Thursday, November 30, 2006
3528 Tejon... and Other DenverInfill Updates
Today, let's get updated on a couple of infill projects around the Downtown Denver area...
First, a new infill project for the Highland neighborhood! The project is located at 3528 Tejon Street and was developed by Andy Schlauch and Nick Murray of Capitol Creek Real Estate, LLC. The project consists of 5,291 square feet of office condominiums (demisable into as many as four units) with 13 off-street parking spaces. The project broke ground in February and was completed last month. Here are a couple of photos, courtesy of Nick:
The project architect was Bothwell Davis George Architects, a firm that is very active in Northwest Denver and whose sharp design for this project helped 3528 Tejon win one of the 2006 Mayor's Design Awards. In case you missed it, here's the article (Eye-Catching Creativity) from the November 15 Rocky Mountain News announcing the 16 recipients of this year's Mayor's Design Awards. Oh, DenverInfill was also one of this year's winners! It was quite an honor. Congratulations to Andy and Nick and to the other 14 recipients!
One Riverfront Park, the 7-story condominium and townhome project nestled in between the Glass House and Park Place projects in East-West Partner's Riverfront Park development in Downtown's booming Central Platte Valley district, is progressing nicely. The building has topped off and is heading toward a 2007 completion. Here are two photos, the one on the left taken from Commons Park to the north, and the other taken from behind Union Station to the south:
The tallest building currently under construction in the Downtown area, the 31-story One Lincoln Park project on Block 177, is also making good progress. Here's a photo from a couple of days ago showing that the project is now above ground and going vertical!
Finally, another one of the taller structures currently under construction in the Downtown area, Hanover's 16-story 816 Acoma apartment project in the Golden Triangle, is also now starting to climb above ground.
November was quite a month! Check out the headlines from the blog entries below... a lot of exciting things are happening in Downtown Denver!
First, a new infill project for the Highland neighborhood! The project is located at 3528 Tejon Street and was developed by Andy Schlauch and Nick Murray of Capitol Creek Real Estate, LLC. The project consists of 5,291 square feet of office condominiums (demisable into as many as four units) with 13 off-street parking spaces. The project broke ground in February and was completed last month. Here are a couple of photos, courtesy of Nick:
The project architect was Bothwell Davis George Architects, a firm that is very active in Northwest Denver and whose sharp design for this project helped 3528 Tejon win one of the 2006 Mayor's Design Awards. In case you missed it, here's the article (Eye-Catching Creativity) from the November 15 Rocky Mountain News announcing the 16 recipients of this year's Mayor's Design Awards. Oh, DenverInfill was also one of this year's winners! It was quite an honor. Congratulations to Andy and Nick and to the other 14 recipients!
One Riverfront Park, the 7-story condominium and townhome project nestled in between the Glass House and Park Place projects in East-West Partner's Riverfront Park development in Downtown's booming Central Platte Valley district, is progressing nicely. The building has topped off and is heading toward a 2007 completion. Here are two photos, the one on the left taken from Commons Park to the north, and the other taken from behind Union Station to the south:
The tallest building currently under construction in the Downtown area, the 31-story One Lincoln Park project on Block 177, is also making good progress. Here's a photo from a couple of days ago showing that the project is now above ground and going vertical!
Finally, another one of the taller structures currently under construction in the Downtown area, Hanover's 16-story 816 Acoma apartment project in the Golden Triangle, is also now starting to climb above ground.
November was quite a month! Check out the headlines from the blog entries below... a lot of exciting things are happening in Downtown Denver!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
New Hotel Planned for Upper Downtown Denver
Barrons Development is planning a luxury hotel on Block 034-B in Upper Downtown at 1800 Sherman Street. The hotel will occupy the L-shaped parking lot site at the corner of East 18th Avenue and Sherman, and will feature approximately 300 hotel rooms and one level of underground parking in a 400,000 gross square foot building that will rise around 9 to 12 stories. The project architect is Denver’s Buchanan Yonushewski Group, which has designed a number of projects in the area including the Tower on the Park, Grant Park, and One Lincoln Park condominium projects. The new hotel will share the block with the 14-story Portofino condominium tower, which was completed in 2003. The design of the project is still in the works, but below is a rendering showing a preliminary massing of the hotel on the site (click and expand to view image at full size):
In the image above, Sherman Street is on the left, East 18th Avenue is on the right, and the Portofino is in the background.
The operator of the hotel has not yet been determined, but Barron Development is currently in negotiations with a major hotel brand to manage the property. Groundbreaking on the project is expected for late 2007 or early 2008. John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain News reports in today's paper on Barron Development's efforts to purchase the nearby "El Jebel" property, once the site of a proposed tower by developer Donald Trump. You can read the article here: Barrons' Bid to Buy El Jebel Site Falls Short
The 1800 Sherman hotel project represents a major step forward in helping link the Uptown neighborhood with the Central Business District, and bringing additional uses to an area that has been dominated by office buildings. Along with all the new residential infill developments nearby, this hotel project continues the transformation of the eastern edge of Downtown into a vibrant, mixed-use district.
In the image above, Sherman Street is on the left, East 18th Avenue is on the right, and the Portofino is in the background.
The operator of the hotel has not yet been determined, but Barron Development is currently in negotiations with a major hotel brand to manage the property. Groundbreaking on the project is expected for late 2007 or early 2008. John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain News reports in today's paper on Barron Development's efforts to purchase the nearby "El Jebel" property, once the site of a proposed tower by developer Donald Trump. You can read the article here: Barrons' Bid to Buy El Jebel Site Falls Short
The 1800 Sherman hotel project represents a major step forward in helping link the Uptown neighborhood with the Central Business District, and bringing additional uses to an area that has been dominated by office buildings. Along with all the new residential infill developments nearby, this hotel project continues the transformation of the eastern edge of Downtown into a vibrant, mixed-use district.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Cosmopolitan Club Set for February Groundbreaking
The Cosmopolitan Club is set to break ground in February! The Cosmopolitan Club project is a 264-suite, 7-story, assisting living senior facility planned for the corner of Little Raven and 15th Street in Downtown's booming Central Platte Valley. Originally known as Archstone Riverfront Park Phase 2 (see Project #15 on the Central Platte Valley neighborhood page), the project was originally planned as more apartments like Archstone's first phase across 15th Street (now known as The Station at Riverfront Park). The latest information about the project was reported in Saturday's Rocky Mountain News by John Rebchook. Here's the article: Seniors to Get Riverfront Digs.
Even though the project will now be developed by Balfour and not Archstone, the building's general layout is essentially the same. The project consists of three building sites: the vacant lot at the corner of 15th and Little Raven, the vacant lot next to the Riverfront Tower at Little Raven and Bassett Circle, and the vacant lot at 15th and the railroad tracks. The Cosmopolitan Club building will span over Bassett Circle not once, but twice, to connect the three sites into a single edifice. Additionally, the plan also allows the building to wrap around the historic Moffat Depot, which will finally get its long-overdue renovation as part of the development.
To see how this will all look, here's a high-resolution version of the artist's rendering that appeared in the Rocky Mountain News article, along with a photo of a model of the project (thanks to John Rebchook for providing these images). Click and expand to view at full size:
This project is really going to make 15th Street feel nice and dense. It's already a great urban street, with the Gates HQ, the ArtHouse Townhomes and the Station at Riverfront Park apartments creating a nice street wall. The Cosmopolitan Club's presence will really anchor the key Little Raven/15th Street corner and give the whole Riverfront Park area a stronger feeling of completeness. Now if we could only get something to happen with the dilapidated building on the opposite corner of 15th and Little Raven, site of Ray Suppa's long-planned Confluence at Cherry Creek condo project...
Even though the project will now be developed by Balfour and not Archstone, the building's general layout is essentially the same. The project consists of three building sites: the vacant lot at the corner of 15th and Little Raven, the vacant lot next to the Riverfront Tower at Little Raven and Bassett Circle, and the vacant lot at 15th and the railroad tracks. The Cosmopolitan Club building will span over Bassett Circle not once, but twice, to connect the three sites into a single edifice. Additionally, the plan also allows the building to wrap around the historic Moffat Depot, which will finally get its long-overdue renovation as part of the development.
To see how this will all look, here's a high-resolution version of the artist's rendering that appeared in the Rocky Mountain News article, along with a photo of a model of the project (thanks to John Rebchook for providing these images). Click and expand to view at full size:
This project is really going to make 15th Street feel nice and dense. It's already a great urban street, with the Gates HQ, the ArtHouse Townhomes and the Station at Riverfront Park apartments creating a nice street wall. The Cosmopolitan Club's presence will really anchor the key Little Raven/15th Street corner and give the whole Riverfront Park area a stronger feeling of completeness. Now if we could only get something to happen with the dilapidated building on the opposite corner of 15th and Little Raven, site of Ray Suppa's long-planned Confluence at Cherry Creek condo project...
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Denver's New Southeast Light Rail Line Grand Opening
Yesterday, Denver's newest light rail corridor opened with a ceremony at the end-of-the-line Lincoln Avenue station in suburban Douglas County featuring speeches from over a dozen local, state, and federal officials (Denver's mayor John Hickenlooper received the loudest cheer), free food, giveaways, and thousands of happy citizens eager to spend a sunny Friday afternoon riding the train for free. How could I not be one among them?
Here's a couple of photos from the ceremony and inaugural running of the new 19-mile Southeast Light Rail line. Free rides along all corridors of Denver's 35-mile light rail system continue today.
Here's a couple of photos from the ceremony and inaugural running of the new 19-mile Southeast Light Rail line. Free rides along all corridors of Denver's 35-mile light rail system continue today.
Friday, November 17, 2006
1800 Larimer Update
Renderings!!
1. Day view; 2. Night view; 3. Lobby with "wall of water"
(click and expand to view at full size)
New 22-Story Office Tower Announced for 1800 Larimer
Denver-based Westfield Development is planning on breaking ground Spring 2007 on a 22-story, 500,000 square foot office building at 18th and Larimer on Block 066 in Downtown Denver. John Rebchook broke the news this morning's Rocky (Structure to Tower Over LoDo).
The site sits on the edge between between Lower Downtown and Central Downtown, and is occupied by a small complex of one- and two-story buildings. Here's what the site currently looks like:
I don't have a rendering of the project yet, but the article describes the building as having a blue and gray glass facade and a 30-foot "wall of water" in the lobby. The building will also achieve a silver LEED rating for sustainability and is being designed by RNL Design.
This project marks the seventh office building (or mixed-use project with an office component) announced for Lower Downtown in the past year (Sugar3, 1515 Wynkoop, 1400 Wewatta, 1755 Blake, Tabor II, 1900 16th Street, and now 1800 Larimer). If all or even most of these projects come to fruition, Lower Downtown will become an even more dynamic and energized place than it already is, plus several blocks of parking lots will be eradicated too. A key factor in the success of these office projects is job growth. For 20 years, Downtown's workforce population has remained stagnant. We need to make Downtown an attractive place for new companies looking for their first space, for firms currently located in suburban office parks looking for a stimulating environment, and for companies from out of the region looking for a new home. If we can recruit new employers into Downtown, we can fill all of these new office buildings and build even more. Tom Clark's comment in the Rocky Mountain News article about the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation's effort to lure an out-of-state Fortune 500 company to LoDo is a positive step in that direction.
Another factor that will boost Downtown Denver's attractiveness to new firms is a great public transport system, and with this week's selection of a master developer for Union Station and today's grand opening of the 19-mile Southeast Light Rail line, things are definitely looking up for Downtown!
The site sits on the edge between between Lower Downtown and Central Downtown, and is occupied by a small complex of one- and two-story buildings. Here's what the site currently looks like:
I don't have a rendering of the project yet, but the article describes the building as having a blue and gray glass facade and a 30-foot "wall of water" in the lobby. The building will also achieve a silver LEED rating for sustainability and is being designed by RNL Design.
This project marks the seventh office building (or mixed-use project with an office component) announced for Lower Downtown in the past year (Sugar3, 1515 Wynkoop, 1400 Wewatta, 1755 Blake, Tabor II, 1900 16th Street, and now 1800 Larimer). If all or even most of these projects come to fruition, Lower Downtown will become an even more dynamic and energized place than it already is, plus several blocks of parking lots will be eradicated too. A key factor in the success of these office projects is job growth. For 20 years, Downtown's workforce population has remained stagnant. We need to make Downtown an attractive place for new companies looking for their first space, for firms currently located in suburban office parks looking for a stimulating environment, and for companies from out of the region looking for a new home. If we can recruit new employers into Downtown, we can fill all of these new office buildings and build even more. Tom Clark's comment in the Rocky Mountain News article about the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation's effort to lure an out-of-state Fortune 500 company to LoDo is a positive step in that direction.
Another factor that will boost Downtown Denver's attractiveness to new firms is a great public transport system, and with this week's selection of a master developer for Union Station and today's grand opening of the 19-mile Southeast Light Rail line, things are definitely looking up for Downtown!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Denver Union Station Master Developer Selected
Congratulations to the Continuum/East West Partners team on their selection as the master developer for Denver's Union Station! Yesterday, the city's Union Station executive committee chose the Continuum/East West team to guide the billion dollar buildout of the multi-modal transportation hub at the historic Union Station, part of Denver's massive FasTracks transit program approved by voters in November, 2004. For the more on the selection, here are artcles from the News (Real Work Can Begin) and the Post (All Aboard at Union Station).
The competition between the final two developer teams and their respective plans was an intense and engaging experience for our city. Both teams put forth intriguing plans that offered enough differences between them to stir inpassioned debate, and left many people, myself included, drawn to elements of both plans. Fortunately, Denver was in the enviable position of having to choose between two outstanding teams and two visions committed to the same goal--a dynamic transit hub for Denver. The Continuum/East West Partners team has a proven record of creating fantastic urban places, and I have no doubt that is exactly what we are going to get from them at Union Station.
This is such an exciting time to be in Denver! Imagine how many cities would love to be in our position: On the eve of the grand opening of a major new light rail corridor, we also have just taken a significant step forward in the process of implementing an approved and funded plan to build an additional 119 miles of rail-based transport, complete with a major Downtown transit facility at a classic historic train station. All this at a time when we have just launched a major convention center expansion and hotel, a new art museum building, and so many Downtown infill projects that we need a website just to keep track of them all.
Now that the master developer selection has been made, it's imperative that we support the Continuum/East West Partners team and, as a unified community, work with them to create a vibrant urban space and transit facility that will be the pride of Denver for the next century. In the coming weeks, I will explore the Continuum/East West Partners plan for Union Station in greater depth and share with you the details of this exciting chapter in Downtown Denver's evolution. Now comes the fun part!
The competition between the final two developer teams and their respective plans was an intense and engaging experience for our city. Both teams put forth intriguing plans that offered enough differences between them to stir inpassioned debate, and left many people, myself included, drawn to elements of both plans. Fortunately, Denver was in the enviable position of having to choose between two outstanding teams and two visions committed to the same goal--a dynamic transit hub for Denver. The Continuum/East West Partners team has a proven record of creating fantastic urban places, and I have no doubt that is exactly what we are going to get from them at Union Station.
This is such an exciting time to be in Denver! Imagine how many cities would love to be in our position: On the eve of the grand opening of a major new light rail corridor, we also have just taken a significant step forward in the process of implementing an approved and funded plan to build an additional 119 miles of rail-based transport, complete with a major Downtown transit facility at a classic historic train station. All this at a time when we have just launched a major convention center expansion and hotel, a new art museum building, and so many Downtown infill projects that we need a website just to keep track of them all.
Now that the master developer selection has been made, it's imperative that we support the Continuum/East West Partners team and, as a unified community, work with them to create a vibrant urban space and transit facility that will be the pride of Denver for the next century. In the coming weeks, I will explore the Continuum/East West Partners plan for Union Station in greater depth and share with you the details of this exciting chapter in Downtown Denver's evolution. Now comes the fun part!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Mestizo 31... and Other Denver Infill News
The Curtis Park-Five Points neighborhood will soon be welcoming another new infill project: Mestizo 31. This modern townhome project is located at the corner of 31st and Arapahoe and will feature 10 units in two, 5-unit buildings. The units are around 1,900 square feet in size and are priced in the high $500k to low $600k range. You can check out all the project details at the Kentwood City Properties website. Here are a few images of the Mestizo 31 project from their website:
Not too far from Mestizo 31, over at 32nd and Blake in the Ballpark neighborhood, the Rue 32 project is gearing up for construction, and now has its website up and running. Go to www.rue32.com for floorplans and other information.
Downtown, the condo tower proposed by the Great Gulf Group for the corner of 14th and Lawrence, has shrunk... just a little. Originally, the project was announced as a 55-story, 200-unit project, but as the design has evolved and as the project continues to work its way through development review with the city, the project has been refined to be a 51-story tower with 167 units. Here's the latest rendering of the tower (click and expand for full size):
The project website, www.greatgulfdenver.com, also continues to evolve, with more content than before... a good sign the project continues to move forward.
Not too far from Mestizo 31, over at 32nd and Blake in the Ballpark neighborhood, the Rue 32 project is gearing up for construction, and now has its website up and running. Go to www.rue32.com for floorplans and other information.
Downtown, the condo tower proposed by the Great Gulf Group for the corner of 14th and Lawrence, has shrunk... just a little. Originally, the project was announced as a 55-story, 200-unit project, but as the design has evolved and as the project continues to work its way through development review with the city, the project has been refined to be a 51-story tower with 167 units. Here's the latest rendering of the tower (click and expand for full size):
The project website, www.greatgulfdenver.com, also continues to evolve, with more content than before... a good sign the project continues to move forward.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Denver's Union Station... Awaiting the Decision
Any day now, the city will announce which master developer team it has selected to implement the billion dollar Denver Union Station Master Plan. In the running is one team led by Continuum Partners and East West Partners, and the other team (known as Union Station Partners) is led by Cherokee Investment Partners and Phelps Development. Which team will win? Hard to say... but the good news is that, regardless of which team prevails, Denver's Union Station is poised for a remarkable transformation into the region's multi-modal transportation hub.
First, here are some images from each plan. You can download the full plans at: http://www.denverunionstation.org/master_developer/
Continuum/East West Partners (left to right): 1. Transportation elements; 2. Shuttle/Circulator plan; 3. Development program; 4. Build-out rendering
Union Station Partners (left to right): 1. Transportation elements; 2. Transit cross-section; 3. Development program; 4. Build-out rendering
Here are a few thoughts about the competing proposals:
Commuter Rail. Both the Continuum/East West (CEW) proposal and the Union Station Partners (USP) proposal place the commuter rail station underground immediately behind Union Station, as recommended in the Master Plan. Both teams also promise to complete the commuter rail portion up front, and not as a future phase as suggested in the Plan. A good choice by both teams, and great news either way for Denver commuters.
Light Rail. The CEW plan puts the light rail station at grade at the end of 17th Street by the Consolidated Main Line tracks. The USP plan has the light rail tracks coming in under 17th Street, with the station underground below Wewatta Street. If you're making a light rail/bus or light rail/commuter rail transfer, the extra two block walk or shuttle ride required by the CEW proposal could be a pain if it's nasty weather out, if you're in a hurry, or if you're lugging around a suitcase. Plus, there's the issue of having to cross busy Wewatta Street at grade as well. On the other hand, the USP layout, with its light rail station spanning Wewatta Street underground, provides vertical access to the station from either side of Wewatta, eliminating the need to cross the street at grade, and has connections to the other transportation modes very close by as well.
The additional pedestrian traffic generated from light rail riders by the CEW plan would help activate that stretch of 17th Street, but partly at the expense of transit efficiency. (Ironically, because members of the CEW team already own land fronting 17th Street between Wewatta Street and the Consolidated Main Line tracks, if the USP plan is selected, CEW would still be responsible for creating a dynamic pedestrian environment along that stretch of 17th Street anyway). Given that the goal is to create a convenient and efficient transit hub and to reinvigorate the historic terminal, putting the light rail station several blocks away is not ideal. I think the USP light rail configuration is best.
Bus Terminal. The CEW proposal places the bus terminal underground next to the commuter rail station behind Union Station. The USP plan has the bus terminal as part of the structured parking facility across 18th Street from Union Station, and connected to the rest of the complex by a pedestrian bridge. The CEW bus terminal location is about as close and convenient as you can get. The USP bus terminal location is almost as near, and I like the idea of putting all the cars and busses together off to the side and reserving the prime space behind the historic station for the trains.
16th Street Mall Shuttle/Downtown Circulator Stops. The CEW plan has the end-of-the-line stops for both the shuttle and circulator systems at the end of 17th Street near their proposed light rail station, with an additional stop for each system next to Union Station as well. The USP plan simply ends both systems with a final stop for each on either side of Union Station. Consequently, both plans provide shuttle and circulator stops relatively close to their respective light rail, commuter rail, and bus station facilities. The main difference between the plans is that CEW uses two sets of stops to provide access to their various transit facilities, instead of one set of stops under the USP plan. Again, the USP plan provides better efficiency between the different transportation modes. The CEW layout, however, does allow the shuttle and circulator systems to penetrate deeper into the Valley, providing a convenience for people heading to or coming from the booming Riverfront Park, Platte Street, and Highland neighborhood areas.
Development. The USP plan provides roughly a million square feet more development than the CEW plan. The tallest building in the CEW proposal would top out around 20 stories, with most of the rest in the 10-12 story range. The USP plan features dramatic 46-story and 36-story towers, along with several shorter buildings. Given that this site should be the mother of all Transit Oriented Developments, it seems to me the CEW plan doesn't go far enough in providing density around the station. We have one shot at developing this site and doing it right. It would be disappointing if we found ourselves a decade from now wishing we hadn't been so conservative in the development program at our greatest TOD location. We should seek to maximize the development at this site.
Urban Design and Architecture. Based on the rendering, the CEW plan seems to create a pleasant environment, but lacks a “wow” factor and doesn’t seem particularly visionary. The public spaces under the CEW plan would no doubt be nicely done, but this site needs more than just a great pedestrian environment. This site needs a great pedestrian environment and something bold and iconic to reflect its significance to our city. With Union Station surrounded by the low-rise buildings of LoDo and the mid-rise buildings of the Central Platte Valley, the two dramatic skyscrapers in the USP plan would ascend above everything else around them, and would stand as a landmark feature in our Downtown skyline and as a beacon for millions of transit riders over the coming decades. The USP plan has some punch and ambition to it. The CEW plan seems overly cautious.
Cost and Implementation. This is obviously a critical issue, as the CEW plan is about $75-$100 million less expensive than the USP plan. Some people question whether the USP financial plan will work, and the city’s Union Station committee even recently asked USP to provide more details about their financing plan. I don’t know the details of the teams’ financing plans or if they might work or not. But both teams are comprised of firms with extensive real estate development experience, so I doubt they would jeopardize their collective firms’ reputations by advancing a plan that simply cannot be implemented. Therefore, I assume that if each team says it can make the financing work without seeking additional public money, then that is the case.
We shouldn’t select the winning plan simply based on which has the smallest private-sector investment requirement. We should select the plan that provides the most efficient and dynamic transit hub and associated development that can be achieved without additional taxpayer subsidy, regardless of the final cost. Opportunities like Union Station come along once in a lifetime. We need to be bold and forward-thinking about the development of this important site, and find the resources to make it happen.
First, here are some images from each plan. You can download the full plans at: http://www.denverunionstation.org/master_developer/
Continuum/East West Partners (left to right): 1. Transportation elements; 2. Shuttle/Circulator plan; 3. Development program; 4. Build-out rendering
Union Station Partners (left to right): 1. Transportation elements; 2. Transit cross-section; 3. Development program; 4. Build-out rendering
Here are a few thoughts about the competing proposals:
Commuter Rail. Both the Continuum/East West (CEW) proposal and the Union Station Partners (USP) proposal place the commuter rail station underground immediately behind Union Station, as recommended in the Master Plan. Both teams also promise to complete the commuter rail portion up front, and not as a future phase as suggested in the Plan. A good choice by both teams, and great news either way for Denver commuters.
Light Rail. The CEW plan puts the light rail station at grade at the end of 17th Street by the Consolidated Main Line tracks. The USP plan has the light rail tracks coming in under 17th Street, with the station underground below Wewatta Street. If you're making a light rail/bus or light rail/commuter rail transfer, the extra two block walk or shuttle ride required by the CEW proposal could be a pain if it's nasty weather out, if you're in a hurry, or if you're lugging around a suitcase. Plus, there's the issue of having to cross busy Wewatta Street at grade as well. On the other hand, the USP layout, with its light rail station spanning Wewatta Street underground, provides vertical access to the station from either side of Wewatta, eliminating the need to cross the street at grade, and has connections to the other transportation modes very close by as well.
The additional pedestrian traffic generated from light rail riders by the CEW plan would help activate that stretch of 17th Street, but partly at the expense of transit efficiency. (Ironically, because members of the CEW team already own land fronting 17th Street between Wewatta Street and the Consolidated Main Line tracks, if the USP plan is selected, CEW would still be responsible for creating a dynamic pedestrian environment along that stretch of 17th Street anyway). Given that the goal is to create a convenient and efficient transit hub and to reinvigorate the historic terminal, putting the light rail station several blocks away is not ideal. I think the USP light rail configuration is best.
Bus Terminal. The CEW proposal places the bus terminal underground next to the commuter rail station behind Union Station. The USP plan has the bus terminal as part of the structured parking facility across 18th Street from Union Station, and connected to the rest of the complex by a pedestrian bridge. The CEW bus terminal location is about as close and convenient as you can get. The USP bus terminal location is almost as near, and I like the idea of putting all the cars and busses together off to the side and reserving the prime space behind the historic station for the trains.
16th Street Mall Shuttle/Downtown Circulator Stops. The CEW plan has the end-of-the-line stops for both the shuttle and circulator systems at the end of 17th Street near their proposed light rail station, with an additional stop for each system next to Union Station as well. The USP plan simply ends both systems with a final stop for each on either side of Union Station. Consequently, both plans provide shuttle and circulator stops relatively close to their respective light rail, commuter rail, and bus station facilities. The main difference between the plans is that CEW uses two sets of stops to provide access to their various transit facilities, instead of one set of stops under the USP plan. Again, the USP plan provides better efficiency between the different transportation modes. The CEW layout, however, does allow the shuttle and circulator systems to penetrate deeper into the Valley, providing a convenience for people heading to or coming from the booming Riverfront Park, Platte Street, and Highland neighborhood areas.
Development. The USP plan provides roughly a million square feet more development than the CEW plan. The tallest building in the CEW proposal would top out around 20 stories, with most of the rest in the 10-12 story range. The USP plan features dramatic 46-story and 36-story towers, along with several shorter buildings. Given that this site should be the mother of all Transit Oriented Developments, it seems to me the CEW plan doesn't go far enough in providing density around the station. We have one shot at developing this site and doing it right. It would be disappointing if we found ourselves a decade from now wishing we hadn't been so conservative in the development program at our greatest TOD location. We should seek to maximize the development at this site.
Urban Design and Architecture. Based on the rendering, the CEW plan seems to create a pleasant environment, but lacks a “wow” factor and doesn’t seem particularly visionary. The public spaces under the CEW plan would no doubt be nicely done, but this site needs more than just a great pedestrian environment. This site needs a great pedestrian environment and something bold and iconic to reflect its significance to our city. With Union Station surrounded by the low-rise buildings of LoDo and the mid-rise buildings of the Central Platte Valley, the two dramatic skyscrapers in the USP plan would ascend above everything else around them, and would stand as a landmark feature in our Downtown skyline and as a beacon for millions of transit riders over the coming decades. The USP plan has some punch and ambition to it. The CEW plan seems overly cautious.
Cost and Implementation. This is obviously a critical issue, as the CEW plan is about $75-$100 million less expensive than the USP plan. Some people question whether the USP financial plan will work, and the city’s Union Station committee even recently asked USP to provide more details about their financing plan. I don’t know the details of the teams’ financing plans or if they might work or not. But both teams are comprised of firms with extensive real estate development experience, so I doubt they would jeopardize their collective firms’ reputations by advancing a plan that simply cannot be implemented. Therefore, I assume that if each team says it can make the financing work without seeking additional public money, then that is the case.
We shouldn’t select the winning plan simply based on which has the smallest private-sector investment requirement. We should select the plan that provides the most efficient and dynamic transit hub and associated development that can be achieved without additional taxpayer subsidy, regardless of the final cost. Opportunities like Union Station come along once in a lifetime. We need to be bold and forward-thinking about the development of this important site, and find the resources to make it happen.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
New 18-Story Office Tower Planned for Denver's CPV
Back on September 13th, we learned that an office project was in the works for the block bounded by 15th, Delgany, 16th, and the Light Rail tracks in Downtown's Central Platte Valley. Yesterday, the details of that project, now known as 1900 16th Street, were revealed in both the Rocky Mountain News (Trammell Crow Announces New Project) and the Denver Post (LoDo to Get $100 Million Office Tower).
The project consists of two parts. Planned for the half block facing 15th Street is a 1,200-space parking garage, which will provide parking for not only this project and the Gates HQ nearby, but for the CPV in general. On the half block facing 16th Street are sites for two office towers: One will be the 335,000 SF, 18-story project planned for the corner of 16th and Delgany reported in yesterday's articles. The second will be a shorter (about 10-story) 250,000 SF tower planned as a future phase at 16th and the railroad tracks at the base of the Millennium Bridge. Trammell Crow will be developing the project for the owner, with David Owen Tryba Architects doing the design.
Speaking of design... below a high-resolution, full-sized version of the rendering (courtesy of Trammell Crow/Rocky Mountain News). Visible in this image is, from left to right: the Gates Headquarters, Delgany and Wewatta Streets, the 1,200-space parking garage, the 18-story office tower, the future-phase shorter office tower, the existing Promenade Lofts and Riverfront Tower condo buildings, and the Millennium Bridge. In the background behind the proposed parking garage you can even see a completed Museum of Contemporary Arts/Denver building and the Monarch Mills condo project.
For another perspective, here's the site plan for this block from the Denver Commons PUD:
The site marked "19B" is Trammell Crow's proposed 18-story office tower, "19C" is the proposed 1,200-space parking garage, and "19A" is the future-phase shorter office tower.
Let's hope Downtown can experience in the near future some sustained job growth so that all of the office projects proposed of late can come to fruition and that even more can be pursued.
The project consists of two parts. Planned for the half block facing 15th Street is a 1,200-space parking garage, which will provide parking for not only this project and the Gates HQ nearby, but for the CPV in general. On the half block facing 16th Street are sites for two office towers: One will be the 335,000 SF, 18-story project planned for the corner of 16th and Delgany reported in yesterday's articles. The second will be a shorter (about 10-story) 250,000 SF tower planned as a future phase at 16th and the railroad tracks at the base of the Millennium Bridge. Trammell Crow will be developing the project for the owner, with David Owen Tryba Architects doing the design.
Speaking of design... below a high-resolution, full-sized version of the rendering (courtesy of Trammell Crow/Rocky Mountain News). Visible in this image is, from left to right: the Gates Headquarters, Delgany and Wewatta Streets, the 1,200-space parking garage, the 18-story office tower, the future-phase shorter office tower, the existing Promenade Lofts and Riverfront Tower condo buildings, and the Millennium Bridge. In the background behind the proposed parking garage you can even see a completed Museum of Contemporary Arts/Denver building and the Monarch Mills condo project.
For another perspective, here's the site plan for this block from the Denver Commons PUD:
The site marked "19B" is Trammell Crow's proposed 18-story office tower, "19C" is the proposed 1,200-space parking garage, and "19A" is the future-phase shorter office tower.
Let's hope Downtown can experience in the near future some sustained job growth so that all of the office projects proposed of late can come to fruition and that even more can be pursued.
Sugar-Cubed Building Groundbreaking
A major Downtown infill project fronting the 16th Street Mall, the new Sugar3 Building, took an important step forward Wednesday with its formal groundbreaking ceremony. The event featured brief remarks from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Urban Villages LLC principals Grant McCargo and Will Fleissig, and Bruce Kuwabara from Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB). Also in attendance was a very sharp-looking model of the Sugar3 Building (see photos below), in addition to several other representatives from the project team and many prominent members of the Downtown Denver development community.
This project is significant not only for its design and for its filling a major gap in the Downtown landscape, but also for the speed with which it moved from public announcement to groundbreaking. This project made its first appearance before the LoDo design review committee about this same time last year, and now they're ready to begin construction. Much of the credit for this project's successful journey from concept to construction goes to Jason Newcomer, Project Executive with Urban Villages.
Here are a few photos from last night. From left to right:
1. Mayor Hickenlooper; 2. Bruce Kuwabara; 3. 16th & Wazee Perspective; 4. 16th & Blake Perspective
This project is significant not only for its design and for its filling a major gap in the Downtown landscape, but also for the speed with which it moved from public announcement to groundbreaking. This project made its first appearance before the LoDo design review committee about this same time last year, and now they're ready to begin construction. Much of the credit for this project's successful journey from concept to construction goes to Jason Newcomer, Project Executive with Urban Villages.
Here are a few photos from last night. From left to right:
1. Mayor Hickenlooper; 2. Bruce Kuwabara; 3. 16th & Wazee Perspective; 4. 16th & Blake Perspective
Monday, November 06, 2006
State of Colorado to Develop Last Undeveloped Civic Center Parcel
Back in my March 4, 2006 blog, I first mentioned the possibility that the State of Colorado might develop the surface parking lot on Block 028-B at the northeast corner of Colfax and Lincoln... the last undeveloped parcel adjacent to Denver's Civic Center green space (including the State's Lincoln Park between Broadway and Lincoln). Until recently there were several undeveloped sites fronting Civic Center: the Colfax and Lincoln parking lot, the hideous surface lot where the new Denver Newspaper Agency Building now sits, and the parking lots that used to occupy the southeast corner of 14th and Lincoln where the State recently completed a new parking garage. Add in the Wellington Webb building and the new Libeskind-designed wing of the Denver Art Museum, and the Civic Center area has certainly seen its share of new development over the past couple of years.
Anyway, back to this new State building... the rumor is true! The State recently posted a Request for Proposal on the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration's website for a new "State Capitol Mixed-Use Building" with an estimated cost of $40-$50 million dollars. My thanks to Len for spotting this and bringing it to my attention. Here are a few quotes from the RFP:
"The Department of Personnel and Administration has received an appropriation from the General Assembly for the design of a mixed-use state owned office building on the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street. For planning purposes, the upper levels of the facility would provide approximately 190,000 gross square feet of office space with approximately 275 parking spaces located at the lower levels and approximately 15,000 gross square feet of retail space provided at the street level facing Lincoln Street.
The location proposed for the mixed-use office building is the site of the surface parking lot at the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street and the adjacent parking structure located at 1555 Sherman Street, which will be demolished in the fall of 2006."
That parking structure at 1555 Sherman is currently under demolition. Here's a couple of photos of the surface lot and the parking garage now being razed. From left to right: 1. View from Sherman Street; 2. Demolition on the Sherman side; 3. View from Colfax & Lincoln intersection; 4. View looking back at the State Capitol.
Anyway, back to this new State building... the rumor is true! The State recently posted a Request for Proposal on the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration's website for a new "State Capitol Mixed-Use Building" with an estimated cost of $40-$50 million dollars. My thanks to Len for spotting this and bringing it to my attention. Here are a few quotes from the RFP:
"The Department of Personnel and Administration has received an appropriation from the General Assembly for the design of a mixed-use state owned office building on the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street. For planning purposes, the upper levels of the facility would provide approximately 190,000 gross square feet of office space with approximately 275 parking spaces located at the lower levels and approximately 15,000 gross square feet of retail space provided at the street level facing Lincoln Street.
The location proposed for the mixed-use office building is the site of the surface parking lot at the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street and the adjacent parking structure located at 1555 Sherman Street, which will be demolished in the fall of 2006."
That parking structure at 1555 Sherman is currently under demolition. Here's a couple of photos of the surface lot and the parking garage now being razed. From left to right: 1. View from Sherman Street; 2. Demolition on the Sherman side; 3. View from Colfax & Lincoln intersection; 4. View looking back at the State Capitol.
The development parcel is L-shaped, consisting of the surface parking lot along Lincoln, and the lot in the center of the Sherman side the block where the under-demolition parking garage now sits. There is some question as to exactly how tall this building will be and how it will be configured on the site. The original source from my March 4 blog called it a 10-story building, but it also gave a different square footage than is now listed in the RFP. Would the entire parking garage and offices cover the L-shaped parcel, or might just the parking garage span the north end of the site between Lincoln and Sherman, with the office tower and retail focused at the corner next to the existing State Services building? We'll have to see. One other thing... the State's website says construction on this project is due to begin in June 2007.
Let's hope the State pays a little more attention to urban design, architectural quality, and long-range planning on this project than they did with the new parking garage at 14th and Lincoln. Boy, was that project a wasted opportunity! Not only did the State fail to take advantage of a prime location by not siting a more important and higher-density building there, but it didn't even bother to incorporate ground-floor retail into the project. Of course, the State refuses to acquiesce to Denver zoning or design review, so we'll get whatever the State decides to give us. At least we know there will be ground-floor retail with this new building, which is a step in the right direction. We'll also see the removal of yet another surface parking lot in Downtown!
Meanwhile, at the other end of Downtown... in my blog of just a few days ago (October 25) about the new Sugar3 Building groundbreaking, I reported: "November 6, a construction fence will go up around the site." Looks like the developer, Urban Villages LLC, was good to their word. Check it out from this afternoon:
Ladies and gentlemen, as of today, there's officially one less parking lot in Downtown Denver! Rejoice!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Denver's Tabor Center II Ready to Rise
In the new November 6, 2006 edition of the Denver Business Journal, reporter Jan Buchholz breaks the news that Equity Office Properties, the owner of the Tabor Center complex on Blocks 068 and 076 in Central Downtown, is actively working to construct the long-proposed second Tabor Center tower at the corner of 17th and Larimer.
The article, not yet available on the DBJ website but available in the print version now at newstands, quotes Joe Cantalamessa, a broker with CB Richard Ellis hired by Equity Office Properties to handle leasing at the Tabor Center, as saying "The second tower at Tabor Center is happening. We're working on it diligently." Mr. Cantalamessa also states in the article that construction on the tower could begin as soon as Spring 2007 if pre-leasing activity is successful. Specifics on the design of the tower are still being finalized, although, according to the article, the building could contain up to 500,000 square feet of space. The existing Tabor Center I tower is 30 stories and has 557,000 square feet of space.
This is very exciting news for Downtown Denver! One question I've always wondered about when thinking about the construction of the second Tabor Center tower: Does the underground parking currently at the Tabor Center complex already contain sufficient parking for the second tower? One would think so since the master plan for the complex did envision both towers; in fact, construction of the second tower's foundation was already underway before being halted due to the energy and real estate bust of the mid-1980s. But since then, Denver has updated its B-5 zoning code, which provides density bonuses for the inclusion of residential uses, ground-floor retail, and other factors--all of which would impact the parking requirements for the new tower. The article made no mention of any residential, hotel, or other uses, so I'm assuming for now this will be an office-only tower with, perhaps, some retail in the lobby area. If so, then perhaps the total square footage of the tower will be dictated by the number of parking spaces already in place underground that can be assigned to the second tower's parking requirments. We'll just have to wait until the building's design details are revealed.
Just for fun, here's a rendering of what the Tabor Center complex would have looked like if the second tower (on the right) had been completed:
In 1999, when the office market looked strong enough to warrant the construction of the second tower, the plans were dusted off and revised to look like this:
Both images courtesy of DenverSkyscrapers.com.
The article, not yet available on the DBJ website but available in the print version now at newstands, quotes Joe Cantalamessa, a broker with CB Richard Ellis hired by Equity Office Properties to handle leasing at the Tabor Center, as saying "The second tower at Tabor Center is happening. We're working on it diligently." Mr. Cantalamessa also states in the article that construction on the tower could begin as soon as Spring 2007 if pre-leasing activity is successful. Specifics on the design of the tower are still being finalized, although, according to the article, the building could contain up to 500,000 square feet of space. The existing Tabor Center I tower is 30 stories and has 557,000 square feet of space.
This is very exciting news for Downtown Denver! One question I've always wondered about when thinking about the construction of the second Tabor Center tower: Does the underground parking currently at the Tabor Center complex already contain sufficient parking for the second tower? One would think so since the master plan for the complex did envision both towers; in fact, construction of the second tower's foundation was already underway before being halted due to the energy and real estate bust of the mid-1980s. But since then, Denver has updated its B-5 zoning code, which provides density bonuses for the inclusion of residential uses, ground-floor retail, and other factors--all of which would impact the parking requirements for the new tower. The article made no mention of any residential, hotel, or other uses, so I'm assuming for now this will be an office-only tower with, perhaps, some retail in the lobby area. If so, then perhaps the total square footage of the tower will be dictated by the number of parking spaces already in place underground that can be assigned to the second tower's parking requirments. We'll just have to wait until the building's design details are revealed.
Just for fun, here's a rendering of what the Tabor Center complex would have looked like if the second tower (on the right) had been completed:
In 1999, when the office market looked strong enough to warrant the construction of the second tower, the plans were dusted off and revised to look like this:
Both images courtesy of DenverSkyscrapers.com.
