DenverInfill Blog

My picks for the worst two are the ones on blocks 206 & 207 at 14th and Court Pl. This area seems to be turning into a pretty bad black hole between all the new development on 14th to the west, the Wellington Web and DNA buildings to the east, and the proposed justice center to the south.
 

I nominate the one on block 003-b, block 176 and if gravle lots count, that space in block 174.
 

Sorry Ken, I couldn't keep it to less than four...

#1 B'Way to 18th, Welton to Glenarm (the entire Block 176): One of many empty blocks in the "Sea of Parkynglottes", but this one seems especially nasty because of the two smaller buildings along 18th, which give the (probably true) impression that the lot is not just one huge tract, but a collection of smaller lots owned by a group of people... the whole block just seems sad and devoid of life.
#2- 18th to 19th on Market (NW side- Block 039): The remote possibility that 1800 Market may one day become more of a pipe dream just makes this block seem even worse for the wear. The lack of sidewalks and accompanying fossilized train tracks along the Market side seal the deal. yet it is only one block away from the home of the Real World Denver and numerous popular bars and clubs... the owner of these lots should be ashamed (wasn't the Gov'ner of California once associated with a development proposal for this block?)
#3- 16th & Market (Block 047): This little lot does more than just interrupt the pedestrian experience of Market, but also enhances the unfriendliness of the the two residential towers that front mostly wall to the mall, and makes the hideous pedestrian experience of the office depot even worse.
#4- Huge ugly hole @ 17th & California (Block 161): right along the light rail line and one of the few big holes along the "Wall St. of the West"... at least the big "5280" sculpture hid most of the parking lot. Does get points for trees, however...
 

And then I realized... only one was technically within the "core" downtown area... and two are one block outside of it... my fault. If you need to, you can unpublish that...

-mojiferous
 

I vote for the Greyhound bus terminal parking lot (between 19th and 20th and Curtis and Arapahoe). Yes, I know that this is 'developed', but it is just plain ugly. It serves as an example of how not to develop property. Message to developers and the city: get rid of the surface parking lots, but when you do, do it right!
 

Block 29-B, between Sherman and Lincoln and 16th and 17th avenues. Has everything you need.... Asphalt, weeds, cracked sidewalks. It's the total package.

And I still think the LoDo Garage on 18th and Wazee should get special recognition.
 

Here are my nominations:
#1 - Block 001-B in Upper Downtown.

#2 - Block 029-B, also in Upper Downtown.

#3 - Block 162 in Central Downtown.

One more! Please!!! The close runner -up would have to be Block 179 in Northeast Downtown.

P.S. - I LOVE your website and am constantly checking for updates and new blogs! Keep up the SUPERB work! I can't wait for the ugly row of parking lots along 14th street in Central Downtown to turn into a glistening length of new high-rises such as; The Spire, the new Embassy & Homewood Suites, The Four Seasons, and 1401 Lawrence! The Hyatt was a GREAT start!!!
 

I vote for the lot just West of the Fontius Building and McClintock Building.
1) First sight seen by light rail arrivals downtown at 16th and California
2) The Bank Of Denver's closed facility surrounds the West side of this lot. Former drive-through windows have been wrenched off leaving raw building "guts" hanging out. Dead banks scare me.
3) A sign reads "MALL PARKING" facing California Street, guarded by smal groups of people who lurk in the shadows and sit on the hoods and trunks of cars parked in the lot to smoke or drink. A liquor store is within a block.
4) The upper window of Anthony's NY-Style Pizza has a sign which reads "RTD allows illegal activity at this site"
5) The lot is within half a block of both the "Welcome To Denver" facility at 16th and California, and the new Hyatt Convention Center hotel.
 

Check out 045-E & 046-E The parking lots on Cherokee between 12th & 13th on both sides of Cherokee. The sidewalks still have left over dirt from the blizzard.
 

block 161
 

#1: LoDo Block C (20th and Wynkoop). Why not structured parking and a pedestrian walkway or something? This lot completely disrupts the vibrant feel of downtown, especially on gameday, and makes Wynkoop Plaza seem like a joke. Walking across this thing from Fados/Chophouse to the rest of LoDo is an absolute buzzkill. So much potential.

#2: Upper Downtown Block 032-B (b/t Sherman and Lincoln and 19th and 20th). This is an absolute no-man's land, and is one of, if not the, ugliest lots around. The poster child for everything wrong with Upper Downtown. This lot is a scary wasteland and completely severs everything east of it from the rest of downtown.

#3: Upper Downtown Block 001-B (b/t Lincoln and Broadway and 20th and 19th). You've got to be kidding me. Massive. Desolate. Did I say massive? But this lot does have value because it is hosting the construction activity for the new Lincoln Park tower. What happens when they leave? Hopefully 1LP sparks this thing up.
 

There is no room for picking "ugly favorites". They ALL suck.

But if I could keep it to half a dozen or so, how about all those lots between the Wells Fargo Center and all the way up to One Lincoln Park, between roughly 18th and Lincoln. That is the most hideous, large asphalt field in all of Denver. AND, it takes up like 4 city blocks. I can't wiat for those to go away, even if it takes until I am 60.

So to emphasize:

001-B, 002-B, 003-B, and block 176. A small conventional bomb should do the trick.
 

Block 051 - on Market between 20th and 21st. This half block of parking lot takes the cake as a symbol that driving is acceptable as the transportation option for a majority travelers (visitors, business people, sports enthusiasts), providing cheap parking in the daytime work hours, expensive parking for the drinking crowds (why are they driving???), and maintaining poor landscaping and aesthetic conditions.

It seems that Lodo ends at this block, due in part to the lack of cohesion across 20th in buildings and land use. Would Lodo continue northeast if active buildings continued on this block and along the Blake St land?
 

My three votes are:

1. Block C: sits right across from Coors Field, has a walk street on Wynkoop and great restraunts around it. What a waste.

2. Block 149: this is where 1800 Market would go if it gets built. This lot is so bad the whole thing isn't even paved.

3. 001B: this wasteland by 1Lincoln Park ensures anyone going from downtown to uptown has to cross a large mass of asphalt.

There are plenty more too. Picking only three is hard!
 

Block 123, it is absolutely nasty!!!

Block 125, gotta love the billboard!

Block 080 arapahoe facing side!

Block 039, just a terrible hole!!
 

NE corner - 16th & Lincoln - totally a downer - for 3 decades

Then, those along Broadway between 18th and 21st - yuck

docroc
 

My nominations share one thing in common: the destruction of high quality historic buildings. All three sites' buildings were demolished for "potential" new projects that never panned out--all demolitions were perpetrated by greedy people unconcerned with Denver's livability or urban form.

1. Block 74 (the portion facing 15th, not the part that will become the Four Seasons Tower), formerly home to Central Bank of Denver, a wonderful neoclassical wall against which the modernist Park Central and Skyline Park played beautifully. As much as I'm thrilled about Four Seasons, I am disappointed this end of the block will remain empty of everything except cars.

2. Block 161 (from the defunct Eat Up! food court to 17th, along California), once home to a wonderful 1920s mini-skyscraper that housed the headquarters of Empire Savings, and also once home to the quirky Montaldo's building mid-block on California (Montaldo's was an upscale women's clothing and shoe store). Had the Empire Savings Building made it into the second half of the 1990s it would surely have been converted to loft apartments.

3. Block 003B, running from Broadway to Lincoln along 18th, across the street from Trinity Methodist. This was once home to the Hotel Cosmopolitan, as well as the Broadway Theater. When it was demolished (around 1982 or so, if I remember correctly), a new highrise was to sprout here immediately. We're still waiting a quarter century later.
 

Block 207 dead zone that needs some life

Block 176

Block 001-B

Those two create a world of parking that looks bad.

I still think that the eye sore of parking lots is 11th and Grant accross from Strada Flats, but it was out of the zone.
 

Best New Lot:
12th & Broadway, block 043-E
We get a spectacular addition to the Art Museum, a great public plaza, swanky residences, plenty of parking for the drive-in visitors, and a brand new surface lot? Sweet. But it does go well with the great blank wall of the garage. . .

Best Lot with a Future:
15th & Welton, block 162
One of the best durned sites we've got in downtown, and right along one of the most-walked named streets, this long-time favorite may actually have a chance at redemtion now. It should be recognized for its contribution to our city's core atmosphere before it's gone for good. (thank you, Mr. Makovsky)

Best Lots for a Lonely Walk in the Dark:
Market St. between 18th & 19th, blocks 039 & 049
This block is so incredibly enticing, especially late at night and alone. It's like crossing a war zone to get from the relative safety of Market St. businesses and banks to the active atmosphere of Market St. bars & restaurants.
 

I nominate the parking lot covering the entire surface on block 001-B in Upper Downtown, which not only stands as one of the largest parking lots Downtown by surface area, but also exists in the middle of a streetscape of cracked asphault lots big enough to be a distinct neighborhood. One Lincoln Park tempers the mood now, but what really takes the cake for me is that the parking lot is off of Broadway, one of the busier streets Downtown, so thousands of people experience the wasteland of 001-B every day.

Aside from that, I'll nominate block 179 and adjacent block 156, from which all surrounding parking lots are drawn into focus.
 

How be upgrade parking lots without spending much city money and without waiting years for them to develop into buildings:

#1. Modify the building code to include parking lots and specifically to include a landscape and screening standard for parking lots. For example, providing metal fencing and planters at the sidewalk line, consolidated entry/exit locations, etc.

#2. Pass an ordinance to require a parking lot operation permit for downtown lots. This permit would have to be renewed biannually. Existing parking lots must apply for this permit.

#3. Require any property owner building a new lot or applying for an operating permit for an existing lot to meet the building code.

Under this scenario all parking lot owners would have to provide sufficient landscape and screening to meet the code, and they would be inspected biannually. This would go a long way to improving the appearance of existing parking lots, without having them all converted to buildings overnight. Since the cost of landscape is so small compared to parking lot revenue, this is not really a hardship on the lot owner.