Thursday, January 11, 2007
New Infill Project at 22nd and Blake
Looks like another surface parking lot in Downtown Denver may be on its way out! In their upcoming January 16 meeting, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission will be making its initial review of a project planned for 2120 Blake, on Block 036 in Northeast Downtown. The site is immediately across the street from Coors Field on one of those gravel parking lots that has remained undeveloped since the stadium joined the neighborhood in the mid '90s. The site shares the block with another infill project, the 226-unit, 8-story Broadstone Lofts project that will fill in the entire Market Street side of the block next to the historic Piggly Wiggly building. That project has not yet started construction, but its development plan has been approved and is now in the building permit stage. Hopefully construction on Broadstone will begin this Spring.
The new project at 22nd and Blake is listed on the LPC's agenda as simply "mixed-use new construction" so I don't have any details yet on number of units, number of floors, etc. More information on this project will be posted as soon as available.
The new project at 22nd and Blake is listed on the LPC's agenda as simply "mixed-use new construction" so I don't have any details yet on number of units, number of floors, etc. More information on this project will be posted as soon as available.
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Great news! Coors field will be a nicer experience if ringed with lively infill. Now if Xcel would just sell off their vacant lot at 20th and Blake. Next to Fontius, is there a bigger insult to the urban fabric of downtown Denver?
Permalink Posted by 
: 1/11/2007 11:13:00 AM
: 1/11/2007 11:13:00 AM
Rumor has it this will be the first building to have view into the stadium. When Coors Field was built, an ordinance was put into place stating that no buildings should be able to have a view into the stadium (think Wrigley Field). However, the Rockies, along with the city and the neighborhood orgs will likely allow this building to climb as high as 20 stories!
You still probably won't be able to see home plate, and there won't be any bleachers on the roof, but cool nonetheless.
Now, only if we had a decent ball club :(
You still probably won't be able to see home plate, and there won't be any bleachers on the roof, but cool nonetheless.
Now, only if we had a decent ball club :(
Permalink Posted by : 1/11/2007 01:01:00 PM
: 1/11/2007 01:01:00 PM 
An above comment mentions a (abolished?) city ordinance forbidding buildings that can view into Coors Field.
What's the city's problem with buildings that can view into the stadium? I can't imagine that lofts or apartments around Coors Field could actually detract from ticket sales inside the stadium when the seats inside the stadium are so much better than anything outside. And any building outside the stadium can't have more than a few hundred windows looking into the stadium at most, while the stadium itself has tens of thousands of seats.
The only problem I can think of has to do with TV coverage of ball games: when one station buys exclusive rights to cover a Rockies game, that station doesn't want competition from some guy who's filming the whole thing from his apartment window with a zoom lens. But ever since the development of Online filesharing and Internet video sites like YouTube, competition from unauthorized sources has been something that media entities of all types have had to learn to deal with. This is an entirely new development arising since the relatively recent construction of Coors Field.
I think that having buildings overlook a stadium is a good thing, at least for my own interests, since I'm not really concerned with CBS or ESPN's hypothetical disadvantage. Rather, I think it would be a good thing for the image of Denver that skyscrapers be seen peering over the edge of Coors Field. Glimpses of them would be sent nationwide during TV coverage of the games, giving Denver the appearence of being a developed, high-rise city. I would love to see these high-rises happen around Coors Field and near Mile High Stadium as well.
What's the city's problem with buildings that can view into the stadium? I can't imagine that lofts or apartments around Coors Field could actually detract from ticket sales inside the stadium when the seats inside the stadium are so much better than anything outside. And any building outside the stadium can't have more than a few hundred windows looking into the stadium at most, while the stadium itself has tens of thousands of seats.
The only problem I can think of has to do with TV coverage of ball games: when one station buys exclusive rights to cover a Rockies game, that station doesn't want competition from some guy who's filming the whole thing from his apartment window with a zoom lens. But ever since the development of Online filesharing and Internet video sites like YouTube, competition from unauthorized sources has been something that media entities of all types have had to learn to deal with. This is an entirely new development arising since the relatively recent construction of Coors Field.
I think that having buildings overlook a stadium is a good thing, at least for my own interests, since I'm not really concerned with CBS or ESPN's hypothetical disadvantage. Rather, I think it would be a good thing for the image of Denver that skyscrapers be seen peering over the edge of Coors Field. Glimpses of them would be sent nationwide during TV coverage of the games, giving Denver the appearence of being a developed, high-rise city. I would love to see these high-rises happen around Coors Field and near Mile High Stadium as well.
Matt,
In response to your comment, the city was less concerned about the building 'envelope' than the Rockies were. At the time, the ball club did not want the same condition you see at Wrigley Field with bleachers on top of buildings overlooking the ballpark. They thought it would affect ticket sales. It seems that they are now coming around and realizing that the ordinance is inhibiting development on the surrouning blocks. Developers can't make the economics of their deals work without being able to achieve certain building heights. It is also apparant that even a 20-story building on Blake St. won't have a full view of the field. In my opinion, it is in everyone's best interest to allow density around Coors Field, to not only enhance the LoDo and Ballpark neighborhoods, but to present a better image of Denver during baseball game broadcasts. Coors Field should be treated as an amenity to, not an inhibitor of, development Wouldn't it be great to see that enormous parking lot in front of the Chop House turned into a fabulous mixed-use project? Likewise for all the ugliness along Blake st (i.e. the public storage bldg and the vacant Exel energy lot mentioned previously)
This building, which I think is being done by the same group that is redeveloping Piggly Wiggly, will set a precedent with the city and the neighborhood organizations to allow mid-rise development adjacent to Coors Field.
A step in the right direction, thank you Alliance Residential!
In response to your comment, the city was less concerned about the building 'envelope' than the Rockies were. At the time, the ball club did not want the same condition you see at Wrigley Field with bleachers on top of buildings overlooking the ballpark. They thought it would affect ticket sales. It seems that they are now coming around and realizing that the ordinance is inhibiting development on the surrouning blocks. Developers can't make the economics of their deals work without being able to achieve certain building heights. It is also apparant that even a 20-story building on Blake St. won't have a full view of the field. In my opinion, it is in everyone's best interest to allow density around Coors Field, to not only enhance the LoDo and Ballpark neighborhoods, but to present a better image of Denver during baseball game broadcasts. Coors Field should be treated as an amenity to, not an inhibitor of, development Wouldn't it be great to see that enormous parking lot in front of the Chop House turned into a fabulous mixed-use project? Likewise for all the ugliness along Blake st (i.e. the public storage bldg and the vacant Exel energy lot mentioned previously)
This building, which I think is being done by the same group that is redeveloping Piggly Wiggly, will set a precedent with the city and the neighborhood organizations to allow mid-rise development adjacent to Coors Field.
A step in the right direction, thank you Alliance Residential!
Permalink Posted by : 1/12/2007 01:02:00 PM
: 1/12/2007 01:02:00 PM
I wonder if that's why it has taken so long to get started with the initial piggly wiggly renovation...because they were planning something on the other side of the block?
I think the entitlement process ran long on the Pig-Wig project since they are redeveloping a historic building.
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Permalink Posted by : 1/12/2007 05:05:00 PM
: 1/12/2007 05:05:00 PM Links to this post:
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