Friday, March 30, 2007
New Office Project Proposed Near Pepsi Center
Margaret Jackson at the Denver Post reports this morning that Kroenke Sports Enterprises and developer Jim Neenan are planning to build two, 5-story, 150,000-square foot office buildings in the southwest corner of the Pepsi Center parking lots across from the Invesco Field light rail station. The buildings will be constructed in two phases. Here's the article: (Project to Begin Near Pepsi Center).
Here's a rendering of the project (image courtesy of denverpost.com):
Here's a rendering of the project (image courtesy of denverpost.com):
The general contractor will be M. A. Mortenson and Oz Architecture is doing the design.
In general, I'm quite disappointed with this proposal. I think it's odd that the first thing the developer boasts about is the project's "ample parking" instead of its location immediately adjacent to a light rail station. I also see nothing mentioned about any ground-floor retail or other uses incorporated into the project. It appears this project has not been conceived as a "transit-oriented development" which, in this current era in Denver, is unfathomable. The architecture, scale, and orientation of the two buildings strike me as too suburban for this site. They'd look right at home along Dry Creek Road in Centennial.
When I wrote my blog in September on urbanizing the Elitch Gardens/Pepsi Center area (Denver's Elitch Gardens: Don't Raze, Urbanize!), this isn't what I had in mind. How about this instead: Take the second proposed office building and plop it down on top of the first, making a single 10-story office building. Then, on the site where the second office building was, build a 10-story (or so) residential building. Put ground-floor retail in both buildings including a restaurant with patio seating in the plaza facing the station. Now that would be an urban, transit-oriented development, and a great start to urbanizing the massive parking lots in this part of Downtown.
As was mentioned in the article, several years ago it was announced that Kroenke planned to build a retail, residential, and entertainment project at this site, including possibly an ice-skating rink. That's the project currently described for this location on the CVP South/Auraria page. It's too bad that project has been replaced with this one.
Where's the grand vision for this area? I've said it before and I'll say it again: Kroenke should partner with Elitch Gardens and the city to create a master plan for the entire Elitch's/Pepsi Center area that would eventually replace all surface parking with structured parking wrapped by high-density residential, office, retail, and entertainment uses. That's what we should expect for Downtown Denver!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
"Cable Railway Building" Hotel Rendering
In my March 15th blog about the new hotel planned by Central Development LLC at the historic Cable Railway building on Block 066, I held off on posting the rendering below since an updated version of the design is in the works. But, while the architects at Buchanan Yonushewski Group are wrapping up the revised design, I figured I'd post the original rendering anyway... to give you something to talk about until the new one is ready.
Pretty cool, huh? The building in the background left is Westfield Development's proposed 1800 Larimer project on the same block, which should be starting to rise to its 22-story height by the time the Cable Railway hotel breaks ground in Spring 2008.
Pretty cool, huh? The building in the background left is Westfield Development's proposed 1800 Larimer project on the same block, which should be starting to rise to its 22-story height by the time the Cable Railway hotel breaks ground in Spring 2008.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Fontius Building: Part 2, The Neglect
The former Fontius Shoes space at 16th and Welton on Block 162 has been vacant since 1988, with much of the rest of the building also vacant and in an obvious state of neglect. Today, let’s take an up-close look at the existing conditions of the Fontius Building. Keep in mind, this is a commercial space that has been supposedly “for lease” since 1988. Have you ever seen the show “Curb Appeal” on HGTV? Apparently, the Cook family has not.
Let’s start with a couple of context shots. If you get far enough away and sort of squint, the Fontius Building doesn’t look all that bad:
But let’s take a closer look. First, the front entrance:
Well, that’s inviting.
How about the windows:
You know, cardboard is such a versatile window treatment!
Next, how about the soffits:
Let’s take a peek inside!
Sorry for the cloudiness of the images. I shot these through the front windows and the windows haven’t been washed since… um, about 1988. But the vintage 1980s shoe store decor remains remarkably intact, so in a few years, the Fontius interior will be so out of date, it will be retro hip!
The signs:
Next, let’s evaluate the quality of the exterior façade:
These have been photos of the building’s two “good” sides. There’s also the back and alley sides too:
And a few miscellaneous shots…
The Cook family’s “maintenance-by-duct-tape” approach to property ownership:
Mmmm…. this is pleasant:
Remember the Miller Moth invasion of 2002? The Cook family is apparently quite fond of the little critters, since they refuse to vacuum them up from the front window displays:
Finally, this building is on a direct path between the 16th Street Mall and our half-billion dollar investments in the Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Hotel. Last Saturday, here were three of the millions of conventioneers and visitors who have walked past the Fontius in the last 20 years:
The Fontius Building is owned by Gary R. Cook and family, according to the Denver Assessor’s office. They have blatantly neglected the maintenance and occupancy of an historic building in the very heart of the city in which they call their home. For 20 years, it is apparent they have done nothing to lease, sell, upgrade, rehabilitate, renovate, or otherwise maintain their building—despite the repeated request of their fellow citizens to do so.
The time has come for the people of Denver to stand up and say “enough is enough!” That’s what I am saying now, and it’s what the Revitalizing the Core Task Force is saying too. What about you? If you care about the quality and well-being of Downtown Denver, what are you doing to demand a solution to the disgrace that is the current condition of the historic Fontius Building?
In the near future, DenverInfill will take a look at the rest of blighted Block 162 and what its future may hold, as well as investigate other parcels Downtown that are eyesores and that hinder the growth and vitality of our city core. Stay tuned…
Let’s start with a couple of context shots. If you get far enough away and sort of squint, the Fontius Building doesn’t look all that bad:
But let’s take a closer look. First, the front entrance:
Well, that’s inviting.
How about the windows:
You know, cardboard is such a versatile window treatment!
Next, how about the soffits:
Let’s take a peek inside!
Sorry for the cloudiness of the images. I shot these through the front windows and the windows haven’t been washed since… um, about 1988. But the vintage 1980s shoe store decor remains remarkably intact, so in a few years, the Fontius interior will be so out of date, it will be retro hip!
The signs:
Next, let’s evaluate the quality of the exterior façade:
These have been photos of the building’s two “good” sides. There’s also the back and alley sides too:
And a few miscellaneous shots…
The Cook family’s “maintenance-by-duct-tape” approach to property ownership:
Mmmm…. this is pleasant:
Remember the Miller Moth invasion of 2002? The Cook family is apparently quite fond of the little critters, since they refuse to vacuum them up from the front window displays:
Finally, this building is on a direct path between the 16th Street Mall and our half-billion dollar investments in the Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Hotel. Last Saturday, here were three of the millions of conventioneers and visitors who have walked past the Fontius in the last 20 years:
The Fontius Building is owned by Gary R. Cook and family, according to the Denver Assessor’s office. They have blatantly neglected the maintenance and occupancy of an historic building in the very heart of the city in which they call their home. For 20 years, it is apparent they have done nothing to lease, sell, upgrade, rehabilitate, renovate, or otherwise maintain their building—despite the repeated request of their fellow citizens to do so.
The time has come for the people of Denver to stand up and say “enough is enough!” That’s what I am saying now, and it’s what the Revitalizing the Core Task Force is saying too. What about you? If you care about the quality and well-being of Downtown Denver, what are you doing to demand a solution to the disgrace that is the current condition of the historic Fontius Building?
In the near future, DenverInfill will take a look at the rest of blighted Block 162 and what its future may hold, as well as investigate other parcels Downtown that are eyesores and that hinder the growth and vitality of our city core. Stay tuned…
Monday, March 26, 2007
Fontius Building: Part 1, The History
Officially, the Fontius Building--the historic structure in embarrasing disrepair at the corner of 16th and Welton in the heart of Downtown Denver--is called the Steel Building, named for Steel's Department Store, the original occupant of the 1923 structure. But since Steel's Department Store is long gone and the sign that now clings to the building's facade reads "Fontius," most people these days know the building as the Fontius Building.
I'm not sure when Fontius Shoes first moved into the space at 600 16th Street on Block 162, but I can tell you when they left. In one of my initial blogs about the Fontius, I asked if anyone out there knew when the shoe store closed. How long, exactly, has the retail space at the epicenter of Downtown Denver been vacant? I received several emails from folks who claimed they knew when the Downtown Fontius went dark but, unfortunately, they all cited different years. So, in an effort to settle the matter once and for all, I headed down to the remarkable Western History and Genealogy department at the Downtown Denver Public Library. If you've never been to the Central Library's fifth floor, get down there ASAP! Anyway, a quick search of the business pages in the Denver phone books from the 1980s revealed that the Fontius store Downtown was listed in the 1988 edition but not in the 1989 edition. So, I think it's reasonable to assume that sometime in 1988 the Fontius store in Downtown Denver closed, which means that the retail space at the corner of 16th and Welton has been vacant for roughly twenty years.
But before dwelling on the building's two-decade-long decline, let's look back at the Fontius Building when it represented a positive contribution to Downtown Denver's environment. Before 1923, a small nondescript building occupied the corner of 16th and Welton. Then in 1923, a new 4-story structure with muted art deco elements was built for Steel's Department Store. Here's a photo, courtesy of the Western History department's online photo archives, of the Steel Building on opening day:
There aren't many photos of the Steel Building in the DPL archives, unlike more prominent buildings like the Brown Palace, the D&F Tower, the Equitable Building, or the Masonic Building. But here are a few... all courtesy of the Western History department's photo archives.
A view of 16th and California with the Steel Building at the photo left edge. Note the large "Cafeteria" sign mounted on the side of the building. In the background, the fifth and sixth floors are being added to the Denver Dry Goods Building (1924):
In addition to Steel's Department Store, the building also hosted the Hoff-Schroeder Cafeteria facing the Welton Street side. Here's a 1927 photograph of the interior:
Also along Welton between 16th and 15th was the Orpheum Theater, one of the city's grandest Vaudevillian theaters. The site has been an ugly surface parking lot for decades. Here's a late 1920s photo of the corner of 15th and Welton (15th on the left, Welton on the right) and the Orpheum Theater along Welton. The Steel Building is at the photo right edge:
Finally, here's a mid-century photo of the 621 17th Street tower at 17th and Welton (formerly First Interstate, now Wells Fargo) under construction in 1957, with the Steel Building and Orpheum Theater in the foreground left. The buildings on the right are where the Denver Pavilions now stands:
So there's a little photo history of the Fontius, the building that's been mostly vacant for twenty years. TWENTY YEARS. The last time the Fontius Shoes retail space was occupied...
- Ronald Reagan was President
- Denver International Airport was only a glimmer in Federico Peña's eye
- Currigan Hall was Denver's premier--and only--Downtown convention center
- Lower Downtown wasn't called "LoDo" and its predominant scene was vagrants, graffiti, boarded-up windows, broken glass, and litter
- The 16th Street Mall was only six years old
- The Cherry Creek Mall (as it stands today) wasn't built yet
The current owner of the Fontius Building, according to the Denver Assessor's office, is TDG Cook Company, LTD and Robert E. Cook. The registered agent and general partner of the partnership, according to the Colorado Secretary of State, is Gary R. Cook.
Clearly displayed in the front window of the vacant Fontius Shoes store is this sign:
The Cooks would have you believe that the Fontius is for lease. But, despite its fantastic heart-of-Downtown location, for some reason, the Cooks have never been able to lease the space! Strange, huh? The phone number on the sign, you'll notice, has no area code. That's because that sign has been hanging in the window since before Denver got its second area code, 720, in 1995.
Wouldn't you think that someone would have wanted to lease a highly visible space like the former Fontius Shoes store in the past twenty years? Has no one wanted to lease this prominent retail space at the crossroads of Downtown in two decades? It's really quite strange that the Cooks have never found a suitable renter for their property in the core of a vibrant urban environment like Downtown Denver. Very odd indeed.
What about selling the property instead? Funny, in twenty years, the Cooks have apparently never received an offer for their property that they have found suitable. They've refused to sell to everyone who has approached them. Downtown real estate booms have come and gone, but the Cooks perpetually hold out for the next big boom. But, of course, when that next boom does come, it's still not good enough for the Cook family. They're perfectly content to let a handsome historic building in the heart of Downtown sit vacant and deteriorate, for decades, to the chagrin of Denver citizens.
Next time, we'll take an up-close look at the Cook's property at 16th and Welton in "Fontius Building: Part 2, The Neglect."
I'm not sure when Fontius Shoes first moved into the space at 600 16th Street on Block 162, but I can tell you when they left. In one of my initial blogs about the Fontius, I asked if anyone out there knew when the shoe store closed. How long, exactly, has the retail space at the epicenter of Downtown Denver been vacant? I received several emails from folks who claimed they knew when the Downtown Fontius went dark but, unfortunately, they all cited different years. So, in an effort to settle the matter once and for all, I headed down to the remarkable Western History and Genealogy department at the Downtown Denver Public Library. If you've never been to the Central Library's fifth floor, get down there ASAP! Anyway, a quick search of the business pages in the Denver phone books from the 1980s revealed that the Fontius store Downtown was listed in the 1988 edition but not in the 1989 edition. So, I think it's reasonable to assume that sometime in 1988 the Fontius store in Downtown Denver closed, which means that the retail space at the corner of 16th and Welton has been vacant for roughly twenty years.
But before dwelling on the building's two-decade-long decline, let's look back at the Fontius Building when it represented a positive contribution to Downtown Denver's environment. Before 1923, a small nondescript building occupied the corner of 16th and Welton. Then in 1923, a new 4-story structure with muted art deco elements was built for Steel's Department Store. Here's a photo, courtesy of the Western History department's online photo archives, of the Steel Building on opening day:
There aren't many photos of the Steel Building in the DPL archives, unlike more prominent buildings like the Brown Palace, the D&F Tower, the Equitable Building, or the Masonic Building. But here are a few... all courtesy of the Western History department's photo archives.
A view of 16th and California with the Steel Building at the photo left edge. Note the large "Cafeteria" sign mounted on the side of the building. In the background, the fifth and sixth floors are being added to the Denver Dry Goods Building (1924):
In addition to Steel's Department Store, the building also hosted the Hoff-Schroeder Cafeteria facing the Welton Street side. Here's a 1927 photograph of the interior:
Also along Welton between 16th and 15th was the Orpheum Theater, one of the city's grandest Vaudevillian theaters. The site has been an ugly surface parking lot for decades. Here's a late 1920s photo of the corner of 15th and Welton (15th on the left, Welton on the right) and the Orpheum Theater along Welton. The Steel Building is at the photo right edge:
Finally, here's a mid-century photo of the 621 17th Street tower at 17th and Welton (formerly First Interstate, now Wells Fargo) under construction in 1957, with the Steel Building and Orpheum Theater in the foreground left. The buildings on the right are where the Denver Pavilions now stands:
So there's a little photo history of the Fontius, the building that's been mostly vacant for twenty years. TWENTY YEARS. The last time the Fontius Shoes retail space was occupied...
- Ronald Reagan was President
- Denver International Airport was only a glimmer in Federico Peña's eye
- Currigan Hall was Denver's premier--and only--Downtown convention center
- Lower Downtown wasn't called "LoDo" and its predominant scene was vagrants, graffiti, boarded-up windows, broken glass, and litter
- The 16th Street Mall was only six years old
- The Cherry Creek Mall (as it stands today) wasn't built yet
The current owner of the Fontius Building, according to the Denver Assessor's office, is TDG Cook Company, LTD and Robert E. Cook. The registered agent and general partner of the partnership, according to the Colorado Secretary of State, is Gary R. Cook.
Clearly displayed in the front window of the vacant Fontius Shoes store is this sign:
The Cooks would have you believe that the Fontius is for lease. But, despite its fantastic heart-of-Downtown location, for some reason, the Cooks have never been able to lease the space! Strange, huh? The phone number on the sign, you'll notice, has no area code. That's because that sign has been hanging in the window since before Denver got its second area code, 720, in 1995.
Wouldn't you think that someone would have wanted to lease a highly visible space like the former Fontius Shoes store in the past twenty years? Has no one wanted to lease this prominent retail space at the crossroads of Downtown in two decades? It's really quite strange that the Cooks have never found a suitable renter for their property in the core of a vibrant urban environment like Downtown Denver. Very odd indeed.
What about selling the property instead? Funny, in twenty years, the Cooks have apparently never received an offer for their property that they have found suitable. They've refused to sell to everyone who has approached them. Downtown real estate booms have come and gone, but the Cooks perpetually hold out for the next big boom. But, of course, when that next boom does come, it's still not good enough for the Cook family. They're perfectly content to let a handsome historic building in the heart of Downtown sit vacant and deteriorate, for decades, to the chagrin of Denver citizens.
Next time, we'll take an up-close look at the Cook's property at 16th and Welton in "Fontius Building: Part 2, The Neglect."
Rocky Mountain News Building Demolition
The Rocky Mountain News building at W. Colfax and Elati Street on Block 011-W is under demolition.
The former newspaper building is being razed to make way for the new Denver Justice Center. When the new Justice Center parking garage is complete on Block 020-W, the existing US Post Office next door on Block 012-W can move into the new garage's ground-floor retail space, allowing then the existing post office building and the other structures on Block 012-W to be demolished. With both Blocks 011-W and 012-W clear, construction can begin later this year on the new Courthouse and Detention Facility components of the $378 million city Justice Center. The entire project will be complete in 2009.
Here are a couple of photos from this weekend:
The former newspaper building is being razed to make way for the new Denver Justice Center. When the new Justice Center parking garage is complete on Block 020-W, the existing US Post Office next door on Block 012-W can move into the new garage's ground-floor retail space, allowing then the existing post office building and the other structures on Block 012-W to be demolished. With both Blocks 011-W and 012-W clear, construction can begin later this year on the new Courthouse and Detention Facility components of the $378 million city Justice Center. The entire project will be complete in 2009.
Here are a couple of photos from this weekend:
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Downtown Denver Infill Projects: 2007.03.24 Construction Photos
Here are a few more Downtown Denver infill project construction photos, taken during this past week:
Civic Center district:
Lower Downtown district:
1400 Wewatta on Block 012 (9/10-story, mixed-use office/residential):
Central Platte Valley district:
Urology Center of Colorado (3-story, 60,000 SF medical office):
Walker's Row (3-story, 15-unit rowhomes):
Highland district:
Highland Bridge Lofts, Phase 1 (3-story, 27-unit condos):
Ayr on 29th (4-story, 20-unit condos):
Village Flats on Navajo (3-story, 3-unit condos):
City View Townhomes (3-story, 5-unit townhomes):
Civic Center district:
Denver Justice Center Parking Garage on Block 020-W (5-story, 684-spaces):
Lower Downtown district:
1400 Wewatta on Block 012 (9/10-story, mixed-use office/residential):
Central Platte Valley district:
Art House Townhomes (3-story, 13-unit townhomes):
Zocalo Condos (4-story, 43-unit condos):
RiverClay (6-story, 60-unit condos):
Urology Center of Colorado (3-story, 60,000 SF medical office):
Walker's Row (3-story, 15-unit rowhomes):
Highland district:
Highland Bridge Lofts, Phase 1 (3-story, 27-unit condos):
Ayr on 29th (4-story, 20-unit condos):
Village Flats on Navajo (3-story, 3-unit condos):
City View Townhomes (3-story, 5-unit townhomes):
Tabor II Construction Planned to Start in 2007
John Rebchook of the Rocky Mountain News reports today ($770 Million for Five Office Buildings) that Chicago-based Callahan Capital Partners will be acquiring this week five major Downtown Denver office buildings for $770 million, including the Tabor Center on Block 068. If that wasn't big enough news on its own, the article also reports that Callahan will begin construction later this year on the long-planned second office tower at the Tabor Center site.
Back in my November 4, 2006 blog, I reported on a story from the Denver Business Journal that Equity Office Properties, the current Tabor Center owner now selling to Callahan, was moving forward with plans to construct the second tower. With those plans in place, Callahan will be able to tweak the Equity design and move quickly into development review and permitting with the city and on to construction.
Callahan is debating whether to construct a 500,000 SF or 700,000 SF Tabor II tower. Based on my estimate of the second tower's site dimensions, I'm guessing Tabor II would end up in the 27- to 38-story range. The existing Tabor I tower has 30 floors and 557,000 SF. Here's an image showing the approximately location of the Tabor II site on Block 068:
Back in my November 4, 2006 blog, I reported on a story from the Denver Business Journal that Equity Office Properties, the current Tabor Center owner now selling to Callahan, was moving forward with plans to construct the second tower. With those plans in place, Callahan will be able to tweak the Equity design and move quickly into development review and permitting with the city and on to construction.
Callahan is debating whether to construct a 500,000 SF or 700,000 SF Tabor II tower. Based on my estimate of the second tower's site dimensions, I'm guessing Tabor II would end up in the 27- to 38-story range. The existing Tabor I tower has 30 floors and 557,000 SF. Here's an image showing the approximately location of the Tabor II site on Block 068:
The Tabor Center location is nearby several other proposed infill projects, including 1800 Larimer, the Cable Building hotel, and 1800 Market Residences, further strengthening the market vigor and appeal of the LoDo/CBD transition area.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A Call to Action!
Sometimes, you just have to say "Enough is enough!"
Back in 2006, I caught the mainstream media's attention with my June 8 blog about the disgraceful condition of the Fontius Building at the corner of 16th and Welton on Block 162. Several article were written about the topic, including this excellent editorial piece by respected Denver real estate consultant Don Hunt: A Vision for Downtown.
After several months of planning, the Downtown Denver Partnership, in cooperation with the City of Denver, has recently formed the Revitalizing the Core Task Force. The Task Force consists of 16 prominent Downtown Denver business and government leaders, with a mission of dealing with vacant and run-down properties and addressing safety and security perceptions on the 16th Street Mall. At the top on their list... Block 162.
Here are a couple of articles on this topic: First, for a bit of background on this issue of vacant and poorly-maintained properties in the core part of Downtown, here's a recent article by Paula Moore of the Denver Business Journal, 16th Street Mall Seeks to Fill Gaps Before '08 Convention. Regarding the creation of the Task Force, here's an excellent article from March 15 by Janet Forgrieve of the Rocky Mountain News, In Search of Revitalization.
The Task Force has been organized specifically to make things happen. This isn't a group of people getting together to sit around and chat about the issues. Each month they will identify a specific goal to be accomplished before the next month's meeting. In their first month, the Task Force identified an increase in police presence on the Mall as an appropriate first step. The result: a recent commitment by the City to immediately assign several additional police officers to full-time beats along the 16th Street Mall.
For the first time, there is now an organized, determined group of influential people empowered by the City of Denver and the Downtown Denver Partnership to specifically devise and implement an action agenda relating to vacant properties, undeveloped parcels, poorly-maintained storefronts, deteriorating streetscapes, and Mall safety issues. After speaking with several people associated in some manner with the Task Force, I can tell you they mean business.
The city government and Downtown business interests are now aligned and committed to solving issues like the disgraceful conditions of Block 162, and all that's missing is the grassroots public component. Denver citizens (i.e. YOU) must also speak their minds about these issues. That's where DenverInfill comes in. I've done it before and I will continue in the future to do my part via this blog and my website to help promote a grassroots public campaign to demand change regarding the quality of our Downtown environment. I'm asking each of you: please join me in helping with this effort.
For now, the Downtown Denver Partnership has asked everyone who cares about our Downtown to please write a letter to the newspaper editor voicing your support for taking action to improve Downtown's built environment. Here's a press release about this request from the Partnership: Letters to the Editor.
In the near future, I'll be blogging and adding content to the main DenverInfill website about this issue. And to kick things off, I think I'll start with a certain building located at 16th and Welton...
Back in 2006, I caught the mainstream media's attention with my June 8 blog about the disgraceful condition of the Fontius Building at the corner of 16th and Welton on Block 162. Several article were written about the topic, including this excellent editorial piece by respected Denver real estate consultant Don Hunt: A Vision for Downtown.
After several months of planning, the Downtown Denver Partnership, in cooperation with the City of Denver, has recently formed the Revitalizing the Core Task Force. The Task Force consists of 16 prominent Downtown Denver business and government leaders, with a mission of dealing with vacant and run-down properties and addressing safety and security perceptions on the 16th Street Mall. At the top on their list... Block 162.
Here are a couple of articles on this topic: First, for a bit of background on this issue of vacant and poorly-maintained properties in the core part of Downtown, here's a recent article by Paula Moore of the Denver Business Journal, 16th Street Mall Seeks to Fill Gaps Before '08 Convention. Regarding the creation of the Task Force, here's an excellent article from March 15 by Janet Forgrieve of the Rocky Mountain News, In Search of Revitalization.
The Task Force has been organized specifically to make things happen. This isn't a group of people getting together to sit around and chat about the issues. Each month they will identify a specific goal to be accomplished before the next month's meeting. In their first month, the Task Force identified an increase in police presence on the Mall as an appropriate first step. The result: a recent commitment by the City to immediately assign several additional police officers to full-time beats along the 16th Street Mall.
For the first time, there is now an organized, determined group of influential people empowered by the City of Denver and the Downtown Denver Partnership to specifically devise and implement an action agenda relating to vacant properties, undeveloped parcels, poorly-maintained storefronts, deteriorating streetscapes, and Mall safety issues. After speaking with several people associated in some manner with the Task Force, I can tell you they mean business.
The city government and Downtown business interests are now aligned and committed to solving issues like the disgraceful conditions of Block 162, and all that's missing is the grassroots public component. Denver citizens (i.e. YOU) must also speak their minds about these issues. That's where DenverInfill comes in. I've done it before and I will continue in the future to do my part via this blog and my website to help promote a grassroots public campaign to demand change regarding the quality of our Downtown environment. I'm asking each of you: please join me in helping with this effort.
For now, the Downtown Denver Partnership has asked everyone who cares about our Downtown to please write a letter to the newspaper editor voicing your support for taking action to improve Downtown's built environment. Here's a press release about this request from the Partnership: Letters to the Editor.
In the near future, I'll be blogging and adding content to the main DenverInfill website about this issue. And to kick things off, I think I'll start with a certain building located at 16th and Welton...
Monday, March 19, 2007
Downtown Denver Infill Projects: 2007.03.19 Construction Photos
Here are a few more Downtown Denver infill project construction photos, taken since the last update in January. Some are relatively new projects while others are project that have been recently completed:
Curtis Park-Five Points district:
Urbans @ Glenarm (5-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Urbans @ Stout (5-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Merchant's Row (6-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Glenarm Place Townhomes (8-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Garden Factory Lofts (5-unit, 4-story townhomes):
East Village Block 1 (139-unit, 4-story condos/apartments):
Ballpark district:
Blake 27 Phase 1 (23-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Blake 27 Phase 2 (50-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Blake Street Apartments (94-unit, 6-story apartments):
24 Walnut (29-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Northeast Downtown Block 035:
Diamond Lofts (27-unit, 5-story condos):
Highland district:
Central Court (6-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Flats 15 Phase 1 (7-unit, 2-story townhomes):
Flats 15 Phase 2 (8-unit, 2-story townhomes):
Many more construction update photos to come in the next week or two!
Curtis Park-Five Points district:
Urbans @ Glenarm (5-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Urbans @ Stout (5-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Merchant's Row (6-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Glenarm Place Townhomes (8-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Garden Factory Lofts (5-unit, 4-story townhomes):
East Village Block 1 (139-unit, 4-story condos/apartments):
Ballpark district:
Blake 27 Phase 1 (23-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Blake 27 Phase 2 (50-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Blake Street Apartments (94-unit, 6-story apartments):
24 Walnut (29-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Northeast Downtown Block 035:
Diamond Lofts (27-unit, 5-story condos):
Highland district:
Central Court (6-unit, 3-story townhomes):
Flats 15 Phase 1 (7-unit, 2-story townhomes):
Flats 15 Phase 2 (8-unit, 2-story townhomes):
Many more construction update photos to come in the next week or two!
New Downtown Denver Embassy Suites Design Revealed
The proposed Embassy Suites/Homewood Suites tower is planned for the corner of 14th and Stout on Block 138 across from the Colorado Convention Center. The project was originally envisioned in 2005 as only an Embassy Suites hotel in a 27-story tower on the small parcel between the historic Motor Hotel garage and 14th Street. Since then, the project has been modified to cover the vacant parcel at the corner and the entire Motor Hotel garage property (which will be razed) and the addition of a Homewood Suites hotel with a reconfiguration of the building into a twin-tower design of 20-stories each, connected with a soaring glass atrium lobby for both hotels.
Here's the proposed design (click and expand to view at full size):
What a great addition this will make to an area dominated by surface parking lots! Hopefully, the project is still on track and we'll see the parking garage razed soon and construction on the hotels starting this summer.
Here's the proposed design (click and expand to view at full size):
What a great addition this will make to an area dominated by surface parking lots! Hopefully, the project is still on track and we'll see the parking garage razed soon and construction on the hotels starting this summer.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
A Fine Day for Being Downtown
What a beautiful day in Downtown Denver today! With sunny 70-degree weather, a St. Patrick's Day parade this morning, and a couple of conventions in town, the streets of Downtown were teeming this afternoon. From LoDo to Civic Center, each block of the 16th Street Mall was packed with people hanging out and having fun. Check it out:
Thursday, March 15, 2007
New Downtown Denver Project at 18th & Lawrence
Denver-based developer Central Development LLC, led by principal Jeremy Records, is planning to construct a 17-story hotel at 18th and Lawrence on Block 066 in Central Downtown.
The project is unique in that it incorporates the historic Denver City Cable Railway Company building as part of the development. The historic Cable Railway building was built in 1889 to house the power plant and maintenance facilities for Denver's cable railway system. The building is both a Denver Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and currently is home to the Spaghetti Factory restaurant. Here are photos of the historic building's 18th Street (left) and Lawrence Street (right) sides:
The proposed new tower will rise from the back corner of the historic building, along the alley which parallels Lawrence, and set back from 18th Street. None of the historic building's 18th or Lawrence Street facades will be modified; in fact, the new tower will not have direct frontage along either street. While final interior space planning has not been finalized, the main entrance to the hotel will most likely be the dramatic 2-story arched entryway on 18th, with the rest of the ground floor consisting of retail and restaurant uses. The hotel lobby and some guest service functions will be located on the entire second floor of the historic building, with guest rooms located in the new tower which will rise 15 floors above the two-story historic base for a total of 17 floors. One level of underground parking will be constructed beneath the new tower. The exact number of hotel rooms has not yet been determined, but is planned at around 200. A hotel operator has not yet been chosen.
Architecturally, the new tower will be very different from its historic base, as required by the Denver Landmark Commission's design guidelines, which stipulate that any addition to an historic structure must incorporate materials and other design elements that are clearly contemporary in nature and distinguishable from the historic structure. The new tower will feature a modern glass facade and will include a unique configuration to wrap behind the historic Cable Railway building's soaring brick smokestack. The developers have designed the new tower to defer architecturally as much as possible to the historic building, which is intended to remain as the centerpiece to the development. In fact, Central Development LLC chose this site specifically because of the historic and architectural significance and integrity of the Cable Railway building. By adding the hotel use to the site and converting the historic structure to serve as the street-level face to the entire project, the long-term well being of this important property is ensured for many decades.
The project's design is being refined and the latest rendering will be available in a week or so, and you can bet that you will see it here first at DenverInfill.com!
This new hotel project is located on the same block as Westfield Development's proposed 22-story 1800 Larimer project, which breaks ground this summer. This is clearly a win-win situation for both developments, as 1800 Larimer will benefit from having a hotel and additional retail options right next door, and the hotel and its retail partners will have about a thousand potential customers across the alley. Also on the block is the 17-story red-colored AT&T Building. In just a few months' time, this block has gone from a relatively quiet block on the border between the CBD and LoDo, to a block with two major new proposed developments that will significantly energize this part of Downtown. Add the new Ritz Carlton that is under construction just two blocks to the southeast, Corum Real Estate's 300-unit 1800 Market project just a block to the northwest, and David Zucker's 8-story, 69-unit 2020 Lawrence project two blocks to the northeast, and suddenly you've got yourself a new hot part of Downtown!
The new Cable Railway hotel project is planned to break ground in Spring 2008 with completion set for Fall 2009. The project is already in preliminary review with the city planning office, and the Landmark Preservation Commission has already given its approval to the project concept, and is working with the developer on tweaking the design details to reach final approval.
The project is unique in that it incorporates the historic Denver City Cable Railway Company building as part of the development. The historic Cable Railway building was built in 1889 to house the power plant and maintenance facilities for Denver's cable railway system. The building is both a Denver Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and currently is home to the Spaghetti Factory restaurant. Here are photos of the historic building's 18th Street (left) and Lawrence Street (right) sides:
The proposed new tower will rise from the back corner of the historic building, along the alley which parallels Lawrence, and set back from 18th Street. None of the historic building's 18th or Lawrence Street facades will be modified; in fact, the new tower will not have direct frontage along either street. While final interior space planning has not been finalized, the main entrance to the hotel will most likely be the dramatic 2-story arched entryway on 18th, with the rest of the ground floor consisting of retail and restaurant uses. The hotel lobby and some guest service functions will be located on the entire second floor of the historic building, with guest rooms located in the new tower which will rise 15 floors above the two-story historic base for a total of 17 floors. One level of underground parking will be constructed beneath the new tower. The exact number of hotel rooms has not yet been determined, but is planned at around 200. A hotel operator has not yet been chosen.
Architecturally, the new tower will be very different from its historic base, as required by the Denver Landmark Commission's design guidelines, which stipulate that any addition to an historic structure must incorporate materials and other design elements that are clearly contemporary in nature and distinguishable from the historic structure. The new tower will feature a modern glass facade and will include a unique configuration to wrap behind the historic Cable Railway building's soaring brick smokestack. The developers have designed the new tower to defer architecturally as much as possible to the historic building, which is intended to remain as the centerpiece to the development. In fact, Central Development LLC chose this site specifically because of the historic and architectural significance and integrity of the Cable Railway building. By adding the hotel use to the site and converting the historic structure to serve as the street-level face to the entire project, the long-term well being of this important property is ensured for many decades.
The project's design is being refined and the latest rendering will be available in a week or so, and you can bet that you will see it here first at DenverInfill.com!
This new hotel project is located on the same block as Westfield Development's proposed 22-story 1800 Larimer project, which breaks ground this summer. This is clearly a win-win situation for both developments, as 1800 Larimer will benefit from having a hotel and additional retail options right next door, and the hotel and its retail partners will have about a thousand potential customers across the alley. Also on the block is the 17-story red-colored AT&T Building. In just a few months' time, this block has gone from a relatively quiet block on the border between the CBD and LoDo, to a block with two major new proposed developments that will significantly energize this part of Downtown. Add the new Ritz Carlton that is under construction just two blocks to the southeast, Corum Real Estate's 300-unit 1800 Market project just a block to the northwest, and David Zucker's 8-story, 69-unit 2020 Lawrence project two blocks to the northeast, and suddenly you've got yourself a new hot part of Downtown!
The new Cable Railway hotel project is planned to break ground in Spring 2008 with completion set for Fall 2009. The project is already in preliminary review with the city planning office, and the Landmark Preservation Commission has already given its approval to the project concept, and is working with the developer on tweaking the design details to reach final approval.
New Highland Project at 37th & Osage
A new 10-unit townhome project is planned for the corner of 37th and Osage (3650 Osage) at the northern edge of Downtown Denver's historic Highland district. The project is being developed by Paul Tamburello, who was responsible for transforming the old Olinger Mortuary site at 16th and Boulder into the wildly-successful dining hot-spot of Lola, Karma, and Vita. Here's a link to the Tamburello Team's website to inquire about the new project at 37th and Osage. Thank you to Eric from Highland for not only sending DenverInfill the info on this project, but also for taking this photo of the rendering on the project sign at the site:
As more information about this project is developed, you'll find it here.
As more information about this project is developed, you'll find it here.
New Highland Project at 28th & Zuni
At a recent Highland United Neighbors, Inc. meeting, a new development proposal, currently known as the Skyline Townhomes, was presented that would be located at the corner of 28th and Zuni. The project includes eight townhomes along with four above-garage units situated along the alley. A rendering and other project details have not yet been obtained, but we're working on it, and additional info will be posted here as soon as it is available. Thank you to Tim for the tip on this new infill project in the popular Highland neighborhood.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Downtown Denver Update: 1515 Wynkoop Breaks Ground!
Wednesday morning, ground was ceremonially broken for 1515 Wynkoop, the new office project being developed by Hines at the corner of 15th and Wynkoop on Block 013 in Lower Downtown Denver.
Located on the site of the former Postal Annex, 1515 Wynkoop will share the block with the Region 8 Headquarters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which recently moved into their new building next door at 16th and Wynkoop. When 1515 Wynkoop is finished in October 2008, the transformation of this block from the site of a massive windowless industrial facility to a pair of thriving, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use office buildings will be complete.
The 8-story 1515 Wynkoop building will feature a grand lobby entrance facing Wynkoop Street plus 27,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, over 260,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of outdoor terraces on the upper seven floors, and over 400 underground parking spaces. The building has also been pre-certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council, making Block 013 LoDo’s first 100% “green” block.
If you haven’t seen them already, here are a couple of project renderings. 1515 Wynkoop was designed by Hartman-Cox Architects:
1515 Wynkoop’s design responds directly to the architecture of its three neighbors at the corner of 15th and Wynkoop, and does so extremely well. Its scale and form, window pattern and façade expression, and all-brick exterior reflect the classical “turn-of-the-century” Commercial style that defines Lower Downtown Denver and the adjacent Steelbridge Lofts, Edbrooke Lofts, and Colorado Saddlery buildings. The project’s mass is reduced by a substantial vertical break and setback on the 15th Street elevation that is aligned with the block’s traditional alley location, and by the setback of the structure’s upper two floors, which maintains a street-wall consistent with its historic neighbors. One other design feature that will enhance the pedestrian experience along Wynkoop is the location of the project’s underground parking entrance. 1515 Wynkoop’s garage driveway will be immediately adjacent to the parking garage entrance for the EPA Building. This coordinated design effort results in only one curb cut along the entire Wynkoop block--one vehicular crossing of the sidewalk serving two buildings that is only slightly wider than what a typical parking driveway would span.
Hines has recently signed Van Gilder Insurance as an anchor tenant to the new project. Van Gilder Insurance Corporation was founded in 1905 and is the largest privately owned insurance brokerage firm based in Denver. Van Gilder will be relocating their corporate headquarters from their long-time home at 7th and Broadway to 1515 Wynkoop upon completion of the project, and will occupy 57,000 square feet on the second and third floors.
Here are a few photos from the groundbreaking event Wednesday morning. From left to right:
- Hines project manager Jay Despard preparing to address the crowd
- Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper emphasizing his support for Downtown development
- The official groundbreaking ritual at the 15th and Wynkoop corner
Actual excavation work for 1515 Wynkoop will begin in about two weeks. New construction fencing and a covered pedestrian walkway will also be installed soon. Construction staging for the project will take place on a single southwest-bound lane of Wynkoop Street next to the site. 1515 Wynkoop represents a major enhancement to the Lower Downtown environment and a clear sign that Downtown Denver remains the premier business center for the Rocky Mountain region.
Located on the site of the former Postal Annex, 1515 Wynkoop will share the block with the Region 8 Headquarters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which recently moved into their new building next door at 16th and Wynkoop. When 1515 Wynkoop is finished in October 2008, the transformation of this block from the site of a massive windowless industrial facility to a pair of thriving, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use office buildings will be complete.
The 8-story 1515 Wynkoop building will feature a grand lobby entrance facing Wynkoop Street plus 27,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, over 260,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of outdoor terraces on the upper seven floors, and over 400 underground parking spaces. The building has also been pre-certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council, making Block 013 LoDo’s first 100% “green” block.
If you haven’t seen them already, here are a couple of project renderings. 1515 Wynkoop was designed by Hartman-Cox Architects:
1515 Wynkoop’s design responds directly to the architecture of its three neighbors at the corner of 15th and Wynkoop, and does so extremely well. Its scale and form, window pattern and façade expression, and all-brick exterior reflect the classical “turn-of-the-century” Commercial style that defines Lower Downtown Denver and the adjacent Steelbridge Lofts, Edbrooke Lofts, and Colorado Saddlery buildings. The project’s mass is reduced by a substantial vertical break and setback on the 15th Street elevation that is aligned with the block’s traditional alley location, and by the setback of the structure’s upper two floors, which maintains a street-wall consistent with its historic neighbors. One other design feature that will enhance the pedestrian experience along Wynkoop is the location of the project’s underground parking entrance. 1515 Wynkoop’s garage driveway will be immediately adjacent to the parking garage entrance for the EPA Building. This coordinated design effort results in only one curb cut along the entire Wynkoop block--one vehicular crossing of the sidewalk serving two buildings that is only slightly wider than what a typical parking driveway would span.
Hines has recently signed Van Gilder Insurance as an anchor tenant to the new project. Van Gilder Insurance Corporation was founded in 1905 and is the largest privately owned insurance brokerage firm based in Denver. Van Gilder will be relocating their corporate headquarters from their long-time home at 7th and Broadway to 1515 Wynkoop upon completion of the project, and will occupy 57,000 square feet on the second and third floors.
Here are a few photos from the groundbreaking event Wednesday morning. From left to right:
- Hines project manager Jay Despard preparing to address the crowd
- Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper emphasizing his support for Downtown development
- The official groundbreaking ritual at the 15th and Wynkoop corner
Actual excavation work for 1515 Wynkoop will begin in about two weeks. New construction fencing and a covered pedestrian walkway will also be installed soon. Construction staging for the project will take place on a single southwest-bound lane of Wynkoop Street next to the site. 1515 Wynkoop represents a major enhancement to the Lower Downtown environment and a clear sign that Downtown Denver remains the premier business center for the Rocky Mountain region.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
DenverInfill Construction Update: 2999 Lawrence
Construction on the 2999 Lawrence infill project in Downtown Denver's Curtis Park-Five Points district is well underway. Groundbreaking occurred just before the blizzards of December 2006 struck, so the project is making good progress. This 5-story, 12-unit condo building is being developed by Village Flats LLC, a local firm led by developer Bryan Pigott which is dedicated to delivering affordable, yet non-deed-restricted residential units to the Downtown Denver market. 2999 Lawrence was designed by the architectural firm of Rowland + Broughton Architecture. The project should be finished late Fall 2007.
This project is being developed in the Upper Larimer area of the neighborhood where a remarkable transformation is taking place. Here's a photo of the construction progress and the finished product:
New Curtis Park Project at 32nd & Stout
A small but affordable-income 4-unit condo project is wrapping up construction at the corner of 32nd and Stout in the Curtis Park-Five Points neighborhood. Thank you to Vicki for alerting DenverInfill to this new unnamed infill project. Its location, just two blocks from the 30th and Downing light rail station, technically makes it a mini-TOD project. Given the scale of the adjacent properties (small historic bungalows), this is an appropriate development for this part of the Curtis Park-Five Point district. Here's a photo of the side facing Downing Street:
Monday, March 12, 2007
1515 Wynkoop Ready to Break Ground!
Another major Downtown Denver infill project is ready to start construction! Hines' 1515 Wynkoop development at the corner of 15th and Wynkoop on Block 013 in Lower Downtown will hold its ceremonial groundbreaking this Wednesday, March 14, with site excavation and construction beginning shortly thereafter. 1515 Wynkoop is an 8-story, 295,000 square foot office building with ground-floor retail and underground parking. I'll have photos of the groundbreaking and additional details on 1515 Wynkoop to share with you after Wednesday.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Downtown Denver Project Update: 1800 Larimer
Back in November 2007, Denver-based Westfield Development announced 1800 Larimer, a 22-story, 500,000 SF office tower planned for Larimer Street between 18th and 19th Streets on Block 066 in Central Downtown. In my blog of November 17, I posted several high-resolution renderings from RNL Design of the proposed tower.
Here are a few other new images, including (left to right), parking garage rooftop garden, interior lobby, future skyline view:
Westfield Development plans on starting demolition of the existing small-scale buildings at the site this summer, which will take about a month, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. The project will have a 25-month construction timeline, with completion set for Fall 2009. It's full steam ahead for 1800 Larimer!
Today I've got several new renderings to share with you, plus an update on the project status. First, the renderings...
The very top of the building has been modified from the November renderings. The building cap, which screens rooftop mechanical equipment, has been made more substantial and provides for some nice nighttime uplighting. Here are three new perspectives of the tower:
Here are a few other new images, including (left to right), parking garage rooftop garden, interior lobby, future skyline view:
Finally, here's one more image for all you engineering types out there. This LEED-certified building will feature modular concrete floors with an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system supplied through the floor (instead of the ceiling) that is also modular and individually adjustable.
Westfield Development plans on starting demolition of the existing small-scale buildings at the site this summer, which will take about a month, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. The project will have a 25-month construction timeline, with completion set for Fall 2009. It's full steam ahead for 1800 Larimer!
Cosmopolitan Club Design Update
My last post about the Cosmopolitan Club, the 7-story assisted-living senior housing project planned for the corner of Little Raven and 15th in Downtown Denver's Central Platte Valley, was back on November 26, 2006. At that time, the developers were announcing a February 2007 groundbreaking. February has come and gone and the project never started construction. The reason? The neighbors in some of the adjacent condo buildings were upset about the fortress-like nature of the project's design, particularly where the new facility would come within 20 feet of the existing Riverfront Park condo buildings. The neighbors made their concerns known to the Denver Planning Board, which ultimately voted against approving the project. For more details, here's an article by the Denver Post's Margaret Jackson from January 4: Planning Board Says No to Project Design
The developer agreed to work with the neighborhood and refine the project design to address their objections. At a neighborhood meeting last week, the developer revealed a massing model of the new design. Here's a photo (left) of the model presented at the meeting, courtesy of the Urban Brain website. On the right is a rendering of the original design:
The new design eliminates the building "bridge" over Bassett Circle closest to the existing condo buildings (the building bridge over Bassett Circle along Little Raven remains), along with some additional building stepbacks. The two white building models with the blue stickies on top are the existing Riverfront Tower and Promenade Loft buildings. In the background on the left is a model of the original design.
The redesign seems like a good compromise to me. The elimination of the building bridge closest to the existing buildings creates a slightly larger and more friendly open space in the interior of the block. Bassett Circle becomes a public "room" surrounded on all sides by development, with that development consisting of not only the Cosmopolitan Club, but the two existing buildings as well. The original design framed that interior open space exclusively with Cosmopolitan Club buildings, blocking the Riverfront Tower and the Promenade Lofts from visually enjoying the sunny interior open space, and casting Bassett Circle in between them in a perpetual shadow.
From what I've heard, the redesign concept was well received and will probably allow the project to receive approval in the future. Several months will be required, however, for the architects to revise all their drawings, pushing construction back to the end of the year.
Speaking of the Urban Brain... if you haven't checked out this site yet, you should. It's an interesting blog and wiki run by a guy named Mike who lives in the Central Platte Valley area. Not only does he cover urban development issues, but restaurants, entertainment, and other happenings in Downtown Denver as well.
The developer agreed to work with the neighborhood and refine the project design to address their objections. At a neighborhood meeting last week, the developer revealed a massing model of the new design. Here's a photo (left) of the model presented at the meeting, courtesy of the Urban Brain website. On the right is a rendering of the original design:
The new design eliminates the building "bridge" over Bassett Circle closest to the existing condo buildings (the building bridge over Bassett Circle along Little Raven remains), along with some additional building stepbacks. The two white building models with the blue stickies on top are the existing Riverfront Tower and Promenade Loft buildings. In the background on the left is a model of the original design.
The redesign seems like a good compromise to me. The elimination of the building bridge closest to the existing buildings creates a slightly larger and more friendly open space in the interior of the block. Bassett Circle becomes a public "room" surrounded on all sides by development, with that development consisting of not only the Cosmopolitan Club, but the two existing buildings as well. The original design framed that interior open space exclusively with Cosmopolitan Club buildings, blocking the Riverfront Tower and the Promenade Lofts from visually enjoying the sunny interior open space, and casting Bassett Circle in between them in a perpetual shadow.
From what I've heard, the redesign concept was well received and will probably allow the project to receive approval in the future. Several months will be required, however, for the architects to revise all their drawings, pushing construction back to the end of the year.
Speaking of the Urban Brain... if you haven't checked out this site yet, you should. It's an interesting blog and wiki run by a guy named Mike who lives in the Central Platte Valley area. Not only does he cover urban development issues, but restaurants, entertainment, and other happenings in Downtown Denver as well.
Friday, March 09, 2007
New Curtis Park Project at 26th & Lawrence
Volunteers of America is planning an affordable apartment building at 2609 Lawrence, the parcel at north corner of the intersection of 26th and Lawrence in the Curtis Park-Five Points neighborhood. The project will be known as the Lawrence Place Apartments, and will feature 15 rental units in a 3-story structure. Construction timing isn't known yet, but the project is currently in development review with the Denver planning office. Here's a rendering (nice find, Rob):
Prospect District Loses, Gains Infill Project
Changes are coming to Downtown Denver's Prospect district behind Coors Field. For several years, Urban Neighborhoods, Inc. has been planning a 7-building development called Prospect Place, which would have featured about 430 condominium units and ground-floor retail space centered around a central piazza. To date, only one of those buildings, the Ajax Lofts with 49 units, has been completed. Citing skyrocketing construction costs and lackluster presales, the developer has scrapped the project.
But the news is not all bad. The land where the remaining six Prospect Place building would have gone is already under contract by Trammell Crow Residential, which plans to build an apartment building at that location with approximately 400-450 units. This news was first reported by the Denver Business Journal on Thursday (Apartment Project Coming Near Ajax Lofts) and followed by an article in the Denver Post today (Developer Cites Costs, Ends Work Near Coors).
For the time being, we'll wait until more information is available on the Trammell Crow project before we remove references to the six remaining Prospect Place buildings from DenverInfill.com.
But the news is not all bad. The land where the remaining six Prospect Place building would have gone is already under contract by Trammell Crow Residential, which plans to build an apartment building at that location with approximately 400-450 units. This news was first reported by the Denver Business Journal on Thursday (Apartment Project Coming Near Ajax Lofts) and followed by an article in the Denver Post today (Developer Cites Costs, Ends Work Near Coors).
For the time being, we'll wait until more information is available on the Trammell Crow project before we remove references to the six remaining Prospect Place buildings from DenverInfill.com.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Auraria Campus Master Plan Update
The Auraria Higher Education Center (or what is more commonly known as the Auraria campus) in Downtown Denver is currently updating its master plan, which was last completed in 2001. The campus occupies an extremely prominent piece of real estate--essentially the entire western edge of the Central Business District--and has direct access to two (soon to be three) light rail lines. Auraria campus has the largest student body in Colorado, with over 35,000 students enrolled at its three institutions: the University of Colorado at Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the Community College of Denver. The master plan update project is being led by planning consultants Sasaki Associates and studioINSITE.
Despite its prime location, the Auraria campus was designed with an inward focus, turning its back to Downtown and isolated from the rest of the city by three major arterials: Auraria Parkway, Speer Boulevard, and Colfax Avenue. Consequently, the pedestrian connectivity between the campus and Downtown is problematic, to say the least. And with its deep building setbacks and lack of housing and retail, the campus doesn't feel particularly urban, nor does it relate to the urban scale and patterns of Downtown. Fortunately, change is on the way. Not only is one of the goals of the new campus master plan to better integrate the campus with its Downtown surroundings, but a concurrent planning effort by the city, the Downtown Area Plan 2007, also has as one of its primarly goals a stronger connection between Downtown and the campus.
The campus master plan update isn't complete yet but, according to materials available at the campus plan update project website, a preferred plan alternative has been selected. The preferred plan would establish "institutional neighborhoods" where each of the three schools would have a defined zone on campus, along with several public/private "urban mixed-use" districts. The largest of these urban mixed-use districts would be located at the northeast corner of the campus, near the intersection of Speer and Auraria Parkway and the Tivoli. A smaller urban mixed-use district would be located at the far west end of the campus near where the existing CPV light rail line and the future West corridor line will come together. Here are a couple of images from the project website:
The potential for public/private urban uses on the campus is significant, and could include:
- a hotel/conference facility (as discussed in my blog of March 2)
- 200,000 SF of commercial office space
- 200,000-300,000 SF of academic/back office space
- 200,000 - 300,000 SF of retail
- up to 700 residential units for faculty/staff and graduate students
- 1,000 beds for undergraduate students
By adding these types of uses and by extending Downtown's urban form onto the campus, we'd be able to achieve a seemless "city in the campus/campus in the city" relationship that would finally allow Auraria to be simply another diverse, vibrant Downtown district. Here's one final image that conveys how Auraria and Downtown can become one.
Despite its prime location, the Auraria campus was designed with an inward focus, turning its back to Downtown and isolated from the rest of the city by three major arterials: Auraria Parkway, Speer Boulevard, and Colfax Avenue. Consequently, the pedestrian connectivity between the campus and Downtown is problematic, to say the least. And with its deep building setbacks and lack of housing and retail, the campus doesn't feel particularly urban, nor does it relate to the urban scale and patterns of Downtown. Fortunately, change is on the way. Not only is one of the goals of the new campus master plan to better integrate the campus with its Downtown surroundings, but a concurrent planning effort by the city, the Downtown Area Plan 2007, also has as one of its primarly goals a stronger connection between Downtown and the campus.
The campus master plan update isn't complete yet but, according to materials available at the campus plan update project website, a preferred plan alternative has been selected. The preferred plan would establish "institutional neighborhoods" where each of the three schools would have a defined zone on campus, along with several public/private "urban mixed-use" districts. The largest of these urban mixed-use districts would be located at the northeast corner of the campus, near the intersection of Speer and Auraria Parkway and the Tivoli. A smaller urban mixed-use district would be located at the far west end of the campus near where the existing CPV light rail line and the future West corridor line will come together. Here are a couple of images from the project website:
The potential for public/private urban uses on the campus is significant, and could include:
- a hotel/conference facility (as discussed in my blog of March 2)
- 200,000 SF of commercial office space
- 200,000-300,000 SF of academic/back office space
- 200,000 - 300,000 SF of retail
- up to 700 residential units for faculty/staff and graduate students
- 1,000 beds for undergraduate students
By adding these types of uses and by extending Downtown's urban form onto the campus, we'd be able to achieve a seemless "city in the campus/campus in the city" relationship that would finally allow Auraria to be simply another diverse, vibrant Downtown district. Here's one final image that conveys how Auraria and Downtown can become one.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Downtown Denver Project Update: 2120 Blake
Today I'm pleased to be able to report more information on a Downtown Denver infill project I spoke briefly about in my blog of January 11, 2007. The infill development, known currently by its street address of 2120 Blake, is located at the corner of 22nd and Blake on Block 036, directly across the street from Coors Field.
The project consists of an 8-story building featuring 180 apartment units, 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and two levels of underground parking. Here's a rendering, courtesy of the project architect, Buchanan Yonushewski Group:
This project is being developed by Alliance Properties, the same folks who are doing the Broadstone Lofts on the Market Street half of the same block. The Broadstone project consists of 226 rental units located in a new 8-story building and a renovated/converted historic Piggly Wiggly building with a 2-story roof-top addition. Construction on the Broadstone Lofts project will begin soon, with construction staging for Broadstone located at the 2120 Blake site. Once Broadstone and the Piggly Wiggly conversion have been completed, construction on 2120 Blake will commence.
The construction of Coors Field in 1995 has been widely credited for boosting the residential market in Lower Downtown and the Ballpark district that initially took off as a result of the creation of the Lower Downtown Historic District. But, ironically--and unfortunately--many of the properties closest to the stadium were never developed during the initial stadium-fueled residential boom. Part of the problem was that the properties closest to Coors Field were also the most lucrative from a parking perspective. So, between the 2120 Blake and Broadstone Lofts projects, about three-quarters of a city block of undeveloped wasteland across from one of our city's most attractive and pedestrian-oriented public spaces is finally getting developed. The 8-story height of 2120 Blake is a perfect complement to Coors Field; it creates enough of a street-wall to help enclose Blake Street into a comfortable urban "room" while still respecting the low-rise scale of the surrounding historic neighborhood.
Now, if somebody would only do something with Block 037...
The project consists of an 8-story building featuring 180 apartment units, 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and two levels of underground parking. Here's a rendering, courtesy of the project architect, Buchanan Yonushewski Group:
This project is being developed by Alliance Properties, the same folks who are doing the Broadstone Lofts on the Market Street half of the same block. The Broadstone project consists of 226 rental units located in a new 8-story building and a renovated/converted historic Piggly Wiggly building with a 2-story roof-top addition. Construction on the Broadstone Lofts project will begin soon, with construction staging for Broadstone located at the 2120 Blake site. Once Broadstone and the Piggly Wiggly conversion have been completed, construction on 2120 Blake will commence.
The construction of Coors Field in 1995 has been widely credited for boosting the residential market in Lower Downtown and the Ballpark district that initially took off as a result of the creation of the Lower Downtown Historic District. But, ironically--and unfortunately--many of the properties closest to the stadium were never developed during the initial stadium-fueled residential boom. Part of the problem was that the properties closest to Coors Field were also the most lucrative from a parking perspective. So, between the 2120 Blake and Broadstone Lofts projects, about three-quarters of a city block of undeveloped wasteland across from one of our city's most attractive and pedestrian-oriented public spaces is finally getting developed. The 8-story height of 2120 Blake is a perfect complement to Coors Field; it creates enough of a street-wall to help enclose Blake Street into a comfortable urban "room" while still respecting the low-rise scale of the surrounding historic neighborhood.
Now, if somebody would only do something with Block 037...
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
DenverInfill Update: New Project at 1127 Sherman
This afternoon, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission reviewed an application for a new infill project at 1127 Sherman Street in Downtown Denver's Capitol Hill district. The site is a small 75' x 125' parcel, currently a surface parking lot, located in between two historic multi-family residential buildings on the west side of Sherman Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. The property is owned by the State of Colorado--specifically the Colorado State Land Board--which wants to construct a new headquarters for their agency at the location.
The project consists of a 3-story office building of approximately 20,000 square feet, with one level of underground parking. It is being designed by the Denver office of Gensler Architects. The Landmark Preservation Commission has design review authority over this site as it is located in the Sherman-Grant Historic District just south of the Colorado State Capitol. At today's meeting the Commission gave approval to the project's mass, height, scale, and site plan, with conditional approval for other building attributes pending more detailed plans are submitted to the Commission at their next review.
It may be small, but every little infill project helps, particularly those that are located on a block that is otherwise mostly built out. Here's a quick look at the block in question:
The tall building on the west side of the block is The Chancery building on Lincoln Street.
I don't yet have a rendering to share with you, but the building will feature a modern mix of brick and glass. A groundbreaking date is not known at this time.
The project consists of a 3-story office building of approximately 20,000 square feet, with one level of underground parking. It is being designed by the Denver office of Gensler Architects. The Landmark Preservation Commission has design review authority over this site as it is located in the Sherman-Grant Historic District just south of the Colorado State Capitol. At today's meeting the Commission gave approval to the project's mass, height, scale, and site plan, with conditional approval for other building attributes pending more detailed plans are submitted to the Commission at their next review.
It may be small, but every little infill project helps, particularly those that are located on a block that is otherwise mostly built out. Here's a quick look at the block in question:
The tall building on the west side of the block is The Chancery building on Lincoln Street.
I don't yet have a rendering to share with you, but the building will feature a modern mix of brick and glass. A groundbreaking date is not known at this time.