer service to users.”
One of the unique aspects of Elevate is that it’s not located inside the airport terminal but on the outskirts of the sprawling airport tract. It holds the distinct advantage of attracting a captive audience of travelers that arrive at the car rental hub and have some down-time. Burns said rental car brands typically have very spartan offices with long wait lines and not much else to offer people while they’re waiting. Enter Elevate to provide food, beverage and fuel options.
Other features of the store include:
Sustainability built into infrastructure. As the international airport works toward its goal of becoming one of the greenest airports in the world, Elevate supports that mission through measurable sustainability commitments. The project targets LEED Gold standards, incorporating solar arrays integrated into fuel canopies, water reclamation systems at the car wash, energy-efficient systems throughout the site.
Community-first. Elevate reflects a commitment to inclusive economic participation. More than 75% of Aaravya’s workforce identifies as women or minorities, and the company actively engages underutilized businesses as part of its operating model. This community-first approach aligns with a growing expectation that “large-scale convenience and travel projects serve more than just throughput—they serve people,” a company statement said.
Burns said Paragon Solutions “views Elevate as a strong example of how thoughtful design, clear brand vision and operational clarity can transform utilitarian real estate into destination-driven environments. Design is no longer cosmetic but strategic, operational—and revenue-driving brand perception is shaped on-site, through experience and not advertising.”
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