DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[mhays]

Yes, while also competing with the same district for shoppers and diners.

The stadium might work, the housing sounds good, and the offices might be ok eventually, but the collective volume and spread of retail would be a challenge.

Gates Phase 1 is 887 residential units, 380,000 sf of office, and 180,000 sf of retail and restaurants. I don't see what the other Phases have, but maybe 1,000 more housing units, a similar amount of office, and a smattering of additional retail? Along with the other density along Broadway and Alameda, the walkable folks would mean there's always some activity...but the retail and restaurants will need many times that many customers, mostly by rail or car. That can work, though it's hard to do.

First, there's a lot of retail space to fill, even with a substantial inflow of people by car and train. Second, the energy would be diffused among different areas, making it hard to establish critical mass in any "quadrant" and making each quadrant compete with the others. The driving public shows limited willingness to walk a few blocks, and they're most of the necessary clientele.

The similar places that work tend to cluster their retail into limited areas. They're often in great natural settings like on waterfronts...like Gates minus Santa Fe Drive. Otherwise the upstairs uses tend to do better than the street-level businesses. Developers know this but they're chronically over-optimistic about retail. It seems like the majority of mixed-use districts--as well as downtown-style complexes--fail as retail centers in the end.

[TakeFive]

Population Changes Have Retailers Skipping Downtown, Shooting For Denver's Suburbs
March 20, 2025 By Jonathan Rose, Denver

Denver’s retail market is experiencing a shift as more retailers and developers prioritize the suburbs over the urban core.

That was a key takeaway from Bisnow’s Denver Hospitality, Mixed-Use and Retail Summit on Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel Denver, where panelists discussed how rising costs, lengthy entitlement timelines and evolving consumer habits are reshaping retail development.

Retailers are going where people live, he said, including fast-casual restaurant chains and health-focused companies.

What about Groceries?

Jon Hauser, managing partner at Drake Real Estate Services, said national retailers are doubling down on large-format locations outside the city center. This trend is evident in the grocery sector, with multiple chains expanding aggressively into suburban markets.

“The big-box-format retailers are really active,” Hauser said. “King Soopers is doing five or six stores. WinCo Foods is coming in with a dozen stores.”

Courtesy of WinCo Foods

It's been maybe a couple of years since I brought up WinCo Foods which is where I buy most of my groceries. They are employee owned and based in Boise Idaho which is sort of the center of the grocery world.

What about the urban core?

While suburban retail is thriving, the urban core faces mounting challenges, especially entitlement delays and increasing costs.

Chris Viscardi, a partner at Kentro Group, pointed to permitting bottlenecks as a major deterrent for urban retail development. “Mixed-use is just challenging right now. Entitlement timelines in the urban core are really making things complicated — you’re talking 12 to 14 months,” he said. “We just got a King Soopers permitted, and it took us 24 months through Denver.”

Jeff Durbon, president of construction firm Crosslands Cos., said the city is simply too expensive for many tenants to build new retail locations. “We have got Denver city limits scratched off of our list because we can't afford to be there. Something’s got to change,” Durbon said.

Clearly it isn't just me that's complaining.

[TakeFive]

Quite the Groundbreaking

Little Blue Shovels



BIG Shovel


Photos Courtesy Linda Kotsaftis -- Front Porch

Construction of Bluff Lake Nature Center’s New Project is Underway
03/12/2025 by Linda Kotsaftis -- Front Porch

On a blue-sky day with the backdrop of the snow-covered mountains and the Denver skyline, children from programs at the center with hard hats and shovels welcomed the start of the next phase of the Bluff Lake Nature Center (BLNC). The crowd at today’s official groundbreaking for the $8.5 million campus improvement project heard from center leaders and donors who made the start of the project possible.

The 123-acre wildlife refuge, located at 11255 E. MLK Jr. Blvd., is adjacent to the site of the former Stapleton Airport and has seen the numbers of visitors grow as development in the area has increased. BLNC saw 100,000 visitors in 2024 during its 30th anniversary year.

According to Mile High CRE

• Public Amenities: Indoor classrooms, shaded outdoor learning areas, and new paths and gardens
• All-Electric Administrative Building: Offices, meeting rooms, kitchen, storage, garage, and welcoming lobby
• Parking Lot Enhancements: Accessible parking, ramp, and stair access
• Trail Accessibility: New ADA-accessible trail and stairway connecting the facility to the lower preserve

[TakeFive]

Denver’s NWSL team plans headquarters, training facility and temporary stadium in Centennial
Mar. 24, 2025 By Paolo Zialcita & Andrew Kenney -- Denverite

The city of Centennial may host a headquarters, training facility and temporary soccer stadium for Denver’s new National Women’s Soccer League team, according to documents presented to the Cherry Creek Board of Education this week. The proposal could bring professional women’s soccer matches to the suburban city for several years, while also establishing permanent facilities for the team and a new athletics complex for the district.

All of the planned facilities would sit on a large undeveloped property at the intersection of South Potomac Street and East Fremont Avenue. It would stand just across the street from the Denver Broncos’ training facility, as well as Dove Valley Regional Park.

The team is planning the following projects in Centennial, according to public records:

• A headquarters and training facility.
• A soccer stadium with temporary seating for up to 15,000 people and permanent seating for 4,000. The stadium is to include permanent facilities including locker rooms, restrooms, concessions, press box and lighting. The stadium could host the team while its permanent stadium is built in Denver.
• Two natural grass soccer fields and an artificial turf field that the NWSL team will use for training.
• Another complex of “at least” four more artificial turf fields which will be available for the school district to use for non-tackle sports.

The official new stadium is scheduled to be completed in 2028 (if everything goes according to script).

[Fritzdude]

Riding my bike in five points today and I came across the development at 29th and Welton. I had no idea this was underway. Looks to be pretty nice.

https://www.rtd-denver.com/about-rtd/projects/29th-welton

[TakeFive]

Well Done

Originally Posted by Fritzdude

Riding my bike in five points today and I came across the development at 29th and Welton. I had no idea this was underway. Looks to be pretty nice.

https://www.rtd-denver.com/about-rtd/projects/29th-welton

It so happens that Naked Denver featured this project recently.

Affordable Housing Rise in Five Points: Hattie McDaniel Project Update
Mar 5, 2025 -- Naked Denver Staff

639 29th Street

In the midst of Denver's vibrant Five Points neighborhood, known for its rich cultural history and historical significance, the Hattie McDaniel Project at 639 29th Street
has been progressing steadily since construction began five months ago. This ambitious development not only aims to provide affordable housing but also pays homage
to Hattie McDaniel, celebrated actress and the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for her role in "Gone with the Wind."

The neighborhood's heritage and evolution make it a fitting location for a project that honors Hattie McDaniel’s legacy. By keeping the neighborhood's cultural spirit alive,
the development seeks to merge the area's historical significance with future growth.

Images courtesy Naked Denver

The six-story, all-electric building under construction is a testament to modern architectural design focused on sustainability. On the ground level, 4,000 square feet
have been designated for a nonprofit organization, providing a symbiotic benefit to the community by supporting services and initiatives that align with residents’ needs.

Shanahan Development, in collaboration with the Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT), is spearheading this transformative project. The innovative approach of
retaining land ownership under a 99-year renewable lease by ECLT ensures that these homes remain affordable for generations. This model of community land trust
not only curbs the rising cost of housing but also helps combat displacement of long-standing residents, maintaining the social fabric of Five Points.

[CONative]

Dumb question. Can someone remind me of the skyscraper being built downtown right now? It may be 2 towers on one lot if I remember correctly. Latest rendering? How far is it from topping out right now? Seems to already make a decent impact.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by CONative

Dumb question. Can someone remind me of the skyscraper being built downtown right now? It may be 2 towers on one lot if I remember correctly. Latest rendering? How far is it from topping out right now? Seems to already make a decent impact.

Condominium tower by Amacon: 38 and 32 stories with 461 units.

https://www.uptonresidences.com/

[Fritzdude]

https://www.instagram.com/share/_sNNuP8n8

Plan for gondolas to criss-cross Denver and moving sidewalks. I give this no chance.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by CONative

Dumb question. Can someone remind me of the skyscraper being built downtown right now? It may be 2 towers on one lot if I remember correctly. Latest rendering? How far is it from topping out right now? Seems to already make a decent impact.

Yeah, odd that we've seen no updates on this big project in many months. I see it in the photo above. I guess I need to go down and see for myself.

[Ich]

Originally Posted by Fritzdude

https://www.instagram.com/share/_sNNuP8n8

Plan for gondolas to criss-cross Denver and moving sidewalks. I give this no chance.

How come Gondolas aren’t used more often for public transportation? I feel like they would be less expensive than subways and elevated trains and easier to build than light-rail through densely populated areas.

[DenvertoLA]

I think a gondola connecting LOHI to Union Station would be great! Especially for older residents or parents with kids that don’t want to walk across 2 bridges. The length of that gondola would only be .3 miles, so a lot more attainable. This proposal is just silly.

[TakeFive]

Not too shabby

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

I think a gondola connecting LOHI to Union Station would be great! Especially for older residents or parents with kids that don’t want to walk across 2 bridges. The length of that gondola would only be .3 miles, so a lot more attainable. This proposal is just silly.

I still like RyanD's idea of running a gondola between downtown and Cherry Creek.

New Project Idea: maybe a gondola between Broadway Station and the new Soccer stadium?

[TakeFive]

From the Gossip Column


Image courtesy Honeywell

In texts, Gov. JB Pritzker expressed doubts about Mayor Brandon Johnson amid rumors United Airlines might move
March 28, 2025 By Jeremy Gorner, Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker, in a text exchange with Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, expressed concerns about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ability to keep United Airlines’ headquarters in Chicago, another stark shot from the governor amid his ongoing friction with the mayor.

The back-and-forth between the two statewide public officials occurred last month as rumors were reignited that the prominent airline company might move to Denver because of a recent property purchase near that city’s airport. The governor was responding to earlier concerns raised by Mendoza over the potential exit of United, which is one of Chicago’s most recognizable companies.

Game; Set; ???

[AHS1983]

Worthy of a mention here, I think, considering the incentives from the state. It's not just a Boulder thing.

Sundance Film Festival is officially relocating to Boulder from Utah

[TakeFive]

Broncos CEO names Aurora as possible new stadium site at NFL owner’s meetings
Mar 31, 2025 By Nate Belt -- KDVR

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Talk of a new home for the Broncos heated up again Monday, as the team’s co-owner and CEO fielded questions about a possible new stadium at the yearly NFL owner’s meetings in Florida, including listing a couple of possible locations in the metro area.

Empower Field at Mile High has been the Broncos’ home since 2001. But co-owner and CEO Greg Penner made it seem more likely than ever that it won’t be for the next 20. “We want to create what’s the best option for the next 40 or 50 years, not 10 or 20 years,” said Penner.

“We’re still looking at the current site, other sites around Denver, Lone Tree, Aurora,” said Penner. While Penner said management is continuing to look at the team’s current site as a viable option, Duber-Smith said there isn’t much of a need for that kind of facility anymore in the city. “Denver has a lot of other venues now, Denver didn’t used to have a lot of venues,” he said. “It has tons of venues now, so what are you really going to put in that stadium? There’s not going to be that much.”

[BrIced_Tea]

Not sure why they would specifically call out Aurora in the headline. Sounds like they are still looking at locations all over the metro including multiple locations in Denver not just Aurora. As for the quote about needs, sure Denver has plenty of other entertainment venues but none is a 75k capacity stadium.

Downtown Denver is centrally located and easily accessible by all forms of transit. If the Bronco's owners want to build a new stadium and even an entertainment district with it, there's plenty of room at the existing site. Just not sure why they would even bother looking anywhere else.

[AHS1983]

The Broncos better not ask taxpayers to subsidize a new stadium as Pat Bowlen did.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by BrIced_Tea

Not sure why they would specifically call out Aurora in the headline. Sounds like they are still looking at locations all over the metro including multiple locations in Denver not just Aurora. As for the quote about needs, sure Denver has plenty of other entertainment venues but none is a 75k capacity stadium.

Downtown Denver is centrally located and easily accessible by all forms of transit. If the Bronco's owners want to build a new stadium and even an entertainment district with it, there's plenty of room at the existing site. Just not sure why they would even bother looking anywhere else.

One vision would be to have enough land to build the stadium and other stuff like retail, hotels, other housing... whatever. There's not enough land at the current site.

But at the end of the day they may just to decide to forego all that and just build a new stadium at the current location.

Even with SoFi Stadium, Kroenke wasn't involved in the retail etc. I don't recall if he sold the land or retained an equity position but his energy went into building the stadium while somebody else developed the other stuff.

Originally Posted by AHS1983

The Broncos better not ask taxpayers to subsidize a new stadium as Pat Bowlen did.

These guys don't need the money and aren't asking for any; Bowlen needed the money.

Sometimes the municipality may chip in with some infrastructure though.

[TakeFive]

Upton Residences -- 18th and Glenarm


Image courtesy Upton Residences

For-Sale Condos Now Selling at 18th and Glenarm
April 1, 2025 -- Mile High CRE

Upton Residences, the largest condominium development in Denver since 2009, is now selling. Located at 18th and Glenarm, the development features 461 for-sale residences,
with prices starting at $365,000. The development marks a significant advancement in creating homeownership opportunities in the downtown area.

The design highlights sleek modern lines and large windows that showcase breathtaking city views. The residences range from one-bedroom to three-bedrooms, including a Penthouse Collection with private balconies or outdoor terraces, allowing for seamless indoor-outdoor living.

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Denver NWSL Unveils Plans for Performance Center and Temporary Stadium
March 28, 2025 -- Mile High CRE