DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[rds70]

Originally Posted by jhwk

1335 Grant affordable housing is back in front of the LPC. The design is actually much better but I still can’t believe the city council and mayor aren’t pushing back on the LPC restricting the building height. They should hold their meeting in the park among all the people living there in tents who need an affordable home.

For clarification, the LPC is not restricting the height. The height and other dimensional standards are governed by the zoning of the property, which is C-MX-8 or 8 story maximum. However, this project is asking for a one floor bonus for housing affordability.

Anyway, the building is proposed to contain 104 residential units over two floors of below grade parking. Here are a few massing renderings:

[jhwk]

Originally Posted by rds70

For clarification, the LPC is not restricting the height. The height and other dimensional standards are governed by the zoning of the property, which is C-MX-8 or 8 story maximum. However, this project is asking for a one floor bonus for housing affordability.

That is not correct, as of new rules passed in June of ‘22 the bonus for affordability is 4 stories in this area. The LPC already denied a 12-story proposal in April because of height not being compatible with the Civic Center historic district. This 9 story proposal is the resubmittal.

The LPC is out of control recently and needs to be reigned in. We can’t let someone’s arbitrary aesthetic preferences lose us affordable units like this. The Hoovervilles in the park are far less compatible with the historic district than having to look at a 12 story building instead of a 9 story building.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by jhwk

That is not correct, as of new rules passed in June of ‘22 the bonus for affordability is 4 stories in this area. The LPC already denied a 12-story proposal in April because of height not being compatible with the Civic Center historic district. This 9 story proposal is the resubmittal.

The LPC is out of control recently and needs to be reigned in. We can’t let someone’s arbitrary aesthetic preferences lose us affordable units like this. The Hoovervilles in the park are far worse than having to look at a 12 story building instead of a 9 story building.

If we could get red brick Hoovervilles, I am sure the LPC would be fine with them. But yes, I agree with you, they are a bit myopic.

I do like this building though. Sharp.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by jhwk

That is not correct, as of new rules passed in June of ‘22 the bonus for affordability is 4 stories in this area. The LPC already denied a 12-story proposal in April because of height not being compatible with the Civic Center historic district. This 9 story proposal is the resubmittal.

The LPC is out of control recently and needs to be reigned in. We can’t let someone’s arbitrary aesthetic preferences lose us affordable units like this. The Hoovervilles in the park are far less compatible with the historic district than having to look at a 12 story building instead of a 9 story building.

When I read your first post, I didn't recognize the address; this project had fallen off my radar.

Props to Benjamin Neufeld at Westword who provides us a nice summary for this project as of May 4th.

Denver's Landmark Preservation Commission has turned down a Capitol Hill church's plan to develop a parking lot into a twelve-story apartment building with affordable housing, which would exceed the minimum height standards mandated by the city.

The zoning district in which the church's parking lot is located traditionally allows for mixed-use development up to eight stories in height. With this last proposal, Kuhn says, the church had planned to take advantage of an increased height incentive that the Expanding Affordable Housing policy — passed by Denver City Council in 2022 — awards to developments that include more on-site affordable units in a building than the minimum amount required.

One of those inexplicable zoning glitches.

The official Landmark Preservation staff report on the development, which was released prior to the May 2 hearing, recommended denial. "The proposed building does not fit in with the typical scale of Civic Center's historic buildings and may compete visually with and interrupt views of key buildings in the immediate surrounding context," it reads.

"It's noble, but it's not really an issue for us," concluded one commissioner.

I like the renderings rds70 gave us; perhaps they'll allow the one extra story.

For others not familiar with the backstory the Westword article is a Good Read.

[TakeFive]

More affordable housing is needed

253 Affordable Housing Units Break Ground in Park Hill
July 3, 2023 - Mile High CRE

The largest city-funded affordable housing project to break ground since the formation of Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) in 2019, officially broke ground in June. Construction is now underway on Holly38, which will provide 253 income-restricted units, including a large portion of three- and four-bedroom homes suitable for larger families.

Those three- and four- bedroom units are really needed.

Holly38
3800 N. Holly St. and 5909 E. 38th Ave


Holly38, courtesy of City and County of Denver

-------------------------

Crews break ground on affordable housing community in Aurora
AUGUST 2, 2023 BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF

Sapling Grove Apartments


Image courtesy CBS Denver


Image courtesy of Santulan Architecture

https://milehighcre.com/81-unit-affordable-apartment-community-breaks-ground-in-aurora/

The energy-efficient development — designed by Santulan Architecture and built by BC Builders — will establish an enhanced foundation for residents to access health and wellness resources while addressing the critical need for affordable housing options for community members with incomes ranging between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Fifty units of senior housing are planned for the second phase of the project.

------------------------

Pinkard Construction Completes Thrive Mixed-Income Housing Project
July 20, 2023 - Mile High CRE

Pinkard Construction, a leading builder of multifamily housing in Colorado, has completed the construction of Thrive. The community was developed by the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) and designed by Shopworks Architecture. It is located between I-25 and Federal Blvd on W. Holden Place in the heart of the Sun Valley neighborhood.

Images courtesy Denver Housing Authority

Nice Unit Mix

The 135-unit Thrive development, 54 percent of which are affordable to households earning below 60 percent of Denver’s Area Median Income, includes two-story townhomes and one- to five-bedroom multifamily units.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Props to Benjamin Neufeld at Westword who provides us a nice summary for this project as of May 4th.

For others not familiar with the backstory the Westword article is a Good Read.

"It's noble, but it's not really an issue for us," concluded one commissioner."

The noble thing to do would be to disband the LPC. This is just ridiculous. And what I like about this example is there's no "evil developer" storyline; it's a damn church. It really does bring the elitist-rich-paternalistic-hypocritical nature of Denver (and really, most of liberal urban America) into a stark light.

$10 says the new Mayor does and says nothing about this. His people, after all. Do as I say, not as I do. As if shaking a homeless person's hand for the cameras makes it all better.

[TakeFive]

I wouldn't disagree

Originally Posted by bunt_q

"It's noble, but it's not really an issue for us," concluded one commissioner."

The noble thing to do would be to disband the LPC.

I did a deep dive; it had been years...

Originally Posted by bunt_q

$10 says the new Mayor does and says nothing about this. His people, after all. Do as I say, not as I do. As if shaking a homeless person's hand for the cameras makes it all better.

but nothing much has changed other than the problem getting worse.

There's still one Poster Child for success

How Houston’s homelessness breakthrough could be a national game-changer
June 9, 2023

Since 2012, more than 28,000 people who have experienced homelessness in the greater Houston area have been housed. This has resulted in a more than a 60% decrease in overall homelessness in just over a decade.

Smart Cities Dive recently had a four-part series on Houston's success.

Since 2012, the Houston model has housed over 26,000 people, with 90% of them remaining housed for two or more years, according to Eichenbaum.

Here's the problem. No other city has been able to copy Houston's success which is basically a "Housing First" approach with coordinated support services. I am impressed (so far) with new Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles.

The huge advantage that Houston had is (like Phoenix) they're a large sprawling city with an immense diversity of housing stock to pick from. Plus they started when housing costs were much lower (2012).

For now, I'll give the new Mayor props for good intentions and his energy.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

...One of those inexplicable zoning glitches.

"It's noble, but it's not really an issue for us," concluded one commissioner.

When I talk about leadership in America being dead, this is exactly the kind of comment and person I'm pointing the figure at.

[TakeFive]

It's a race to the finish line

Who will get there first?

This one?



Or this one?


Images courtesy Uplands RE Partners

Winner gets a box of chocolates



It turns out both projects are being built by the same development partnership, the only projects they have in Denver.

Who are these guys?

https://milehighcre.com/new-mixed-use-re...oming-to-fitzsimons-village-master-plan/

The development team of Uplands Real Estate Partners, The Max Collaborative, and Wynne Yasmer Real Estate are planning to deliver a new mixed-use residential development located within Fitzsimons Village, across from the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The Broadleaf will include 370 residential apartments and more than 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space lining the boulevard within the master-planned Village.

The project marks the second project for the development team in the greater Denver market. The partnership recently broke ground on the iconic One River North project, a residential high rise in Denver’s River North Arts District (RiNo)...

Uplands Real Estate Partners and The Max Collaborative were both founded by members of the Ratner family, the founding family of Forest City Realty Trust, which led the transformative redevelopment of Denver’s old Stapleton International Airport. Wynne Yasmer Real Estate is a Denver-based developer whose principals, Brian Wynne and K.C. Yasmer, are both former Forest City executives.

And now you know the rest of the story.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Images courtesy Uplands RE Partners
[/SIZE]

This project is a great example IMO of how form is so much more important than scattered colors/materials in creating high quality design. That tiny setback on the corner does SO MUCH for making an interesting building. This building could all be the same material and it would still look better than 95% of the stuff that's gone up. I wish architecture schools would start teaching classical form and balance again and step away from the randomized modernist teachings they seem hellbent on continuing with.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by laniroj

I wish architecture schools would start teaching classical form and balance again and step away from the randomized modernist teachings they seem hellbent on continuing with.

Do architecture schools actually teach that? I assume it was just an output in SketchUp. Enter square footage, height, lot dimension… next prompt enter the design budget (which determines if you get the 5-second output or the 10-second output, which requires 2 GB of extra RAM minimum)… and hit “Go.” Out spits a multicolored residential monstrosity. Architect paid. The rest of architecture is plumbing and heating.

[jhwk]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Do architecture schools actually teach that? I assume it was just an output in SketchUp. Enter square footage, height, lot dimension… next prompt enter the design budget (which determines if you get the 5-second output or the 10-second output, which requires 2 GB of extra RAM minimum)… and hit “Go.” Out spits a multicolored residential monstrosity. Architect paid. The rest of architecture is plumbing and heating.

I think education is a minor component. The bigger driver of the neo-constructivist trend we see today is a result of planners and design guidelines that require “breaking up the massing”, too many mandatory setbacks, and better (more expensive) designs having little positive impact on the developer’s bottom lines.

Fortunately architectural trends are cyclical and we are due for a conterreaction soon. Some of Denver’s better multifamily architects (SAR and JNS stand out to me) are heading in that direction already.

There is an education competent to the problem in that the rigid doctrine of modernism is still taught uncritically in architecture school. Not this particular style, but rather that architecture requires the rejection of precedent and the concept that every building has to be a unique experiment and be built from first principles. Le Corbusier was taught as a master in my architecture classes when the general consensus outside of architecture is that his ideas were highly destructive to urban spaces.

The worst part of architecture school is that it is very abstracted from practice. It trains you to think you will actually be designing grandiose buildings that make an impact on your community. When you get out of school you actually detail toilet partitions 50 hours a week for $45k a year until you claw your way up the ranks, after which you spend most of your time managing your subconsultants and fighting the GC when they build it wrong.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by jhwk

The worst part of architecture school is that it is very abstracted from practice. It trains you to think you will actually be designing grandiose buildings that make an impact on your community. When you get out of school you actually detail toilet partitions 50 hours a week for $45k a year until you claw your way up the ranks, after which you spend most of your time managing your subconsultants and fighting the GC when they build it wrong.

Ha. The engineering equivalent is thinking you'll be designing glorious transit systems - a paid and professionalized version of oh-so-many bar napkins drawn over the years. Reality is detailing pipe flanges (and getting shit on by lawyers) for $43k a year.

[mhays]

A lot of new architects should work for contractors instead. The typical project engineer (different meaning) probably starts at $80k these days.

jhwk, very insightful post.

[TakeFive]

I'd agree!

Originally Posted by mhays

jhwk, very insightful post.

Speaking of interesting career paths

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Ha. The engineering equivalent is thinking you'll be designing glorious transit systems - a paid and professionalized version of oh-so-many bar napkins drawn over the years. Reality is detailing pipe flanges (and getting shit on by lawyers) for $43k a year.

Consider Jurisprudence; this Federal Judge takes crazy to a whole other level. I also happen to be familiar with ADF which I assume Denver is now. FWIW (not much), I happen to drive by their suburban Scottsdale office once.

With respect to new apartments

I read on Biznow that (most) developers are focusing on projects under construction but because of interest rates etc won't look to start new projects until 2024. Who knows what 2024 will look like?

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by mhays

A lot of new architects should work for contractors instead. The typical project engineer (different meaning) probably starts at $80k these days.

jhwk, very insightful post.

That project engineer also doesn't have $100k of student loan debt from getting that archy degree and has a 4-5 year head start ($250k of earnings)! That will change as construction slows. Feast or famine in that world; some of those jobs will eventually be shed and the labor rates will self correct - unless millennials and gen z just never work with their hands and inherit gobs of money from their boomer/gen x rents.

[mhays]

Construction is chronically understaffed, in both the office and field. It seems like one of the safer sectors in any downturn. Maybe less so for concrete specialists, since new construction fluctuates more than renovations and TIs.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mhays

Construction is chronically understaffed, in both the office and field. It seems like one of the safer sectors in any downturn. Maybe less so for concrete specialists, since new construction fluctuates more than renovations and TIs.

"I feel the earth move under my feet"

• Apparently the post-COVID rush for Life Science space is quickly evaporating
• Warehousing is no longer hot but Okay due to increased demand for data storage
• Office demand is in the tank
• Hotel demand is spotty at best

Demand for apartments is harder to read going forward.

Equity Res has hopes for Seattle.

Equity Residential President and CEO Mark Parrell said. “In places like Seattle, we are hopeful that the return-to-office mandates by employers like Amazon will drive incremental demand back into the urban areas of the city as commute times become intolerable for workers who dispersed far outside the city...

Concrete should enjoy the surge in road and bridge spending I'd think.

[mhays]

Some sectors are overbuilt, clearly. But public spending is surging thanks to new infrastructure dollars.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by mhays

A lot of new architects should work for contractors instead. The typical project engineer (different meaning) probably starts at $80k these days.

jhwk, very insightful post.

Ha that's exactly what I did. Received my architecture degree but went to work as a construction project engineer. I was making nearly double what my architecture buddies were making and learning a lot more about how buildings are actually constructed. I am now on the development side telling architects what I want them to draw