Monday, April 30, 2007
Downtown Denver's Four Seasons Tower: The Model
I recently had the chance to visit the Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences Denver sales center at 14th and Arapahoe in Downtown Denver. Not only does the center beautifully display the exceptional finishes and features that will grace the Four Seasons residential units, but it also includes some of the neatest high-tech virtual views of--and from--the tower you can imagine. But in a nod to the traditional, the center also features a very cool scale model of the proposed Four Seasons Denver, which I'm happy to show you here:
If all goes as planned, construction will start this Fall.
If all goes as planned, construction will start this Fall.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
2020 Lawrence: LEED-Certified Design Revealed
2020 Lawrence is a 60-unit, 9-story condominium project proposed for 20th and Lawrence Streets on Block 080 in Northeast Downtown Denver. It is the latest project planned by David Zucker's Zocalo Community Development Inc., which recently completed the Zocalo Condos at 22nd and Decatur, and is currently constructing the RiverClay project at River Drive and Clay Street, both in Downtown Denver's Jefferson Park neighborhood.
The design for 2020 Lawrence has just been released. Here's a nice high-resolution version, courtesy of Mr. Zucker:
The plan for 2020 Lawrence is to achieve LEED-Silver certification (for more information on the LEED program, please visit the U.S. Green Building Council's website). The angled part of the roof will hold photovoltaic cells capable of producing about 50 kilowatts of electricity, enough to run most of the project's common area/parking electrical, lights and cooling.
2020 Lawrence features underground parking, about 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, parking on the second level, and residential units on floors three through nine. The project will also feature both market rate and income-restricted affordable units.
For floorplans and other information, check out the project website at: www.2020Lawrencestreet.com.
The design for 2020 Lawrence has just been released. Here's a nice high-resolution version, courtesy of Mr. Zucker:
The plan for 2020 Lawrence is to achieve LEED-Silver certification (for more information on the LEED program, please visit the U.S. Green Building Council's website). The angled part of the roof will hold photovoltaic cells capable of producing about 50 kilowatts of electricity, enough to run most of the project's common area/parking electrical, lights and cooling.
2020 Lawrence features underground parking, about 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, parking on the second level, and residential units on floors three through nine. The project will also feature both market rate and income-restricted affordable units.
For floorplans and other information, check out the project website at: www.2020Lawrencestreet.com.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
"Spire" Project Site Cleared for Construction
Downtown Denver's next big urban infill construction site is taking shape at the corner of 14th and Champa on Block 131. That's where Spire, the 41-story, 504-unit condo tower planned by the Nichols Partnership, is set to rise.
The site is getting prepped for the start of construction. Construction fencing is up and the asphalt surface has been removed. Yet another parking lot bites the dust in Downtown Denver!
A groundbreaking event is in the works for later in May. In the meantime, the corner of 14th and Champa is already under transformation.
The site is getting prepped for the start of construction. Construction fencing is up and the asphalt surface has been removed. Yet another parking lot bites the dust in Downtown Denver!
A groundbreaking event is in the works for later in May. In the meantime, the corner of 14th and Champa is already under transformation.
Jefferson Park Update: Pinnacle Station Close to Approval
The Pinnacle Station project proposed for the Jefferson Park neighborhood by the AG Spanos Corporation is on the verge of approval by Denver City Council.
Pinnacle Station is a 340-unit, five-building apartment project planned for the site of the old Baby Doe’s and Chile Pepper restaurants overlooking I-25 just north of Mile High Stadium. Many residents in the Jefferson Park neighborhood have opposed the development since its introduction over two years ago, claiming that the project’s massing is out of scale with the adjacent area, and that the project fails to incorporate a number of design and programmatic elements that are called for in the Jefferson Park neighborhood plan. The neighborhood association, Jefferson Park United Neighbors (JPUN), has voted overwhelmingly against this project three times in the past two years. For additional background information on this project, check out my blogs of October 11, 2005, March 14, 2006, and June 14, 2006. Also, Westword recently featured a nice article on the subject by Joel Warner (Moving On Up) along with a recent follow-up (Contested Development) by Joel in the Westword blog.
The project went before City Council on final reading last Monday, and included a lively four-hour public hearing. In the end, Council decided to delay their vote on approving Pinnacle Station by one week. One of the many concerns raised by neighborhood residents involved the shadows that the project will cast on several small homes along the alley behind River Drive. Council asked the developer to prepare a detailed shadow study and present it at next Monday’s meeting. While JPUN will not have a chance to independently verify the developer’s analysis, the city planning office will give the shadow study a review and offer its opinion as to the study’s validity.
Here are the latest renderings of the project. First, the site plan:
Building 5, from Clay Street looking down Frontview Crescent:
The “view corridor” at Frontview Crescent and Bryant Street between Buildings 3 and 4:
I’ve gone on record as being opposed to this project, and today I’ll state my reasons one more time. Just like JPUN, I support the redevelopment of the site. The two restaurant buildings have seen better days, and the time has come for a higher and better use for the site. I am certainly not anti-urban development. But the larger the project and the more prominent the location, the more important it is that the project be exceptional. Pinnacle Station is anything but.
New infill projects in the Downtown area, particularly ones of this size, should be urban. Urban means mixed uses. Besides its 340 residential units, Pinnacle Station has a measly 4,000 SF of retail and a few live-work units, and the developer recently added those to their plans only after being pressed to do so by JPUN. The neighborhood asked for 12,000 SF of retail.
Urban means a mix of rental and for-sale units. Pinnacle Station is 100% rental. Jefferson Park already has one of the lowest home ownership rates in the city. With the addition of Pinnacle Station’s 340 rental units, the Jefferson Park neighborhood will be about 95% rental. The developer has refused to incorporate any for-sale units in the project.
Urban means mixed income. Pinnacle Station will be 100% “luxury” apartments. Because the project is rental and not for-sale, the city’s 10% “affordable units” requirement does not apply. The developer has refused to provide for any affordable/workforce housing units in the project.
Urban means variety in the form and scale of the buildings. Pinnacle Station features five monolithic buildings that have “suburban” written all over them. The proposed buildings do not vary in their form and scale, nor do they relate to the surrounding urban context. The project site borders River Drive and West 23rd Avenue, both of which feature small, historic houses. A good design would respect the small scale of these historic homes by placing townhomes, rowhomes, or shorter multi-family buildings adjacent to them, and then placing taller, higher-density buildings along Bryant on the bluff overlooking the expressway. The developer’s plans call for a six-story building (Building 5) that is over 400 feet long to border the little historic homes along River Drive. To be fair, I must point out that the developer has recently modified the design of Building 5 (in response to the neighborhood’s concerns over this issue), and the modification is not reflected in the rendering above. The design change takes the four-story upper part of Building 5 and divides it into two masses, separated by a 25-foot gap. This will visually help break up the massive appearance of Building 5, but it doesn’t do much to address the lack of compatibility in scale to the adjacent single-family homes. Building 5 is also the subject of the shadow study discussed above.
The neighborhood association offered an alternative plan, shown in the sketch below, which addresses many of the issues I’ve been discussing. Take a look:
Unfortunately, the developer dismissed the neighborhood’s proposal.
The AG Spanos company is a suburban developer. Take a look at their project portfolio on their corporate website. I randomly picked about a dozen of their “communities” and viewed their locations and urban context using Google Earth. Not a single one of them was in a downtown location. Most of them, in fact, were located in exurban areas, bordered by large undeveloped tracts of land, shopping malls, office parks, and freeway interchanges. The Spanos project closest to a downtown that I could find was in Houston, and it was still five miles away from Downtown Houston and is in what looks like a commercial area.
Spanos has a suburban design template, and they make their money by replicating that template, with as few changes as possible, over and over again. Find a big suburban site, plop down their automobile-oriented “luxury community” and move on to the next location. That’s what they do, and that’s exactly what they’re doing here. The problem is, Jefferson Park is not on the exurban edge but on the edge of Downtown Denver.
There are other infill projects that have been built recently in the Downtown area that are similar to Pinnacle Station, such as the Metro in the Prospect district or the Jefferson at CityGate project in River North. But those projects are located in industrial areas that do not have historic single-family homes next door, and they don’t have the prominent “overlook” location like the Baby Doe’s/Chile Pepper site.
This entire Pinnacle Station project is a major missed opportunity. Given the historic character of Jefferson Park, the proximity of the site to the Downtown Aquarium, Elitch Gardens, Invesco Field at Mile High, and the rest of the amenities of the Central Platte Valley, and the panoramic views from (and of) the site, this development should have been held to the highest of standards. This project could have featured both condos and apartments in a wide variety of sizes and price ranges, in an architecturally-diverse collection of urban townhomes, low-rises and mid-rises, and integrated with a cool public plaza overlooking Downtown bordered by ground-floor shops and restaurants. It could have, but it doesn’t.
Kudos to Jefferson Park United Neighbors for putting up the good fight and demanding excellence in the development of our urban core. Too bad they fought this battle alone. The city really dropped the ball on this one.
Pinnacle Station is a 340-unit, five-building apartment project planned for the site of the old Baby Doe’s and Chile Pepper restaurants overlooking I-25 just north of Mile High Stadium. Many residents in the Jefferson Park neighborhood have opposed the development since its introduction over two years ago, claiming that the project’s massing is out of scale with the adjacent area, and that the project fails to incorporate a number of design and programmatic elements that are called for in the Jefferson Park neighborhood plan. The neighborhood association, Jefferson Park United Neighbors (JPUN), has voted overwhelmingly against this project three times in the past two years. For additional background information on this project, check out my blogs of October 11, 2005, March 14, 2006, and June 14, 2006. Also, Westword recently featured a nice article on the subject by Joel Warner (Moving On Up) along with a recent follow-up (Contested Development) by Joel in the Westword blog.
The project went before City Council on final reading last Monday, and included a lively four-hour public hearing. In the end, Council decided to delay their vote on approving Pinnacle Station by one week. One of the many concerns raised by neighborhood residents involved the shadows that the project will cast on several small homes along the alley behind River Drive. Council asked the developer to prepare a detailed shadow study and present it at next Monday’s meeting. While JPUN will not have a chance to independently verify the developer’s analysis, the city planning office will give the shadow study a review and offer its opinion as to the study’s validity.
Here are the latest renderings of the project. First, the site plan:
Building 5, from Clay Street looking down Frontview Crescent:
The “view corridor” at Frontview Crescent and Bryant Street between Buildings 3 and 4:
I’ve gone on record as being opposed to this project, and today I’ll state my reasons one more time. Just like JPUN, I support the redevelopment of the site. The two restaurant buildings have seen better days, and the time has come for a higher and better use for the site. I am certainly not anti-urban development. But the larger the project and the more prominent the location, the more important it is that the project be exceptional. Pinnacle Station is anything but.
New infill projects in the Downtown area, particularly ones of this size, should be urban. Urban means mixed uses. Besides its 340 residential units, Pinnacle Station has a measly 4,000 SF of retail and a few live-work units, and the developer recently added those to their plans only after being pressed to do so by JPUN. The neighborhood asked for 12,000 SF of retail.
Urban means a mix of rental and for-sale units. Pinnacle Station is 100% rental. Jefferson Park already has one of the lowest home ownership rates in the city. With the addition of Pinnacle Station’s 340 rental units, the Jefferson Park neighborhood will be about 95% rental. The developer has refused to incorporate any for-sale units in the project.
Urban means mixed income. Pinnacle Station will be 100% “luxury” apartments. Because the project is rental and not for-sale, the city’s 10% “affordable units” requirement does not apply. The developer has refused to provide for any affordable/workforce housing units in the project.
Urban means variety in the form and scale of the buildings. Pinnacle Station features five monolithic buildings that have “suburban” written all over them. The proposed buildings do not vary in their form and scale, nor do they relate to the surrounding urban context. The project site borders River Drive and West 23rd Avenue, both of which feature small, historic houses. A good design would respect the small scale of these historic homes by placing townhomes, rowhomes, or shorter multi-family buildings adjacent to them, and then placing taller, higher-density buildings along Bryant on the bluff overlooking the expressway. The developer’s plans call for a six-story building (Building 5) that is over 400 feet long to border the little historic homes along River Drive. To be fair, I must point out that the developer has recently modified the design of Building 5 (in response to the neighborhood’s concerns over this issue), and the modification is not reflected in the rendering above. The design change takes the four-story upper part of Building 5 and divides it into two masses, separated by a 25-foot gap. This will visually help break up the massive appearance of Building 5, but it doesn’t do much to address the lack of compatibility in scale to the adjacent single-family homes. Building 5 is also the subject of the shadow study discussed above.
The neighborhood association offered an alternative plan, shown in the sketch below, which addresses many of the issues I’ve been discussing. Take a look:
Unfortunately, the developer dismissed the neighborhood’s proposal.
The AG Spanos company is a suburban developer. Take a look at their project portfolio on their corporate website. I randomly picked about a dozen of their “communities” and viewed their locations and urban context using Google Earth. Not a single one of them was in a downtown location. Most of them, in fact, were located in exurban areas, bordered by large undeveloped tracts of land, shopping malls, office parks, and freeway interchanges. The Spanos project closest to a downtown that I could find was in Houston, and it was still five miles away from Downtown Houston and is in what looks like a commercial area.
Spanos has a suburban design template, and they make their money by replicating that template, with as few changes as possible, over and over again. Find a big suburban site, plop down their automobile-oriented “luxury community” and move on to the next location. That’s what they do, and that’s exactly what they’re doing here. The problem is, Jefferson Park is not on the exurban edge but on the edge of Downtown Denver.
There are other infill projects that have been built recently in the Downtown area that are similar to Pinnacle Station, such as the Metro in the Prospect district or the Jefferson at CityGate project in River North. But those projects are located in industrial areas that do not have historic single-family homes next door, and they don’t have the prominent “overlook” location like the Baby Doe’s/Chile Pepper site.
This entire Pinnacle Station project is a major missed opportunity. Given the historic character of Jefferson Park, the proximity of the site to the Downtown Aquarium, Elitch Gardens, Invesco Field at Mile High, and the rest of the amenities of the Central Platte Valley, and the panoramic views from (and of) the site, this development should have been held to the highest of standards. This project could have featured both condos and apartments in a wide variety of sizes and price ranges, in an architecturally-diverse collection of urban townhomes, low-rises and mid-rises, and integrated with a cool public plaza overlooking Downtown bordered by ground-floor shops and restaurants. It could have, but it doesn’t.
Kudos to Jefferson Park United Neighbors for putting up the good fight and demanding excellence in the development of our urban core. Too bad they fought this battle alone. The city really dropped the ball on this one.
Friday, April 27, 2007
14th & Stout Parking Garage Demolition Back On Track
After a several month delay, it looks like the old Motor Hotel parking structure--one of Denver's most historic parking garages--is finally set to come down on Block 138. I've blogged about this demolition project several times in the past few months, as it is the site where the new Embassy Suites/Homewood Suites project is planned to eventually rise.
Since November, an "Alpine Demolition" banner has hung across the face of this historic building. There've been a few false starts regarding the demolition of this building since then. But, now it looks like the demolition is for real. Two recent events suggest the old garage is about to disappear from the Downtown Denver scene:
One: Alpine Demolition has been given a street-occupancy permit from the City of Denver for Stout Street from 14th to 15th (single right lane/sidewalk) from April 30th to May 14, 2007.
Two: There's now excavation equipment on the site featuring the Alpine Demolition name. And, most telling of all, just this afternoon, I witnessed a crew installing a fence around the site:
Goodbye, Art Deco parking garage, it's been nice knowing you.
Here's a photo, courtesy of the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection, of the "Motor Hotel" garage at 1420 Stout Street in 1930, featuring 25-cent parking rates:
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Downtown Denver's Four Seasons Tower: The Final Unveiling
Today's the day we've been anticipating for a long time... the final unveiling of the Denver Four Seasons tower! The project was first announced in November 2004, and while the project has taken its time in moving forward, it also never really moved backwards. Over these many months, just when it seemed like the project was perhaps floundering, along would come some positive news that would indicate that the project was indeed making progress: First, there was the developer's closing on the land, then it was the leasing of space for a sales office, then it was the sale of developer's Hotel Teatro to raise capital for the project, then the securement of a multi-million dollar financing deal. Then we had the submittal of the project to the Denver planning office and, just recently, the request for a pubic right-of-way occupancy permit through late 2009. Slowly but surely, Michael Brenneman and Jeff Selby have steered this challenging and expensive ($350 million) project through the minefield of skyrocketing construction costs and an uncertain real estate market to today's formal launch of the project's final design and public marketing effort.
The project has been downsized a bit from its original vision, but it still retains all that it originally intended to be: a skyline-defining building--with a spire!--that will infuse a major dose of cosmopolitan elegance into Downtown Denver. At 45 stories, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver will occupy a prime site where LoDo, the booming 14th Street corridor, and the Central Business District come together, and will eliminate a surface parking lot in the process. The developers deserve a lot of credit for their perseverance and for demonstrating their confidence in Downtown Denver by taking the risk in committing to this project to this point. If all goes as planned, the Four Seasons tower will break ground this Fall.
For the latest project details, here's the today's full press release:
Soaring 45 stories high, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver will soon be a crowning jewel on the Denver skyline. 1111 Tower LLC today announced it will commence construction of the combination hotel and residences at the corner of 14th Street and Arapahoe Street in fall 2007, with an anticipated completion date in winter 2009. The Presentation Center for Four Seasons Private Residences Denver, located at 1080 14th Street in downtown Denver, is now open and available for viewing by appointment.
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver is destined to be a landmark, inspired by the classic and historic skyscrapers from some of America’s great cities. Boasting 230 rooms of luxury hotel accommodations and 102 private residences ranging from 965 square feet to 6,100 square feet, residents of Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will enjoy the world-class service and amenities that characterize Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
“Four Seasons is the world’s premier luxury hospitality provider,” said Jeff Selby and Michael Brenneman, the developers of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver and, most recently, the principals who recently sold Denver’s internationally acclaimed luxury boutique hotel, Hotel Teatro.
“With Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver we are introducing an entirely new standard of accommodations and living to the Rocky Mountain region and it’s time,” Selby continued.
Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will begin on the 18th floor and extend to the 45th floor with some of the most spectacular unimpeded views of the Rocky Mountains. The Private Residences will offer homeowners professionally-designed dwellings of distinction, access to the services and amenities of the Hotel, and the best of the city’s surrounding arts and culture, entertainment, retail and recreation on their door step. It will offer a mix of floor plans from one-bedroom pieds-a-terre to two-level penthouse suites, and have the added convenience of a multi-level, underground parking garage.
In addition to the physical features of the homes, the residents will have 24-hour Concierge service to fulfill their every need, as well as access to a dazzling array of services including in-residence dining and catering by renowned Four Seasons chefs, on-site dry cleaning and laundry, turn-down service, housekeeping, valet and limo service. The residents will also enjoy use of the in-house spa, pool and fitness center, owners’ private lounge and a host of other amenities. Four Seasons Private Residences Presentation Center is now accepting reservations.
Four Seasons Hotel Denver, which will occupy the first 16 floors of the building, will feature a restaurant, lobby lounge and bar, a fully equipped health and fitness center, full-service spa, rooftop pool area with dining and bar, and approximately 16,000 square feet of meeting space. “The arrival of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences is yet another sign of Denver’s growing stature as a world-class city,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This new development will offer residents and visitors alike the opportunity to experience downtown’s vibrant cultural institutions, nightlife, shopping and dining.”
“Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will offer a worry-free lifestyle never previously available in this great city,” said Katie Taylor, President and Chief Operating Officer for Four Seasons. “As we have seen in other urban destinations around the globe, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences will meet the burgeoning demand for high quality service for both travelers and residents alike.”
To fulfill the promise of a first-class development, 1111 Tower LLC has enlisted an all-star cast to complete the project, including Carney Architects, HKS, Inc., Bilkey Llinas Design and Clausen-Chewning Interior Design. Carney Architects, Architect of Design, characterize their work as idea-driven, inspired and motivated by climate, culture and place. Working in collaboration with Carney is Dallas-based HKS, Inc., a company with 65 years of experience for structures valued over $38 billion. Bilkey Llinas Design and Clausen-Chewning Interior Design will lend their award-winning expertise to create a high-class interior design for the Hotel and Private Residences, respectively. Cairn Financial Products Limited, a subsidiary of London-based Cairn Capital Limited, is arranging the financing for the project. Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will operate the hotel and manage the residences. The company manages 74 properties in 31 countries, with more than 25 new hotels in development.
Teatro Tower LLC, managed by Jeffrey Selby and Michael Brenneman, is the entity that will develop Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver. Together they have more than 60 years of experience in real estate development.
Those interested in learning more about Four Seasons Private Residences can make an appointment by calling 720-946-3939 or 888-877-4081 or visiting http://www.towerprivateresidences.com/.
Here are two new renderings of the tower, courtesy of the developer, presented in the high-resolution size you've come to expect from DenverInfill (click and expand to view at full size):
Four Seasons, Sugar-3, 1400 Wewatta, 1401 Lawrence, One Lincoln Park, 1515 Wynkoop, 1800 Larimer, 1755 Blake, Hyatt, Spire, DNA, the Convention Center, Embassy Suites, EPA, Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Ritz Carlton, Cable Building Hotel, 1600 Glenarm, Union Station and everything in the Central Platte Valley... after nearly a generation, Downtown Denver is finally taking its next big step toward greatness!
The project has been downsized a bit from its original vision, but it still retains all that it originally intended to be: a skyline-defining building--with a spire!--that will infuse a major dose of cosmopolitan elegance into Downtown Denver. At 45 stories, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver will occupy a prime site where LoDo, the booming 14th Street corridor, and the Central Business District come together, and will eliminate a surface parking lot in the process. The developers deserve a lot of credit for their perseverance and for demonstrating their confidence in Downtown Denver by taking the risk in committing to this project to this point. If all goes as planned, the Four Seasons tower will break ground this Fall.
For the latest project details, here's the today's full press release:
Soaring 45 stories high, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver will soon be a crowning jewel on the Denver skyline. 1111 Tower LLC today announced it will commence construction of the combination hotel and residences at the corner of 14th Street and Arapahoe Street in fall 2007, with an anticipated completion date in winter 2009. The Presentation Center for Four Seasons Private Residences Denver, located at 1080 14th Street in downtown Denver, is now open and available for viewing by appointment.
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver is destined to be a landmark, inspired by the classic and historic skyscrapers from some of America’s great cities. Boasting 230 rooms of luxury hotel accommodations and 102 private residences ranging from 965 square feet to 6,100 square feet, residents of Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will enjoy the world-class service and amenities that characterize Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
“Four Seasons is the world’s premier luxury hospitality provider,” said Jeff Selby and Michael Brenneman, the developers of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver and, most recently, the principals who recently sold Denver’s internationally acclaimed luxury boutique hotel, Hotel Teatro.
“With Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver we are introducing an entirely new standard of accommodations and living to the Rocky Mountain region and it’s time,” Selby continued.
Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will begin on the 18th floor and extend to the 45th floor with some of the most spectacular unimpeded views of the Rocky Mountains. The Private Residences will offer homeowners professionally-designed dwellings of distinction, access to the services and amenities of the Hotel, and the best of the city’s surrounding arts and culture, entertainment, retail and recreation on their door step. It will offer a mix of floor plans from one-bedroom pieds-a-terre to two-level penthouse suites, and have the added convenience of a multi-level, underground parking garage.
In addition to the physical features of the homes, the residents will have 24-hour Concierge service to fulfill their every need, as well as access to a dazzling array of services including in-residence dining and catering by renowned Four Seasons chefs, on-site dry cleaning and laundry, turn-down service, housekeeping, valet and limo service. The residents will also enjoy use of the in-house spa, pool and fitness center, owners’ private lounge and a host of other amenities. Four Seasons Private Residences Presentation Center is now accepting reservations.
Four Seasons Hotel Denver, which will occupy the first 16 floors of the building, will feature a restaurant, lobby lounge and bar, a fully equipped health and fitness center, full-service spa, rooftop pool area with dining and bar, and approximately 16,000 square feet of meeting space. “The arrival of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences is yet another sign of Denver’s growing stature as a world-class city,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This new development will offer residents and visitors alike the opportunity to experience downtown’s vibrant cultural institutions, nightlife, shopping and dining.”
“Four Seasons Private Residences Denver will offer a worry-free lifestyle never previously available in this great city,” said Katie Taylor, President and Chief Operating Officer for Four Seasons. “As we have seen in other urban destinations around the globe, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences will meet the burgeoning demand for high quality service for both travelers and residents alike.”
To fulfill the promise of a first-class development, 1111 Tower LLC has enlisted an all-star cast to complete the project, including Carney Architects, HKS, Inc., Bilkey Llinas Design and Clausen-Chewning Interior Design. Carney Architects, Architect of Design, characterize their work as idea-driven, inspired and motivated by climate, culture and place. Working in collaboration with Carney is Dallas-based HKS, Inc., a company with 65 years of experience for structures valued over $38 billion. Bilkey Llinas Design and Clausen-Chewning Interior Design will lend their award-winning expertise to create a high-class interior design for the Hotel and Private Residences, respectively. Cairn Financial Products Limited, a subsidiary of London-based Cairn Capital Limited, is arranging the financing for the project. Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts will operate the hotel and manage the residences. The company manages 74 properties in 31 countries, with more than 25 new hotels in development.
Teatro Tower LLC, managed by Jeffrey Selby and Michael Brenneman, is the entity that will develop Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver. Together they have more than 60 years of experience in real estate development.
Those interested in learning more about Four Seasons Private Residences can make an appointment by calling 720-946-3939 or 888-877-4081 or visiting http://www.towerprivateresidences.com/.
Here are two new renderings of the tower, courtesy of the developer, presented in the high-resolution size you've come to expect from DenverInfill (click and expand to view at full size):
Four Seasons, Sugar-3, 1400 Wewatta, 1401 Lawrence, One Lincoln Park, 1515 Wynkoop, 1800 Larimer, 1755 Blake, Hyatt, Spire, DNA, the Convention Center, Embassy Suites, EPA, Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Ritz Carlton, Cable Building Hotel, 1600 Glenarm, Union Station and everything in the Central Platte Valley... after nearly a generation, Downtown Denver is finally taking its next big step toward greatness!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
New Capitol Hill Project: Quality Hill Townes
Downtown Denver's Capitol Hill district is getting a new infill project. The Quality Hill Townes development is a 4-story, 10-unit townhome project to be built at the corner of 9th Avenue and Washington Street. The units will feature 2-3 bedrooms, two-car garages and rooftop decks. Units are priced in the low to mid-$600k range. Construction is expected to start in late 2007.
Here's a project rendering and site plan, available on the project website:
Here's a project rendering and site plan, available on the project website:
New City Park West Project: Gilpin Grove
Another new urban infill project is coming to the City Park West district near Downtown Denver. The Gilpin Grove townhome project will be located mid-block on Gilpin Street between 16th and 17th Avenues. The project includes two 3-story buildings for a total of 10 units sharing a common private driveway. The units range within the 1,400-1,500 square foot range with two bedrooms, terraces and two-car garages. The project is being developed by Sprocket Design-Build, Inc. Construction is expected to begin Summer, 2007.
Here's a rendering of the project design along with the site plan. Images courtesy the developer's website.
New Curtis Park-Five Points Project: Luxe Modern Row Homes
The Luxe Modern Row Homes infill project will be located at the south corner of 25th and Champa on what is now a vacant lot in the Curtis Park-Five Points district near Downtown Denver. The project will consist of 6 row homes each with 4 floors of living space. Each unit will offer city and mountain views with rooftop decks. The project is being developed by Arcadia Development, Inc.
The Luxe Modern Row Homes project shares the same block with the 2428 Champa and Lombard Gate projects, dramatically changing for the better this part of the neighborhood. Here's a rendering, courtesy of the developer:
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Call to Action, Part II
Last June, when I first blogged about the disgrace that is the Fontius building, I asked you to send an email/letter about the situation to the Mayor, to members of City Council, and to the newspapers. Many of you did, and it helped spark the movement that today has formalized as the Revitalizing the Core Task Force. About a month ago, in my first Call to Action, I asked you to send a letter to the newspapers to state your support for the mission of the Task Force. Again, many of you came through. Today, I am asking you to once again fire off an email in support of Downtown revitalization.
Let me put it very simply: We are at a stage in the Revitalizing the Core process where we need to demonstrate the degree to which the general public is supportive of the Task Force's efforts to finally get something done about Certain Blocks Which Shall Remain Nameless, as well as all the many other streetscape, safety, and maintenance issues that affect the Downtown core. If it can be shown that there is not just tepid public acceptance, but an outcry of citizen support for these initiatives, then that will significantly increase the likelihood that our municipal leaders will forge ahead knowing that they have the support of Denver citizens.
So, here’s the next step in our campaign: Please send an email to the following people that says, in so many words, “I support the mission of the Revitalizing the Core Task Force to promote the development of vacant sites in Downtown and to improve the physical quality of Downtown Denver’s built environment.”
John Hickenlooper, Mayor, City & County of Denver
MileHighMayor@ci.denver.co.us
Tracy Huggins, Executive Director, Denver Urban Renewal Authority
Jim Basey, Denver Urban Renewal Authority Board of Commissioners
DURA.General@ci.denver.co.us
About 1,300 people read this blog every day. If even 10% of you were to send an email to these two individuals, it would have a huge impact. Imagine the impact if 50% of you were to respond! At this point, it’s about quantity, not quality. Both DURA and the Mayor's office will be tracking the number of comments they receive about this issue, so please, let’s overwhelm them! Please use the links above to send a message to our public leaders that you support positive change in Downtown Denver.
Let me put it very simply: We are at a stage in the Revitalizing the Core process where we need to demonstrate the degree to which the general public is supportive of the Task Force's efforts to finally get something done about Certain Blocks Which Shall Remain Nameless, as well as all the many other streetscape, safety, and maintenance issues that affect the Downtown core. If it can be shown that there is not just tepid public acceptance, but an outcry of citizen support for these initiatives, then that will significantly increase the likelihood that our municipal leaders will forge ahead knowing that they have the support of Denver citizens.
So, here’s the next step in our campaign: Please send an email to the following people that says, in so many words, “I support the mission of the Revitalizing the Core Task Force to promote the development of vacant sites in Downtown and to improve the physical quality of Downtown Denver’s built environment.”
John Hickenlooper, Mayor, City & County of Denver
MileHighMayor@ci.denver.co.us
Tracy Huggins, Executive Director, Denver Urban Renewal Authority
Jim Basey, Denver Urban Renewal Authority Board of Commissioners
DURA.General@ci.denver.co.us
About 1,300 people read this blog every day. If even 10% of you were to send an email to these two individuals, it would have a huge impact. Imagine the impact if 50% of you were to respond! At this point, it’s about quantity, not quality. Both DURA and the Mayor's office will be tracking the number of comments they receive about this issue, so please, let’s overwhelm them! Please use the links above to send a message to our public leaders that you support positive change in Downtown Denver.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Denargo Market: In Need of a Transit Stop
Cypress Real Estate Advisors and the city planning office continue to work out the details of the General Development Plan for the Denargo Market project in Downtown Denver's River North district. This major infill project was first announced in October 2006, and since then has been working its way through the zoning and entitlement process with the city.
Recently, the developers presented the project to the Denver Planning Board. A copy of that presentation was posted on the Curtis Park Neighbors website. Here's a link to that site if you'd like to download the entire presentation. But here's some additional information about the project as its design continues to evolve. The project is planned to include 2,000 - 2,500 residential units (including 10% affordable under the city's inclusionary housing ordinance), 125,000 - 200,000 square feet of retail space, and 75-foot building heights with the exception of three towers of 220, 200, and 180 feet in height. The project would also include a new signalized intersection at Brighton Boulevard and 29th Street, and bike/pedestrian connections to the Platte River Trail system. The current schedule has the project's GDP up for final consideration by City Council on May 21, 2007.
Here's the site plan and a new rendering showing what the project might look like:
One other positive attribute about this project is its location along the North Metro FasTracks line. Presently, the first station planned along the North Metro line is the proposed 40th St./40th Av. station, about two miles northeast of Union Station. What is almost exactly half way in between those two stations and right adjacent to the line? Denargo Market!
When the original Major Investment Study for the North Metro line was conducted, there wasn't much going on in the River North area, so a station wasn't planned for the area. Since then, not only have dozens of new infill projects been completed or proposed in the area, but the Denargo Market project and its 2,000-plus residential units has been announced. Consequently, at the request of residents and businesses in the area, the project team conducting the North Metro Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has agreed to take a look at the possibility of a Denargo Market station.
If you think it makes sense to locate a transit station at the doorstep of a dense urban development of over 2,000 residential units on 32 acres, then please let the North Metro project team know that you support adding a Denargo Market station. They're currently in the EIS phase where they are evaluating the station locations, so now is the time to speak up! Please send your comments to: Dave Shelley, North Metro Corridor Project Manager, Regional Transportation District, 1560 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202. Office: (303) 299-2408, Fax: (303) 299-2425. Or, what's even easier is to submit a comment on the North Metro project website. Here's a direct link. The Denargo Market project can become one of Denver's largest TODs, but only if it has a station!
Recently, the developers presented the project to the Denver Planning Board. A copy of that presentation was posted on the Curtis Park Neighbors website. Here's a link to that site if you'd like to download the entire presentation. But here's some additional information about the project as its design continues to evolve. The project is planned to include 2,000 - 2,500 residential units (including 10% affordable under the city's inclusionary housing ordinance), 125,000 - 200,000 square feet of retail space, and 75-foot building heights with the exception of three towers of 220, 200, and 180 feet in height. The project would also include a new signalized intersection at Brighton Boulevard and 29th Street, and bike/pedestrian connections to the Platte River Trail system. The current schedule has the project's GDP up for final consideration by City Council on May 21, 2007.
Here's the site plan and a new rendering showing what the project might look like:
One other positive attribute about this project is its location along the North Metro FasTracks line. Presently, the first station planned along the North Metro line is the proposed 40th St./40th Av. station, about two miles northeast of Union Station. What is almost exactly half way in between those two stations and right adjacent to the line? Denargo Market!
When the original Major Investment Study for the North Metro line was conducted, there wasn't much going on in the River North area, so a station wasn't planned for the area. Since then, not only have dozens of new infill projects been completed or proposed in the area, but the Denargo Market project and its 2,000-plus residential units has been announced. Consequently, at the request of residents and businesses in the area, the project team conducting the North Metro Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has agreed to take a look at the possibility of a Denargo Market station.
If you think it makes sense to locate a transit station at the doorstep of a dense urban development of over 2,000 residential units on 32 acres, then please let the North Metro project team know that you support adding a Denargo Market station. They're currently in the EIS phase where they are evaluating the station locations, so now is the time to speak up! Please send your comments to: Dave Shelley, North Metro Corridor Project Manager, Regional Transportation District, 1560 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202. Office: (303) 299-2408, Fax: (303) 299-2425. Or, what's even easier is to submit a comment on the North Metro project website. Here's a direct link. The Denargo Market project can become one of Denver's largest TODs, but only if it has a station!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Box City Denver 2007
Saturday I had the privilege of helping out at Box City Denver, the annual event sponsored by the Urban Design Committee of the Denver chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Box City is held each year in conjunction with Doors Open Denver, the popular free two-day program that allows the public to explore over 80 architecturally-significant buildings in the greater Downtown area. Today's the last day for Doors Open Denver for this year, so head Downtown and check it out! Here's a link to the program's website where you can view the list of buildings for this year.
Box City is a free event for kids kindergarten-fifth grade where they get to make a building out of boxes and other materials and place their creation on a city grid that's been laid out on the floor. Box City is also about teaching kids about the process of urban development, and about some of the principles that make for sound architecture, urban design, and planning. Here's how it works:
When the kids arrive, they start at the Building Permits station where they have to decide what kind of building they want to build (residential, office, civic, etc.). After receiving their permit, they head off to the Hardware Store where they select their building materials, then begin working on their project in the Construction Zone. When finished, the kids have to have their building reviewed by a Building Inspector, who looks for key structural attributes such as having windows and doors and a roof. After the Building Inspector signs off on their project, each child is photographed with their completed building. They are now ready to proceed to the entrance to Box City, where they are met by a City Planner. The City Planner guides the child into selecting a good location for their building based on its zoning (parcels throughout Box City are zoned either for residential, commercial, mixed-use, civic, or recreational uses), the scale of their building, adjacency to transportation, natural features, and other uses, etc. Finally, after siting their building, each kid receives a Certificate of Occupancy, complete with the photo of them and their building taken earlier.
Not surprisingly, I volunteered for a City Planner position, and had an awesome time. The kids did a great job, and many proved to have the potential for a future career in urban development. Box City Denver is located in the atrium of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building and will be on display through Monday morning, so if you’re Downtown, stop in and take a look. Here are a few highlights:
Overview from above. Box City Denver is based loosely on the Civic Center area street grid:
The Hardware Store (left) and Construction Zone (right) near the end of the day:
Looking down the main street (left) and the river corridor (right):
The full spectrum of building types and uses was present. The skyscraper district, including the Box City Bridge, two Broncos towers, and Mile High Stadium (left), and a high-density mixed-use block (right):
Here we have the venerable Red Coned Bank (left) and the prestigious Tipton Hotel (right):
Civic uses are also found in Box City. Here’s the city hall and courthouse (left) and the Aaron and Aiden International Airport, with Nick’s Military Base nearby (right):
There are plenty of cultural and entertainment options for Box Citizens, including the popular Denver Bug Museum (left) and Box City Movie Theatre (right):
Transportation is also important in Box City. Here’s the multi-modal Grand Station transit-oriented development where heavy/freight rail and light rail intersect (left), and a light rail train rounding the corner in the center of town (right):
Industry is also present in Box City, such as the Power Plant and Rubber Band Factory shown here (left). A future site planner is busy working on his parking lot layout (right):
Several examples of architectural genius were present, including this Libeskind-inspired highrise (left) and this impressive residential tower (right):
Some of the other areas and uses found in Box City include a quiet residential zone, several amusement parks, a synagogue, a number of schools, a NASCAR race track, the Box City Cat Shelter (including a rooftop catnip garden), a Macy's department store, five hospitals, and a gas station.
Over 100 kids participated in this year’s Box City Denver program, making it the biggest and best yet. Just like Denver itself, Box City Denver is getting denser and more vibrant every year!
Box City is a free event for kids kindergarten-fifth grade where they get to make a building out of boxes and other materials and place their creation on a city grid that's been laid out on the floor. Box City is also about teaching kids about the process of urban development, and about some of the principles that make for sound architecture, urban design, and planning. Here's how it works:
When the kids arrive, they start at the Building Permits station where they have to decide what kind of building they want to build (residential, office, civic, etc.). After receiving their permit, they head off to the Hardware Store where they select their building materials, then begin working on their project in the Construction Zone. When finished, the kids have to have their building reviewed by a Building Inspector, who looks for key structural attributes such as having windows and doors and a roof. After the Building Inspector signs off on their project, each child is photographed with their completed building. They are now ready to proceed to the entrance to Box City, where they are met by a City Planner. The City Planner guides the child into selecting a good location for their building based on its zoning (parcels throughout Box City are zoned either for residential, commercial, mixed-use, civic, or recreational uses), the scale of their building, adjacency to transportation, natural features, and other uses, etc. Finally, after siting their building, each kid receives a Certificate of Occupancy, complete with the photo of them and their building taken earlier.
Not surprisingly, I volunteered for a City Planner position, and had an awesome time. The kids did a great job, and many proved to have the potential for a future career in urban development. Box City Denver is located in the atrium of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building and will be on display through Monday morning, so if you’re Downtown, stop in and take a look. Here are a few highlights:
Overview from above. Box City Denver is based loosely on the Civic Center area street grid:
The Hardware Store (left) and Construction Zone (right) near the end of the day:
Looking down the main street (left) and the river corridor (right):
The full spectrum of building types and uses was present. The skyscraper district, including the Box City Bridge, two Broncos towers, and Mile High Stadium (left), and a high-density mixed-use block (right):
Here we have the venerable Red Coned Bank (left) and the prestigious Tipton Hotel (right):
Civic uses are also found in Box City. Here’s the city hall and courthouse (left) and the Aaron and Aiden International Airport, with Nick’s Military Base nearby (right):
There are plenty of cultural and entertainment options for Box Citizens, including the popular Denver Bug Museum (left) and Box City Movie Theatre (right):
Transportation is also important in Box City. Here’s the multi-modal Grand Station transit-oriented development where heavy/freight rail and light rail intersect (left), and a light rail train rounding the corner in the center of town (right):
Industry is also present in Box City, such as the Power Plant and Rubber Band Factory shown here (left). A future site planner is busy working on his parking lot layout (right):
Several examples of architectural genius were present, including this Libeskind-inspired highrise (left) and this impressive residential tower (right):
Some of the other areas and uses found in Box City include a quiet residential zone, several amusement parks, a synagogue, a number of schools, a NASCAR race track, the Box City Cat Shelter (including a rooftop catnip garden), a Macy's department store, five hospitals, and a gas station.
Over 100 kids participated in this year’s Box City Denver program, making it the biggest and best yet. Just like Denver itself, Box City Denver is getting denser and more vibrant every year!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Lower Downtown's Wynkoop Residences
More information is now available about the residential component of Opus Northwest's 1400 Wewatta mixed-use project on Block 012 in Lower Downtown Denver. The Opus project consists of a 9-story office building fronting Wewatta (1400 Wewatta) and a 10-story office and residential building at 1401 Wynkoop. In Thursday's Rocky Mountain News, John Rebchook provides a more detailed look at the Wynkoop Residences, the residential component atop 1401 Wynkoop (New Luxury Condo Project Unveiled).
Wynkoop Residences will feature 21 units ranging in size from 900 to 2,600 square feet and priced from $450,000 to $1.5 million. Construction on the entire project is underway, and should be completed late 2008.
You may have already seen this rendering of 1401 Wynkoop, showing the residential units on top, from my blog of January 29, 2007:
Below is a sharper view of the Wynkoop Residences from a different perspective. This is the same image shown in the Rocky article, but presented DenverInfill-sized (image courtesy Rocky Mountain News/Kentwood City):
To sign up for more information, visit the project website: www.wynkoopresidences.com.
Wynkoop Residences will feature 21 units ranging in size from 900 to 2,600 square feet and priced from $450,000 to $1.5 million. Construction on the entire project is underway, and should be completed late 2008.
You may have already seen this rendering of 1401 Wynkoop, showing the residential units on top, from my blog of January 29, 2007:
Below is a sharper view of the Wynkoop Residences from a different perspective. This is the same image shown in the Rocky article, but presented DenverInfill-sized (image courtesy Rocky Mountain News/Kentwood City):
To sign up for more information, visit the project website: www.wynkoopresidences.com.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
14th & Champa Parking Lot Closed for "Spire" Project
The Nichols Partnership's newest project, Spire, a 41-story, 504-unit condominium project is getting closer to groundbreaking. The project is slated for the corner of 14th and Champa on Block 131 in Central Downtown Denver, across the street from the Colorado Convention Center. The surface parking lot at that corner was officially closed on April 9, with some equipment and materials brought onto the site since then. Here's a photo from today:
More about the Spire and a formal groundbreaking date will be announced here at DenverInfill in the near future. Stay tuned...
More about the Spire and a formal groundbreaking date will be announced here at DenverInfill in the near future. Stay tuned...
1515 Wynkoop Site Excavation Underway
Right on schedule, site excavation for 1515 Wynkoop has begun. This project, located on Block 013 in Lower Downtown Denver, is being developed by Hines, and includes approximately 300,000 square feet of office and retail space in an 8-story building. The ceremonial groundbreaking party was held a few weeks ago on March 14. Here's a photo from today of the start of site excavation:
Visible at the far end of the site is an unearthed portion of the foundation of the former Postal Annex building that stood at this site from the 1950s until 2005. 1515 Wynkoop will be complete in October 2008.
Elitch Gardens Stays Elitch Gardens
I was relieved to read in this morning's Denver Post (New Elitch Pledges More Fun) that the "new" name for Downtown Denver's Elitch Gardens amusement park will be just "Elitch Gardens." The other day it was announced that the 117-year old park had finally been sold by the struggling Six Flags chain to Florida-based PARC Management, and that the new owners plan on not only maintaining it as an amusement park, but that they also will be investing millions of dollars to add new rides and attractions to keep the park vital and growing. As part of that announcement, the new owners stated that they would unveil a new name for the park. I feared the worst, thinking that they would come up with some awful corporatized sponsor name like the "Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies® Fantastik FunPark at Elitch Gardens." I'm glad to see some companies know when not to mess with a good thing. I even like the new Elitch Gardens logo. It's got a nice old-timey feel to it (image courtesy of denverpost.com):
Now that we know Elitch's will stay Elitch's, let's see if we can get PARC Management to work with the city and Kroenke Sports to develop a sub-area plan for the Elitch's/Pepsi Center area to eventually replace all that surface parking with structured parking wrapped by mixed-use urban development. We need to get some good plans in place for that part of Downtown before it's too late. The incredibly lame low-density, single-use, suburbanesque office project that was recently proposed for next to the Invesco Field light rail station serves as a great example of what we don't want Downtown but what we'll get if we don't state otherwise.
Now that we know Elitch's will stay Elitch's, let's see if we can get PARC Management to work with the city and Kroenke Sports to develop a sub-area plan for the Elitch's/Pepsi Center area to eventually replace all that surface parking with structured parking wrapped by mixed-use urban development. We need to get some good plans in place for that part of Downtown before it's too late. The incredibly lame low-density, single-use, suburbanesque office project that was recently proposed for next to the Invesco Field light rail station serves as a great example of what we don't want Downtown but what we'll get if we don't state otherwise.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Back to the Future: Currigan Hall
Denver's first "convention center" was the Denver Auditorium, the historic structure now home to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, which opened just in time to host the 1908 Democratic National Convention. By the 1950s, the Denver Auditorium was losing its luster, and the city started talking about building a new convention center. In 1964, Denver voters approved a bond issue to build a new convention hall and, after holding a national design competition, Denver-based William C. Muchow Associates Architects was selected to design the new facility. Completed in 1969 at a cost of just over $7 million, the 100,000 square foot Currigan Exhibition Hall featured an innovative steel structure design that allowed for no interior support columns. The hall was named for Martin D. Currigan Sr., a prominent and well-respected Denver City Councilman from the 1890s whose grandson, Thomas G. Currigan, served as mayor of Denver from 1963 - 1968 during the convention center's design and construction. Here's a rendering of the proposed Currigan Exhibition Hall, taken from the same publication cited in yesterday's blog, "Metropolitan Denver" published in 1966 by the Junior League of Denver:
By the early 1980s, Denver was considering yet again the construction of a bigger and better convention center. For that story, check out my blog of July 17, 2006, which includes renderings of the proposed-but-rejected convention center project behind Denver's historic Union Station.
By the early 1980s, Denver was considering yet again the construction of a bigger and better convention center. For that story, check out my blog of July 17, 2006, which includes renderings of the proposed-but-rejected convention center project behind Denver's historic Union Station.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Back to the Future: Denver Art Museum
With all the attention that the Denver Art Museum's new Libeskind-designed Frederic Hamilton building has received lately, now is a good time to look back and remember that the Gio Ponti-designed existing art museum building was once itself an architecturally-bold proposal. The Ponti building, a 28-sided, 7-story structure clad in over one million hand-laid gray tiles, opened in 1971. Here's a rendering from a promotional publication called "Metropolitan Denver" published in 1966 by the Junior League of Denver:
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Bag Those Parking Meters! Major Dowtown Construction Projects Pending
Every two weeks, the Denver Public Works Department's Development Engineering Services office hosts a Downtown Construction Coordination Meeting, at which contractors and city staff meet to discuss and coordinate construction activities in the Downtown area that may impact the public right-of-way. These construction activities include not only street maintenance and underground utility work, but also construction on private property that affects adjacent streets and sidewalks. At each meeting, a list is distributed and reviewed that contains both new and existing permits for lane closures, sidewalk closures, parking meter bagging, etc. in the Downtown area.
The list that was distributed at the most recent Downtown Construction Coordination Meeting on March 28 contained several new and very interesting right-of-way occupancy and closure permits. Here they are:
Champa – 14th (parking lane/meters/partial sidewalk) (JE Dunn – The Spire)
Dates – April 9, 2007 – July 2009
Champa – 15th to 14th/14th Champa to Stout (meters, partial sidewalk) (JE Dunn – The Spire)
Dates – April 2007 – July 2009
Market – 18th to 19th (sidewalk/meters) (Weitz Co. – 1800 Market)
Dates – April 3, 2007 – June 2009
Wynkoop – 15th to 14th (parking, partial sidewalk) (Holder Construction Co. – 1515 Wynkoop)
Dates – April 2007 - July 2008
14th at Lawrence (partial sidewalk) (DAE Construction – 1401 Lawrence sales trailer)
Dates – April 2007 – July 2007
14th – Lawrence to Arapahoe (meters, partial sidewalk/travel lane) (Swinerton – Teatro Tower)
Dates – April 2007 – December 2009
So what do you think of that, Downtown infill fans!?
The list that was distributed at the most recent Downtown Construction Coordination Meeting on March 28 contained several new and very interesting right-of-way occupancy and closure permits. Here they are:
Champa – 14th (parking lane/meters/partial sidewalk) (JE Dunn – The Spire)
Dates – April 9, 2007 – July 2009
Champa – 15th to 14th/14th Champa to Stout (meters, partial sidewalk) (JE Dunn – The Spire)
Dates – April 2007 – July 2009
Market – 18th to 19th (sidewalk/meters) (Weitz Co. – 1800 Market)
Dates – April 3, 2007 – June 2009
Wynkoop – 15th to 14th (parking, partial sidewalk) (Holder Construction Co. – 1515 Wynkoop)
Dates – April 2007 - July 2008
14th at Lawrence (partial sidewalk) (DAE Construction – 1401 Lawrence sales trailer)
Dates – April 2007 – July 2007
14th – Lawrence to Arapahoe (meters, partial sidewalk/travel lane) (Swinerton – Teatro Tower)
Dates – April 2007 – December 2009
So what do you think of that, Downtown infill fans!?
Back to the Future: Denver's 16th Street Mall
The 16th Street Mall is such an integral part of Downtown Denver, but in the late 1970s, it was just a grand plan. From the book "Rocky Mountain Gold" by Thomas J. Noel, (Copyright 1980 by Continential Heritage Press), here's a rendering of the "future" 16th Street Mall:
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Back to the Future: 1999 Broadway
Here's another new old rendering... this time 1999 Broadway, one of my favorite buildings Downtown. One of the last buildings constructed during the early 1980s office tower boom, 1999 Broadway was completed in 1985 and stands 544 feet tall. The Church of the Holy Ghost sold its air rights to the developer, Lauder Development, resulting in a 43-story tower with a concave stepped northern facade wrapped around the church. The deal resulted in the preservation of the historic church and the creation of one of Downtown Denver's most architecturally unique and intriguing office towers at a prominent corner where Downtown's two street grids meet.
Here's an artist's rendering of 1999 Broadway:
This image appears in the same publication I referenced yesterday, "Off the Mall - Step by Step" by Donna McEncroe.
Here's an artist's rendering of 1999 Broadway:
This image appears in the same publication I referenced yesterday, "Off the Mall - Step by Step" by Donna McEncroe.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Denver's Tabor Center... The Original Vision
One of the (admittedly) geeky things I like to do is collect artists' renderings of "future" buildings that have long since been built, never built at all, or built and already demolished. So, I thought I'd share with you over the next several weeks some of the images I've collected.
To start things off, let's take a look at the original vision for the Tabor Center, the two-block complex between 16th and 17th, Larimer and Arapahoe. Back in my blog of July 9, 2006, I posted this image (courtesy of denverskyscrapers.com) of the existing Tabor I (left) and never-built Tabor II (right) towers, as viewed from the 17th Street side:
Well, one of the new additions to my collection is this image of the entire complex, viewed from the 16th Street side, as proposed in 1984:
What's interesting is that the design of the long retail facade along the 16th Street Mall in this image is a bit different from what ultimately was built, which was then remodeled in the early 2000s to what it is today. The other interesting thing is the mini-tower element at the corner of 17th and Larimer, where the entrance to the Cheesecake Factory is now today. I can see how that was meant to provide some balance to the overall composition of the complex (including the historic D&F tower at the far right) as well as highlight what was likely envisioned as the main entrance. This second image appeared in a 1984 publication called "Off the Mall - Step by Step" by Donna McEncroe, described as "an imaginative guide to the architecture, art and public spaces of old and new downtown Denver."
Let's hope Callahan Capital Partners, which is planning on starting construction on a redesigned version of the Tabor II tower later this year, gives us something good.
To start things off, let's take a look at the original vision for the Tabor Center, the two-block complex between 16th and 17th, Larimer and Arapahoe. Back in my blog of July 9, 2006, I posted this image (courtesy of denverskyscrapers.com) of the existing Tabor I (left) and never-built Tabor II (right) towers, as viewed from the 17th Street side:
Well, one of the new additions to my collection is this image of the entire complex, viewed from the 16th Street side, as proposed in 1984:
What's interesting is that the design of the long retail facade along the 16th Street Mall in this image is a bit different from what ultimately was built, which was then remodeled in the early 2000s to what it is today. The other interesting thing is the mini-tower element at the corner of 17th and Larimer, where the entrance to the Cheesecake Factory is now today. I can see how that was meant to provide some balance to the overall composition of the complex (including the historic D&F tower at the far right) as well as highlight what was likely envisioned as the main entrance. This second image appeared in a 1984 publication called "Off the Mall - Step by Step" by Donna McEncroe, described as "an imaginative guide to the architecture, art and public spaces of old and new downtown Denver."
Let's hope Callahan Capital Partners, which is planning on starting construction on a redesigned version of the Tabor II tower later this year, gives us something good.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Downtown Denver Infill Projects: 2007.04.01 Construction Photos
No April Foolin' on today's post--just a quick update on a couple of Downtown infill projects:
First, the big news... Downtown has a new tower crane in place! After digging one heckuva big hole at 16th and Blake, the Sugar3 project is ready to go vertical:
First, the big news... Downtown has a new tower crane in place! After digging one heckuva big hole at 16th and Blake, the Sugar3 project is ready to go vertical:
The rest are from the Golden Triangle and Civic Center districts of Downtown Denver:
816 Acoma (16-story, 224-rental units):
1200 Elati (10-story, 63-rental units):
1200 Delaware (6-unit townhomes):
Finally, a special THANK YOU to my good friend Rob who, for the past several months, has been doing a great job of helping me gather and organize infill project data and update the main project sections of DenverInfill.
Have a great April everyone...let's hope for a big groundbreaking this month!
Best of Denver
I was flipping through Westword's 2007 "Best of Denver" issue last Thursday and, much to my surprise, spotted DenverInfill as one of the winners!
Best Building Block
DenverInfill (www.denverinfill.com)
"DenverInfill is a geeky love letter to the city of Denver -- a nostalgic testament to what it once was, and a joyous celebration of what it could become. Ken Schroeppel, urban planner with Matrix Design Group, has created a comprehensive and interactive guide to all infill development proposed or completed in and around downtown Denver. Through vivid maps, clear charts, a colorful blog and such creative forays as photo essays of LoDo's remaining painted commercial signs and a mix-and-match guide to cheesy subdivision names that lets you churn out such stinkers as "The Dominion at Buffalo Gap Knoll" or "The Sanctuary at Thunder Brook Butte," Schroeppel takes the obscure topic of urban planning and makes it understandable, even exciting. You grow, Ken."
I am very honored. Thank you, Westword, and thank you to all of you who read and contribute to DenverInfill. It's your participation and shared interest in the growth and improvement of Downtown Denver that makes all the effort worth it.
A few Downtown infill projects won "Best of Denver" awards too. Congratulations to the Glass House for "Best New Residential High-Rise," to the Golden Row for "Best New Residential Low-Rise," and to the Frederic Hamilton building at the Denver Art Museum for "Best New Building." Also, congratulations to my friend Mark Leese who designed the very cool "Jurassic Leaves" sculpture at the Louisiana-Pearl "Best New Light Rail Station."
Finally, congratulations to a couple of fellow bloggers whose sites I regularly enjoy: the Wash Park Prophet for "Best Online Ramblings of a Renaissance Man," and Hugh Graham Creative for "Best Blog - Cultural."
Best Building Block
DenverInfill (www.denverinfill.com)
"DenverInfill is a geeky love letter to the city of Denver -- a nostalgic testament to what it once was, and a joyous celebration of what it could become. Ken Schroeppel, urban planner with Matrix Design Group, has created a comprehensive and interactive guide to all infill development proposed or completed in and around downtown Denver. Through vivid maps, clear charts, a colorful blog and such creative forays as photo essays of LoDo's remaining painted commercial signs and a mix-and-match guide to cheesy subdivision names that lets you churn out such stinkers as "The Dominion at Buffalo Gap Knoll" or "The Sanctuary at Thunder Brook Butte," Schroeppel takes the obscure topic of urban planning and makes it understandable, even exciting. You grow, Ken."
I am very honored. Thank you, Westword, and thank you to all of you who read and contribute to DenverInfill. It's your participation and shared interest in the growth and improvement of Downtown Denver that makes all the effort worth it.
A few Downtown infill projects won "Best of Denver" awards too. Congratulations to the Glass House for "Best New Residential High-Rise," to the Golden Row for "Best New Residential Low-Rise," and to the Frederic Hamilton building at the Denver Art Museum for "Best New Building." Also, congratulations to my friend Mark Leese who designed the very cool "Jurassic Leaves" sculpture at the Louisiana-Pearl "Best New Light Rail Station."
Finally, congratulations to a couple of fellow bloggers whose sites I regularly enjoy: the Wash Park Prophet for "Best Online Ramblings of a Renaissance Man," and Hugh Graham Creative for "Best Blog - Cultural."
