Thursday, September 13, 2007
Demolition Underway at 1800 Larimer
The old medical offices and other low-scale buildings that have occupied the Larimer side of Block 066 are just about history. Demolition at the site began a few days ago to make way for Westfield Development's proposed 1800 Larimer project, a 22-story, 500,000 SF office building.
Here are two photos from yesterday:
This is a great sign the 1800 Larimer project is moving forward as planned. Hopefully, site excavation and construction will begin soon after demolition is complete.
Also of note is that fact that, as part of this demolition, Downtown will lose another of its 1970s-era skybridges that connects this block with Block 065 next door, home of Sakura Square. There aren't too many of the old skybridges left, thankfully. Skybridges may work in places like Minneapolis where the winter weather doesn't make walking around outside too much fun. But it was a bad idea for Denver, with our generally sunny, dry, and mild winter weather. All that the skybridges did--regardless of season--was to abandon the streets of Downtown to the automobile. Now, almost forty years later, the core principle of our new Downtown Area Plan is to reclaim Downtown's streets for the pedestrian. Once again, here we are in the 21st Century trying to restore our Downtown back into what it was a century ago. Who needs infill when your Downtown looks like this?
Not a parking lot in sight!
photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection
Here are two photos from yesterday:
This is a great sign the 1800 Larimer project is moving forward as planned. Hopefully, site excavation and construction will begin soon after demolition is complete.
Also of note is that fact that, as part of this demolition, Downtown will lose another of its 1970s-era skybridges that connects this block with Block 065 next door, home of Sakura Square. There aren't too many of the old skybridges left, thankfully. Skybridges may work in places like Minneapolis where the winter weather doesn't make walking around outside too much fun. But it was a bad idea for Denver, with our generally sunny, dry, and mild winter weather. All that the skybridges did--regardless of season--was to abandon the streets of Downtown to the automobile. Now, almost forty years later, the core principle of our new Downtown Area Plan is to reclaim Downtown's streets for the pedestrian. Once again, here we are in the 21st Century trying to restore our Downtown back into what it was a century ago. Who needs infill when your Downtown looks like this?
Not a parking lot in sight!
photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection
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WOW! that is dt denver in the 30's it reminds me of London. it was gorgeous.what happened.
Permalink Posted by 
: 9/13/2007 09:02:00 AM
: 9/13/2007 09:02:00 AM
Holy crap! I can't believe Denver used to look like that. I mean, that's a gorgeous city. You should that picture side-by-side with a pic of the parking lot desert from the 70's and 80s.
Unfortunately... rumor on the street is that there is no pre-leasing done here, and that they cannot and will not break ground without any. It looks like they are putting the breaks on for now.
So, even though they are demolishing the site, don't count on the new office building for sure.
So, even though they are demolishing the site, don't count on the new office building for sure.
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 10:24:00 AM
: 9/13/2007 10:24:00 AM
Did you notice the Frank loves Gary graffiti on the building? Wow, Gay Graffiti, what is this world coming to?
So who can we thank for the Great Parking Lot movement (or cancer) that swept over downtown Denver so long ago.
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 12:07:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 12:07:00 PM
Unfortunately the same folks who helped foster the modern freeway in America, also ushered the era of vast parking lots; GM, Ford, Chrysler, Firestone, Goodyear...
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 03:24:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 03:24:00 PM
There goes my secret underground parking spot for Rockies games:(
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 04:14:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 04:14:00 PM
I'm nervous that we'll end up with another surface parking lot here. With the residential mortgage crisis raging and spilling into other areas... One of the papers reported that Spire's German bank pulled out of its construction loan (the developer gushed confidence on moving forward thankfully), some are talking about US and CO recessions, and now talk that this project might stall. Anyone in the industry care to comment on the possibility of a financial chill with regards to downtown construction?
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 08:30:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 08:30:00 PM
Anon 10:24, I dont believe you. This project was always planned for spec development. There were no intentions of preleasing. Plus, why are they continuing to submit permits to the city if they have no intention of developing this building. Your rumors are obviously incorrect.
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 10:22:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 10:22:00 PM
Yeah, and that's just the central part of downtown in the 30's imagine all the outlying neighborhoods where filled in too. In fact a good portion of the population of Capitol Hill was replaced by parking lots in the 60's and 70's. Chalk it up to the 40 year encroachment of non-union mega-corporations recreating and rearranging government regulation in order to assimilate all competition. 'Sporty'. An Almost accidental steady process causing the mass commuting disengaged culture we have today. We can always fluff up the foliage but the real acid test is in the roots.
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 11:13:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 11:13:00 PM
The residential crisis is just that, residential. Luckily this building is planned on being completely office so it probably is clear. Office space is supposedly in high demand in downtown and since the site is already undergoing demo it is unlikely that they are not serious about building.
Permalink Posted by : 9/13/2007 11:13:00 PM
: 9/13/2007 11:13:00 PM
You guys seem to forget the DURA campaign of the 1970's to rebuild downtown Denver by tearing it down. Most of these parking lots stem from that ill-conceived idea. Of course, it also led to a lot of the skyscrapers that we know hold so dear.
This is a good example of how far urban planning has changed in the last couple of decades
This is a good example of how far urban planning has changed in the last couple of decades
Permalink Posted by : 9/14/2007 08:42:00 AM
: 9/14/2007 08:42:00 AM
Spire is dead in its tracks for the moment. The crane has not moved since wednesday and they are not working on the project. I have a clear view from my office window and its a ghost town on that job site.
Permalink Posted by : 9/14/2007 10:25:00 AM
: 9/14/2007 10:25:00 AM
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No! And it's not over just because they've pulled out of the Spire!
As for who to thank for the parking lot menagerie...General Motors at the 1939 World's Fair in New York introduced the world to "Futurama"—Their ideal future city in which cars carried people from gleaming skyscraper to gleaming skyscraper via 8-lane super highways. Unfortunately, their vision was realized.
As for who to thank for the parking lot menagerie...General Motors at the 1939 World's Fair in New York introduced the world to "Futurama"—Their ideal future city in which cars carried people from gleaming skyscraper to gleaming skyscraper via 8-lane super highways. Unfortunately, their vision was realized.
Uber-lame-o about the Spire. Anyone else care to further inform? How can that creditor just pull out like that? Is that even legal?!? They shoould be shot for violating a contractual agreement (or at least pay a hefty fine :) )
Permalink Posted by : 9/14/2007 05:08:00 PM
: 9/14/2007 05:08:00 PM
The Germans didn't bomb Pearl Harbor... The Japanese did...
Permalink Posted by : 9/15/2007 01:23:00 PM
: 9/15/2007 01:23:00 PM
Hey Anon 1:23 - I'm pretty sure The Artistic Mercenary was quoting "Animal House".
Permalink Posted by : 9/15/2007 03:06:00 PM
: 9/15/2007 03:06:00 PM
I work across from the Spire as well and we saw people working, so I am not sure if anyone should panic.
Permalink Posted by : 9/15/2007 05:39:00 PM
: 9/15/2007 05:39:00 PM
Hey Anon 1:23 go rent 'Animal House' this week (John Bellushi
at his best). Then some of these
comments will make beautiful sense and be very funny as well.
at his best). Then some of these
comments will make beautiful sense and be very funny as well.
Permalink Posted by : 9/17/2007 10:24:00 PM
: 9/17/2007 10:24:00 PM
It is sad when I look at old photos and then compare what we have today. However, it is also sad that Denver had a height restriction up until 1953. Reason I say that is I look at cities like St Louis or Detroit, etc. that have gorgeous art deco style skyscrapers that we never really got in Denver. Sometimes I wonder if we had built these taller towers from the 20s and 30s then perhaps they would have stuck around.
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