Monday, June 30, 2008
More on Bell Tower
In my post from earlier this morning about Speer Boulevard, I included a photo of a model of the proposed Bell Tower that I snagged from the Rocky Mountain News website. Thanks again to Matt and the rest of the folks at Fentress Architects, I'm happy to post not only a high-resolution version of that image, but also a nice high-resolution shot from a different angle.
Credit on both images to Jason Knowles, Fentress Architects.
These two photos are the best yet at clearly showing the design of this project. I like it a lot.
Credit on both images to Jason Knowles, Fentress Architects.
These two photos are the best yet at clearly showing the design of this project. I like it a lot.
Speer Boulevard's Future
In the past couple of days, the Rocky's Art & Architecture section has featured two articles about projects that will shape the future of Speer Boulevard through the heart of Downtown.
First is Mary Chandler's article on the proposed Bell Tower project. The article includes yet another view of the tower, this one even more clearly shows the articulation of the tower's facade. Here it is below (credit Jason Knowles/Fentress Architects):
The other article, by the Rocky's Mark Shulgold, is about the presentations that were recently made by the six finalist architecture firms competing for the chance to do the redesign of Boettcher concert hall. Of note in this article is the concept, presented by a couple of the firms, of the possibility that the new Boettcher could extend forward toward Speer as a new building rather than being rebuilt entirely within the footprint of the existing concert hall. Intriguing.
Both projects illuminate the opportunity we currently face in deciding what we want Speer Boulevard to become when it grows up. Named after our great City Beautiful-era mayor, Robert W. Speer, the boulevard itself is our city's grandest, with its special relationship to Cherry Creek, its enhanced streetscape, integrated pedestrian/bike path, and the various parks along its journey from Highland to the Cherry Creek district. Yet the building forms that line Speer Boulevard's 4.5 mile length is a total mixed bag. In Northwest Denver, the buildings are low-scale but sit right up against the Speer right-of-way. Through the Central Platte Valley and Downtown, the boulevard's wide setbacks give Speer a less intimate, more automobile-dominant feel. From Colfax south to Downing, a loose string of high-rises punctuate a low-rise fabric of historic street-edge commercial and suburban-like strip commercial with setbacks and surface parking.
Two of the seven Transformative Projects from the Downtown Area Plan (Grand Boulevards and Connecting Auraria) deal with Speer Boulevard. But what we really need to do is to create a vision for all of Speer Boulevard, and clearly define how Speer will serve in the future as the backbone of our urban core. I was recently in Atlanta, and that city's Peachtree Street functions much like Speer does in Denver, as it connects Downtown with Buckhead, their equivalent to our Cherry Creek district. Along the eight miles between the two, Peachtree Street has become the premier urban street in Atlanta, complete with their main cultural centers and museums, and dozens and dozens--hundreds perhaps--of residential, office, and hotel towers of varying height with vibrant ground-floor retail everywhere. It's an amazing corridor that could certainly serve as a model for what Speer Boulevard could become, if that's what we want. Either way, it's been almost a hundred years since Mayor Speer left us a remarkable, unique boulevard through the heart of our city. It's time we articulate a vision for Speer Boulevard that will allow it to live up to its full potential.
First is Mary Chandler's article on the proposed Bell Tower project. The article includes yet another view of the tower, this one even more clearly shows the articulation of the tower's facade. Here it is below (credit Jason Knowles/Fentress Architects):
The other article, by the Rocky's Mark Shulgold, is about the presentations that were recently made by the six finalist architecture firms competing for the chance to do the redesign of Boettcher concert hall. Of note in this article is the concept, presented by a couple of the firms, of the possibility that the new Boettcher could extend forward toward Speer as a new building rather than being rebuilt entirely within the footprint of the existing concert hall. Intriguing.
Both projects illuminate the opportunity we currently face in deciding what we want Speer Boulevard to become when it grows up. Named after our great City Beautiful-era mayor, Robert W. Speer, the boulevard itself is our city's grandest, with its special relationship to Cherry Creek, its enhanced streetscape, integrated pedestrian/bike path, and the various parks along its journey from Highland to the Cherry Creek district. Yet the building forms that line Speer Boulevard's 4.5 mile length is a total mixed bag. In Northwest Denver, the buildings are low-scale but sit right up against the Speer right-of-way. Through the Central Platte Valley and Downtown, the boulevard's wide setbacks give Speer a less intimate, more automobile-dominant feel. From Colfax south to Downing, a loose string of high-rises punctuate a low-rise fabric of historic street-edge commercial and suburban-like strip commercial with setbacks and surface parking.
Two of the seven Transformative Projects from the Downtown Area Plan (Grand Boulevards and Connecting Auraria) deal with Speer Boulevard. But what we really need to do is to create a vision for all of Speer Boulevard, and clearly define how Speer will serve in the future as the backbone of our urban core. I was recently in Atlanta, and that city's Peachtree Street functions much like Speer does in Denver, as it connects Downtown with Buckhead, their equivalent to our Cherry Creek district. Along the eight miles between the two, Peachtree Street has become the premier urban street in Atlanta, complete with their main cultural centers and museums, and dozens and dozens--hundreds perhaps--of residential, office, and hotel towers of varying height with vibrant ground-floor retail everywhere. It's an amazing corridor that could certainly serve as a model for what Speer Boulevard could become, if that's what we want. Either way, it's been almost a hundred years since Mayor Speer left us a remarkable, unique boulevard through the heart of our city. It's time we articulate a vision for Speer Boulevard that will allow it to live up to its full potential.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
16th & Welton Rare Photo
Anyone who's been following this blog or Downtown Denver news in general knows about Block 162, home of the building most people have come to know as the "Fontius" buildng. If you're not up on the subject, check out the links on the left under the "Fontius / Block 162" section or read Joel Warner's excellent "Evan Almighty" article in Westword.
As you probably know, the building at 16th and Welton currently being renovated by Evan "Urban Hero" Makovsky was completed in 1923 as the new home of Steel's department store. You've no doubt seen before this historic photo of the building's grand opening in 1923 (photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection):
So what about the building that was at that corner before 1923? After an exhaustive search of the Library's online photo database, I was never able to find any photo that clearly showed what the corner of 16th and Welton looked like before 1923. Until now.
I recently received an email from a gentleman named Dave Dyer who is researching the history of the long-defunct Steel Company, as an ancestor of his worked for the company in Buffalo, NY back in the old days. Dave came across my blogs about the history of the Steel Building and Block 162 and thought I would appreciate what he has found.
Dave has discovered two year's worth of the L. R. Steel Company's internal newsletters. Here's the cover of the newsletter dated August 6, 1921:
Not only does the newsletter contain a photo of the building at the corner before the 1923 structure, but the text below the photo talks about the company's plans to build a new four-story structure at that location! To help us get a better view of the building, I cropped the image and tweaked the contrast a bit to get this:
If you look closely at the sign at the top of the building, it reads: "A 4 story building will be erected on this corner by the L. R. Steel Co. Inc."
What an awesome find! My thanks to Dave Dyer for sharing this with us.
As you probably know, the building at 16th and Welton currently being renovated by Evan "Urban Hero" Makovsky was completed in 1923 as the new home of Steel's department store. You've no doubt seen before this historic photo of the building's grand opening in 1923 (photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection):
So what about the building that was at that corner before 1923? After an exhaustive search of the Library's online photo database, I was never able to find any photo that clearly showed what the corner of 16th and Welton looked like before 1923. Until now.
I recently received an email from a gentleman named Dave Dyer who is researching the history of the long-defunct Steel Company, as an ancestor of his worked for the company in Buffalo, NY back in the old days. Dave came across my blogs about the history of the Steel Building and Block 162 and thought I would appreciate what he has found.
Dave has discovered two year's worth of the L. R. Steel Company's internal newsletters. Here's the cover of the newsletter dated August 6, 1921:
Not only does the newsletter contain a photo of the building at the corner before the 1923 structure, but the text below the photo talks about the company's plans to build a new four-story structure at that location! To help us get a better view of the building, I cropped the image and tweaked the contrast a bit to get this:
If you look closely at the sign at the top of the building, it reads: "A 4 story building will be erected on this corner by the L. R. Steel Co. Inc."
What an awesome find! My thanks to Dave Dyer for sharing this with us.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
New Jefferson Park Project: PURE Townhomes
The northwest corner of Decatur and W. 27th Avenue may soon be home to a new infill project in the Jefferson Park district. Currently a vacant lot, a project called PURE Townhomes is planned for that corner. The project would include seven units ranging in size from 1,400 to 1,800 square feet and start in the $300,000s. Here's a rendering:
The image above is from the project website: www.puretownhomes.com, and is credited to Ray Byron Design Development. On the website you can download a PDF with floor plans and additional information.
The image above is from the project website: www.puretownhomes.com, and is credited to Ray Byron Design Development. On the website you can download a PDF with floor plans and additional information.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Bell Tower: The Renderings
As promised in Friday's blog about the proposed Bell Tower, I am happy to share with you high-resolution versions of the Bell Tower renderings. Of course, my appreciation to Matt and everyone else at Fentress Architects for providing me these images.
One minor correction to the information reported on Friday: the building will feature a lobby on the ground floor and 33 residential floors above for a total of 34 stories. There will be a total of 35 residential units.
One minor correction to the information reported on Friday: the building will feature a lobby on the ground floor and 33 residential floors above for a total of 34 stories. There will be a total of 35 residential units.
So, without further ado, here they are:
Yes, that's 1401 Lawrence rendered in the background. Even though that project was cancelled just a few days ago, I'm glad the building is still shown as it is likely it will come back in some form some day. Four Seasons and Two Tabor appear in the background too.
Auraria Hotel Project Approved
The proposed hotel located on the Auraria campus has taken another step forward with the Metropolitan State College's Board of Trustees approving the project at their June 4 meeting. Next in the process is the college issuing a Request for Proposals to the development community for developers to respond with a specific hotel design and secured financing. For more information about the project, here's an article by Dominic Graziano of The Met Online, the college's online newspaper.
In a nutshell, the hotel would be 12 stories and about 100,000 SF in size and would be located somewhere on the existing parking lot that faces Speer Boulevard between Auraria Parkway and Larimer (see the aerial photo on the Auraria district page). That site is across Speer from Mr. Geller's proposed 33-story "Bell Tower" on Block 242/044.
These projects are important in our goal of transforming Speer Boulevard from a wide open automobile-dominated thoroughfare into an urban, pedestrian-friendly boulevard framed by a strong street wall of buildings and lined with a great mix of uses and public spaces worthy of our signature urban parkway.
In a nutshell, the hotel would be 12 stories and about 100,000 SF in size and would be located somewhere on the existing parking lot that faces Speer Boulevard between Auraria Parkway and Larimer (see the aerial photo on the Auraria district page). That site is across Speer from Mr. Geller's proposed 33-story "Bell Tower" on Block 242/044.
These projects are important in our goal of transforming Speer Boulevard from a wide open automobile-dominated thoroughfare into an urban, pedestrian-friendly boulevard framed by a strong street wall of buildings and lined with a great mix of uses and public spaces worthy of our signature urban parkway.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Embassy Suites Construction Almost Underway
The long-planned Embassy Suites project slated for the corner of 14th and Stout on Block 138 is finally ready to start construction. As you probably know, the old Motor Hotel Garage on that site was demolished, slowly, in 2007. For the past several months, a bit of remaining rubble and a few miscellaneous pieces of equipment have been the only things inside the fenced-off site.
Now, the foundation of the old parking garage is being removed. Here's a photo, courtesy of my friend, Grant:
According to a representative of WPM, the developer, who was at the project site when Grant took this photo, the Embassy Suites project will be 17 stories tall and have 400 rooms, include ground-floor retail and a restaurant, and three levels of underground parking. The developer reportedly pulled their foundation permit with the city last week, and once the excavation of the old parking garage's foundation is complete and the rubble removed, construction on the new hotel will begin.
I still have to figure out if the rendering I show for the project is the most recent or not, but it does appear that we'll have yet another major construction project underway quite soon in Downtown Denver!
Now, the foundation of the old parking garage is being removed. Here's a photo, courtesy of my friend, Grant:
According to a representative of WPM, the developer, who was at the project site when Grant took this photo, the Embassy Suites project will be 17 stories tall and have 400 rooms, include ground-floor retail and a restaurant, and three levels of underground parking. The developer reportedly pulled their foundation permit with the city last week, and once the excavation of the old parking garage's foundation is complete and the rubble removed, construction on the new hotel will begin.
I still have to figure out if the rendering I show for the project is the most recent or not, but it does appear that we'll have yet another major construction project underway quite soon in Downtown Denver!
Bell Tower Design Revealed
Developer Buzz Geller yesterday revealed the preliminary design of his proposed "Bell Tower" located at Market and Speer on Block 242/044 in Lower Downtown Denver. Geller always said he wanted the tower to be architecturally significant. Thanks to Fentress Architects, the proposed design is definitely intriguing, that's for sure. Here's a lower-resolution image:
John Rebchook at the Rocky Mountain News this morning reports more on the proposed 33-story tower, and also has additional renderings of the project. Click here for the article. I hope to be able to post high-res versions of the renderings soon. All images are courtesy of Fentress Architects.
The project also includes a much shorter office building across Cherry Creek from the tower, at the corner of 14th and Market. The office building has a more traditional design:
The project must still be given final approval through the Lower Downtown Design Review Board, which reviewed the project yesterday. You may recall that Geller obtained the right to build a tower up to 375 feet tall at the Speer/Market site due to the creation of a Special Review District under the LoDo design guidelines.
With prices for the Bell Tower's condo units at or higher than those of the Four Seasons, who knows if there is the demand out there. But with only 33 units total, Geller has far fewer units than the recently-cancelled 1401 Lawrence project. Either way, Bell Tower would certainly have a dramatic impact on Denver's skyline!
John Rebchook at the Rocky Mountain News this morning reports more on the proposed 33-story tower, and also has additional renderings of the project. Click here for the article. I hope to be able to post high-res versions of the renderings soon. All images are courtesy of Fentress Architects.
The project also includes a much shorter office building across Cherry Creek from the tower, at the corner of 14th and Market. The office building has a more traditional design:
The project must still be given final approval through the Lower Downtown Design Review Board, which reviewed the project yesterday. You may recall that Geller obtained the right to build a tower up to 375 feet tall at the Speer/Market site due to the creation of a Special Review District under the LoDo design guidelines.
With prices for the Bell Tower's condo units at or higher than those of the Four Seasons, who knows if there is the demand out there. But with only 33 units total, Geller has far fewer units than the recently-cancelled 1401 Lawrence project. Either way, Bell Tower would certainly have a dramatic impact on Denver's skyline!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The View
No, not the TV show. It's the view from Lower Highland and our excellent trio of bridges that creates a 1.75 mile pedestrian spine through the heart of Downtown Denver. From the always-busy Lola at 16th and Boulder to 16th and Broadway and the State Capitol, it's one heckuva corridor. Here are a few shots from yesterday. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Hargreaves Selected as Union Station Public Realm Designer
The landscape design consultant Hargreaves Associates was selected by the Denver Union Station project team to lead the design of the public spaces at Downtown Denver's massive Union Station transit project. Here's the official press release regarding the selection of Hargreaves.
Over the course of the summer, Hargreaves and project architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will lay out the design for the public spaces within the Union Station Transit District area. Key to that process will be involving the public in that design effort, and making sure that Denver citizens have a say in what those public spaces will look like and how they will function.
I will keep you posted throughout the summer of public meetings and other important activites relating to the design of the public realm at Union Station, and you can also keep up with the latest news about the Union Station project by visiting the official project website (www.denverunionstation.org) and the website at Union Station Advocates (www.unionstationadvocates.org).
Over the course of the summer, Hargreaves and project architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will lay out the design for the public spaces within the Union Station Transit District area. Key to that process will be involving the public in that design effort, and making sure that Denver citizens have a say in what those public spaces will look like and how they will function.
I will keep you posted throughout the summer of public meetings and other important activites relating to the design of the public realm at Union Station, and you can also keep up with the latest news about the Union Station project by visiting the official project website (www.denverunionstation.org) and the website at Union Station Advocates (www.unionstationadvocates.org).
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
New Urbanism in Colorado
In 2009, Denver will be hosting the Congress for the New Urbanism, a national gathering of planners, architects, developers and others that are involved in creating new urbanist developments. As part of that event, the local CNU 2009 Host Committee is creating a “Regional Projects Book” to be published in conjunction with the 2009 Congress. Attendees of the conference will receive the book, and it will also be available for purchase by the general public. The book will highlight urban projects and issues of urbanism in Colorado.
Denver is the first city to ever host a Congress for the second time, and having CNU return here is a great opportunity for us to showcase our urban accomplishments. You can help by submitting or informally nominating projects that you think may be of merit. Please read the attached Call for Submittals for information on how to do that.
Denver is the first city to ever host a Congress for the second time, and having CNU return here is a great opportunity for us to showcase our urban accomplishments. You can help by submitting or informally nominating projects that you think may be of merit. Please read the attached Call for Submittals for information on how to do that.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Great Gulf Sells 14th & Lawrence Parcel
The Colorado Real Estate Journal report that Great Gulf Colorado LLC sold their parcel on Block 070 at the corner of 14th and Lawrence for $8,425,000 to Renshan LP. The deal closed on May 29, 2008 and was recorded May 30, 2008. It was Friday, May 30 when Great Gulf publicly announced they were cancelling their proposed 51-story 1401 Lawrence project.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
1900 16th Street Construction Photos
Today I'm happy to post a couple of cool photos relating to Trammell Crow's 1900 16th Street project currrently under construction in Downtown Denver's Union Station district. First, here's a great shot of all the elevator cores rising at the site. This photo is courtesy of Phil C.
Next, here's a view very few of us get to enjoy. This was taken from the cab of one of the tower cranes working at 1900 16th. Visible through the window is the green roof of the EPA building. Thank you to Kevin Handley of Tryba Architects for this photo:
Next, here's a view very few of us get to enjoy. This was taken from the cab of one of the tower cranes working at 1900 16th. Visible through the window is the green roof of the EPA building. Thank you to Kevin Handley of Tryba Architects for this photo:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sage Hospitality Plans Move to New Fontius
In today's Denver Post, Margaret Jackson reports that local development firm Sage Hospitality is planning on occupying 32,000 SF of office space on the top three floors of Evan Makovsky's still-under-renovation Fontius/Steel building. Congratulations to Sage and Makovsky for the deal! It's great to keep a local HQ in the heart of Downtown.
Since the Fontius name has been associated for such a long time with a run-down building, I can understand why Mr. Makovsky wants people to refer to the historic structure as the Steel Building instead, after its original occupant, Steel's Department Store. But Steel's hasn't been in the building for more than fifty years and they don't exist anymore anyway, so why not give the building a more relevant moniker like, the Sage Building?
Since the Fontius name has been associated for such a long time with a run-down building, I can understand why Mr. Makovsky wants people to refer to the historic structure as the Steel Building instead, after its original occupant, Steel's Department Store. But Steel's hasn't been in the building for more than fifty years and they don't exist anymore anyway, so why not give the building a more relevant moniker like, the Sage Building?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Central Downtown Upgrade Complete
I'm happy to report that after a month of working away at it in my "spare" time, I just uploaded the new-and-improved Central Downtown section. Like Arapahoe Square and Lower Downtown before it (plus all the Center City districts), all of Central Downtown now has the new page layout and the larger 2007 color aerial photos. While I was at it, I also incorporated all the latest project information, renderings, construction photos, etc.
Only two to go: Upper Downtown and Civic Center!
Only two to go: Upper Downtown and Civic Center!
Friday, June 06, 2008
Mall Shuttle Makes Unscheduled Stop
At about 2:59 PM this afternoon at 16th and Blake, an RTD mall shuttle was apparently desparate for a Starbucks:
I don't believe anyone was injured, but the tree isn't feeling too great right now. I have no idea how this happened.
I don't believe anyone was injured, but the tree isn't feeling too great right now. I have no idea how this happened.
Views from the SugarCube Building
No, not views of the new SugarCube building, views from the new SugarCube building.
Thanks to the good people at Urban Villages, I had a chance yesterday to tour the inside of the not-yet-complete SugarCube building on Block 019 in Lower Downtown Denver. The building is scheduled to be complete later this month so things will be wrapping up pretty quickly at the site.
The residential units are incredible. Very contemporary and well appointed. I didn't get into any of the office spaces, but if they are anything like the apartments, they will be very nice too.
The views are awesome--check it out:
Thanks to the good people at Urban Villages, I had a chance yesterday to tour the inside of the not-yet-complete SugarCube building on Block 019 in Lower Downtown Denver. The building is scheduled to be complete later this month so things will be wrapping up pretty quickly at the site.
The residential units are incredible. Very contemporary and well appointed. I didn't get into any of the office spaces, but if they are anything like the apartments, they will be very nice too.
The views are awesome--check it out:
Next time when I go back, I'll get a photo taken from the end of one of the "gangplank" balconies.
For more information about SugarCube, please visit the project website at www.sugarcubebuilding.com
Thursday, June 05, 2008
1001 17th Street Grand Opening
The former Qwest building at the corner of 17th and Arapahoe Streets in Downtown Denver, which has been undergoing a complete renovation for many months, is set for a grand opening on June 11. The building has been renamed "1001 17th Street" and includes an entirely new retail plaza and grand pedestrian entrance facing 17th Street, replacing an old elevated plaza and windowless facade. Here's what it used to look like:
Now, here's the new 17th Street side of the block:
The project has been undertaken by Miller Global, which purchased the site from Qwest in 2006. I wasn't able to get a good picture of it the other day when I took these shots, but the inside lobby of the new entrance looks pretty cool with seveal large art pieces being installed. Once the retail spaces have been all occupied, the whole complex will nicely enhance that stretch of 17th Street.
Imagine how hot the corner of 17th and Curtis would be if Shea Properties is able to complete their proposed 999 17th Street project, located immediately across Curtis Street from this project!
The project has been undertaken by Miller Global, which purchased the site from Qwest in 2006. I wasn't able to get a good picture of it the other day when I took these shots, but the inside lobby of the new entrance looks pretty cool with seveal large art pieces being installed. Once the retail spaces have been all occupied, the whole complex will nicely enhance that stretch of 17th Street.
Imagine how hot the corner of 17th and Curtis would be if Shea Properties is able to complete their proposed 999 17th Street project, located immediately across Curtis Street from this project!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Governor Approves Justice Center, History Museum Funding
After many years of being in the works, the new Colorado Justice Center and Colorado History Museum projects have been officially authorized by Governor Ritter. There's two more significant projects for Denver's Civic Center district!
Here's the full press release issued just minutes ago:
"Gov. Bill Ritter today signed legislation that green-lights a new state judicial complex, to be named after former Gov. Ralph L. Carr, and creates a new home for the aging Colorado History Museum in downtown Denver.
Senate Bill 206 (Shaffer & Penry/T. Carroll & Marostica) authorizes the financing to construct the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center on the block currently occupied by the Colorado Supreme Court and Colorado History Museum. The 615,000-square-foot complex will consolidate into one location the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Attorney General's Office and several other judicial and legal offices now located across multiple sites. The History Museum will be relocated to a new 200,000-square-foot facility one block south.
"The existing Supreme Court and History Museum buildings opened more than 30 years ago," Gov. Ritter said. "They were outdated and obsolete from the day they opened, and they have not aged well since. Senate Bill 206 will allow us to create a state-of-the-art, dignified home for the judicial branch of state government and a modern facility to protect and showcase Colorado's historical treasures. These two projects speak to the past and the future of Colorado.
"I am particularly pleased we are naming the new justice center after one of my heroes and one of the truly great Coloradans," Gov. Ritter added. "More than 60 years after standing up for the rights of Japanese-Americans, and by extension the rights of us all, Ralph Carr is finally getting the recognition he deserves."
"We very much appreciate the legislature's hard work and bipartisan efforts in developing this bill and the governor's approval of it," Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey said. "This new facility will provide greater safety for the court, efficiency in our operations and significant long-term cost savings to the people of Colorado."
"The Colorado Historical Society has an incredible opportunity to reinvent how it showcases Colorado's treasures and teaches Colorado's rich history," said Edward C. Nichols, Colorado Historical Society President & CEO. "This new facility will allow us to provide an even better platform and resource for statewide programs, projects and initiatives that will be of benefit to our state's visitors and residents alike."
Gov. Ritter also today named Nichols the new State Historic Preservation Officer, replacing Georgianna Contiguglia, who retired last year.
Senate Bill 206 authorizes the state to enter into lease-purchase agreements, increase court fees and utilize the state historical fund to pay for the project. Total project costs for the new museum are $113 million, and $295 million for the judicial center, both spread out over 35 years. The new museum will open in late 2011 and the judicial center in 2014.
By consolidating the state's judicial and legal offices under one roof, the state will save at least $60 million in rent, lease and other expenses over the next 30 years. The state will also avoid having to spend $17 million in maintenance costs needed to bring the current Supreme Court and History Museum buildings up to code. The buildings are located on the block bounded by Broadway, Lincoln and 13th and 14th avenues.
The roof of the museum has leaked since it opened, and employees regularly use buckets and trash cans to collect rainwater and prevent damage to historical artifacts. The museum also lacks proper climate controls for storing and displaying its collection. The collection includes more than 10 million documents, 800,000 photographs and 250,000 artifacts.
The new museum site will be a public-private partnership, jointly developed with a private office tower."
Here's the full press release issued just minutes ago:
"Gov. Bill Ritter today signed legislation that green-lights a new state judicial complex, to be named after former Gov. Ralph L. Carr, and creates a new home for the aging Colorado History Museum in downtown Denver.
Senate Bill 206 (Shaffer & Penry/T. Carroll & Marostica) authorizes the financing to construct the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center on the block currently occupied by the Colorado Supreme Court and Colorado History Museum. The 615,000-square-foot complex will consolidate into one location the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Attorney General's Office and several other judicial and legal offices now located across multiple sites. The History Museum will be relocated to a new 200,000-square-foot facility one block south.
"The existing Supreme Court and History Museum buildings opened more than 30 years ago," Gov. Ritter said. "They were outdated and obsolete from the day they opened, and they have not aged well since. Senate Bill 206 will allow us to create a state-of-the-art, dignified home for the judicial branch of state government and a modern facility to protect and showcase Colorado's historical treasures. These two projects speak to the past and the future of Colorado.
"I am particularly pleased we are naming the new justice center after one of my heroes and one of the truly great Coloradans," Gov. Ritter added. "More than 60 years after standing up for the rights of Japanese-Americans, and by extension the rights of us all, Ralph Carr is finally getting the recognition he deserves."
"We very much appreciate the legislature's hard work and bipartisan efforts in developing this bill and the governor's approval of it," Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey said. "This new facility will provide greater safety for the court, efficiency in our operations and significant long-term cost savings to the people of Colorado."
"The Colorado Historical Society has an incredible opportunity to reinvent how it showcases Colorado's treasures and teaches Colorado's rich history," said Edward C. Nichols, Colorado Historical Society President & CEO. "This new facility will allow us to provide an even better platform and resource for statewide programs, projects and initiatives that will be of benefit to our state's visitors and residents alike."
Gov. Ritter also today named Nichols the new State Historic Preservation Officer, replacing Georgianna Contiguglia, who retired last year.
Senate Bill 206 authorizes the state to enter into lease-purchase agreements, increase court fees and utilize the state historical fund to pay for the project. Total project costs for the new museum are $113 million, and $295 million for the judicial center, both spread out over 35 years. The new museum will open in late 2011 and the judicial center in 2014.
By consolidating the state's judicial and legal offices under one roof, the state will save at least $60 million in rent, lease and other expenses over the next 30 years. The state will also avoid having to spend $17 million in maintenance costs needed to bring the current Supreme Court and History Museum buildings up to code. The buildings are located on the block bounded by Broadway, Lincoln and 13th and 14th avenues.
The roof of the museum has leaked since it opened, and employees regularly use buckets and trash cans to collect rainwater and prevent damage to historical artifacts. The museum also lacks proper climate controls for storing and displaying its collection. The collection includes more than 10 million documents, 800,000 photographs and 250,000 artifacts.
The new museum site will be a public-private partnership, jointly developed with a private office tower."
Monday, June 02, 2008
New Arapahoe Square Project: The Glenarm
A new brownstone project called The Glenarm is planned for Block 179 in Denver's Arapahoe Square district. The project, located at 22nd and Glenarm, would cover about two-thirds of the half block facing Glenarm between 21st and 22nd Streets. The site is currently a surface parking lot.
Directly across Glenarm from the project is the Clements Historic District and several quaint Victorian-era homes, so the scale and use of The Glenarm appears about right. Here's an image of The Glenarm taken from the project website:
According to the project website (www.TheGlenarm.com) the sales office at the site will open in mid-June. The website doesn't yet give any details about the project such as pricing, number of units, etc., but from the website's looping video (note to developer: please ditch the annoying music), it looks like there will be around 24 units or so.
This seems like a good transition project from the single-family homes on Block 190 to the rest of Arapahoe Square to the north where higher densities will be more appropriate.
Directly across Glenarm from the project is the Clements Historic District and several quaint Victorian-era homes, so the scale and use of The Glenarm appears about right. Here's an image of The Glenarm taken from the project website:
According to the project website (www.TheGlenarm.com) the sales office at the site will open in mid-June. The website doesn't yet give any details about the project such as pricing, number of units, etc., but from the website's looping video (note to developer: please ditch the annoying music), it looks like there will be around 24 units or so.
This seems like a good transition project from the single-family homes on Block 190 to the rest of Arapahoe Square to the north where higher densities will be more appropriate.
