DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[RiNo Randy]

Look, we aren't going to solve this issue that is deeply embedded in our society due to a plethora of social and economic issues out of our control, from behind our keyboards.

It's truly sad that we as a society treat some of our fellow human beings in this manner.

But to say, "it could have been worse" is equally as dehumanizing.

I have a cousin who is a PA and has been working exclusively in the street medicine realm for well over a decade - originally in SLC, UT, now in Fort Worth, TX and soon in NorCal. We have had several conversations regarding these issues over the last few years. It's definitely changed my view.

[TakeFive]

Well said; primary reason why I sustained from commenting

Originally Posted by wong21fr

While it's a common refrain from homeless advocates, there's less chasing from downtown and more targeted reduction in homelessness by geographic area.

Nice Comment

Originally Posted by mr1138

But while we are asking that question, a full inquiry would also consider how many deaths would have occurred amongst the individuals in this facility had they NOT been offered supportive housing. The answer is not 0, and quite likely higher than the number of deaths at that shelter.

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Homelessness is not solvable; at best it's treatable.

However for many being homeless is a temporary thing.

AI Overview

California has spent approximately $24 billion on homelessness initiatives over a recent five-year period. This massive financial outlay—equating to tens of thousands of dollars per homeless individual annually...

Meanwhile by most accounts the problem continued to grow.

Generally it is believed that over a third of homeless individuals have an addiction. One position is that one has to hit bottom before they can recover. That might work for alcohol and/or cocaine but NOT for methamphetamine and/or opioids. These individuals have fried their brains and have no ability on their own to cure themselves.

Enabling (babysitting) the problem is terrible; it enhances the likelihood of an overdose death. Dare I say a 'liberal' mindset has prevented us from getting these people the help they need?

Meanwhile vandalism and theft are crimes; being addicted doesn't excuse this behavior.

[TakeFive]

Auraria begins construction on new police station
June 1, 2026 By Matt Geiger -- BusnessDen

Doggonit, we missed the groundbreaking.
But we can circle back around.

AHEC breaks ground on Public Safety Center
September 3, 2025 By the Staff


Courtesy AHEC

Auraria Campus officials broke ground ... on a $36 million Campus Public Safety Center, a project that leaders say will modernize public safety facilities with student-centered services and community engagement.

The new two-story, 32,000-square-foot facility will serve as the cornerstone of an updated safety infrastructure for the shared downtown Denver campus, home to Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver.

This is interesting

The Campus Public Safety Center will house updated offices for ACPD, training spaces for officers and classrooms dedicated to criminal justice programs across the three institutions. Leaders emphasize that the building is designed not only as a headquarters for law enforcement but as a hub for learning, support and collaboration.

You go back a decade and it's really impressive how much Auraria has changed.

[TakeFive]

Wasn't a huge Fan but a Fan of John Fielder

Local Investor Buys Former John Fielder Studio Building On Santa Fe
May 22, 2026By Cassidy Ritter -- Bisnow Denver

A building in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe that previously housed renowned nature photographer John Fielder’s gallery has a new owner.

The roughly 6K SF building at 833 N. Santa Fe Drive sold this week to Colfax Real Estate Co. President Merrill Stillwell. He purchased the property under Main Street LLC from John Fielder’s daughter for nearly $1.9M, Stillwell told Bisnow.

Fielder was a renowned and prolific nature photographer based in Colorado. He died in 2023. Fielder’s gallery occupied the Santa Fe Drive building for 11 years until wedding and event venue Skylight moved into the space in 2017, Denverite previously reported.

Photos courtesy Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

[TakeFive]

Yet Another Groundbreaking

Aurora breaks ground on site of long-awaited new animal shelter
Jun 03, 2026 By: Danielle Kreutter -- Denver7 News


Courtesy Aurora Sentinel

The 42,000 square foot, two-story facility will more than triple the size of the current one, built in the 1980s, and will nearly double the number of pets the shelter can house. It's the only shelter in Aurora and serves much of Arapahoe County.

My girlfriend, a 2 1/2 year-old (brown & white) Goldendoodle is excited to hear this.

[TakeFive]

Props to Developing Denver

DHA Exploring Massive Housing Redevelopment Near Knox RTD Station
Jun 2, 2026 -- Developing Denver

DENVER, CO – The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) is exploring a major redevelopment of the Westridge and Mulroy affordable housing communities near the Knox Light Rail Station that could eventually deliver approximately 600 to 700 affordable housing units while modernizing the site with new community amenities, open space, and transit-oriented development.

"Massive" as opposed to NOT Massive, I presume?

This is an interesting potential project. But with DHA which is capable of executing good projects -- see Sun Valley for reference -- it will likely take them a few a few years to study and come to any recommendations. But initial analysis has been done so certainly newsworthy.

AI Overview

The Denver Housing Authority's (DHA) Westridge project is a multi-phase master plan to redevelop the aging 12-acre Westridge public housing site into a modernized, mixed-income, and transit-oriented community...

Project Scope & Highlights

Location: Bordered by 13th Avenue, Newton Street, 14th Avenue, and Knox Court, directly adjacent to the Knox Station
Housing Units: Plans call for replacing the current 200 public housing units with approximately 600 to 800 new, energy-efficient affordable housing units
First Phase: The initial phase includes two mid-rise buildings (5 to 7 stories) that will deliver 133 units (50 for seniors and 83 for families) alongside 113 parking spaces

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

Look, we aren't going to solve this issue that is deeply embedded in our society due to a plethora of social and economic issues out of our control, from behind our keyboards.

It's truly sad that we as a society treat some of our fellow human beings in this manner.

But to say, "it could have been worse" is equally as dehumanizing.

I have a cousin who is a PA and has been working exclusively in the street medicine realm for well over a decade - originally in SLC, UT, now in Fort Worth, TX and soon in NorCal. We have had several conversations regarding these issues over the last few years. It's definitely changed my view.

You're right. We are not going to solve this from behind our keyboards.

But I will always stand by the idea that doing something and screwing it up a bit is always better than standing by and doing nothing out of fear that you might screw it up.

You are inherently talking about the famous trolly problem. Is it better to deliberately kill somebody if you know you can save a trolly full of passengers who are going to crash?

This is a philosophical question and not an urban planning one. All I will say is that those of us who care about the lives of people experiencing homelessness at all seem to be in the extreme minority.

[TakeFive]

The Denver Business Journal just opened up this Can of Worms

KNOCK DOWN, DRAG OUT
Jun 4, 2026 By Catie Cheshire – Reporter, Denver Business Journal

An argument for demolishing downtown Denver office buildings is falling into place. So is its opposition.

AI Overview

A growing panel of real estate and urban planning experts—including groups like the Urban Land Institute (ULI)—advocates for the strategic demolition of functionally obsolete office buildings and retail spaces (like portions of the Denver Pavilions) in downtown Denver.

Why Some Experts Want the Wrecking Ball

• The "Reset" Opportunity: Proponents argue demolition is a rare chance to reclaim prime downtown land for a fraction of the usual cost, allowing for modern, purpose-built housing or public parks
• Obsolete Layouts: Many 1970s and 1980s office towers feature deep, sprawling floorplates. Modifying these to add the necessary windows, lightwells, and updated plumbing/HVAC for residential use can be significantly more expensive than starting from scratch

Why the City is Skeptical

• Tax Base Impact: The city opposes demolishing buildings if the resulting empty parcels will sit as vacant lots, as this severely lowers the property tax base.
• Zoning & Parking Rules: Denver zoning regulations generally forbid using demolished, empty parcels as surface parking lots in the downtown area.

I'm all for knocking down buildings that can't economically be repurposed. I'm also excited for the Luzzatto Company's conversion of two existing office buildings and possibly two more.

But the stupid Trump Economy isn't helping.

Bond Market Turbulence Saps CRE Momentum
June 03, 2026 By Matt Wasielewski, National

The bond market hasn’t derailed the commercial real estate sector’s 2026 recovery ambitions — which started with enthusiasm and $113B in first-quarter U.S. transaction volume — but it has made it much harder.

The recent run-up in yields on Treasury bonds is buffeting the momentum that was building in the first quarter and sapping optimism from the marketplace. Debt costs are expected to stay elevated as the war with Iran drags on, and it is leading to some revisions to what had been a relatively sunny forecast for the sector.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mr1138

This is a philosophical question and not an urban planning one.

All I will say is that those of us who care about the lives of people experiencing homelessness at all seem to be in the extreme minority.

You could literally spend the rest of 2026 reading all the studies and analysis that has been done concerning the homeless/populations.

But here's the more important points

Mayor Mike did a deep dive into the issue before he was even was sworn in to be Denver's mayor.

Have you never heard of the "Houston Model" of success; this goes all the way back to 2011. It was what Mayor Mike leaned into in addressing Denver's homeless population.

AI Overview

Houston’s homeless success story is one of the most celebrated urban turnarounds in the United States, with the region reducing its homeless population by roughly 63% since 2011. By shifting from a shelter-based model to a "Housing First" approach, Houston has successfully housed over 30,000 individuals.

You can read the rest of the bullet points by clicking HERE

[TakeFive]

Lo and Behold

Both the homeless and affordability issues are being addressed.

Hotel along Park Avenue comes down to make way for apartments
June 5, 2026 By Thomas Gounley -- BusinessDen

AI Overview

In a major push to combat homelessness, the old La Quinta Inn (and former Old West Pancake House) at 3721 N. Globeville Road along the Park Avenue area is being demolished to make way for the Park Avenue Apartments, a 60-unit permanent supportive housing development spearheaded by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

The project marks a significant step forward in redeveloping aging motels into vital housing infrastructure for the Denver community. Because the goal of the facility is to help residents transition out of homelessness, the complex will integrate built-in support services on-site.

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Denver set to buy old state office in Capitol Hill, the first affordable housing project funded by Vibrant Denver
Jun. 03, 2026 By Paolo Zialcita -- Denverite

Denver City Council approved the $4.5 million purchase of a former state office building in Capitol Hill on Monday evening, paving the way for the first affordable housing development to tap the Vibrant Denver bond package.

251 E. 12th Ave.


Courtesy LoopNet

Pretty Interesting

After the sale is closed in early June, the city will then issue a request for proposals for developers to turn the site into affordable housing. Depending on the winning proposal, the former Colorado Department of Labor and Employment building could be converted to residential use, expanded or demolished.

[TakeFive]

Affordability in the Suburbs

Modular Apartment Community Aims to Fill “Missing Middle”
May 19, 2026 -- Mile High CRE

Consolidated Investment Group (CIG), a leading-edge real estate investment company ... is ready to break ground on a new, 360,000-square-foot multifamily property in Centennial that will include 329 new apartment units. The property... will provide renters with rent rates that will be discounted 10 to 15 percent, based on the modular construction and direct material sourcing of the apartment units.

9201 E. Dry Creek Road


Courtesy CIG

Nice sized units:

Fabrication of the modules is now underway at an off-site factory, and CIG intends to start setting the first modules this fall. Of the 329 units, 33 will be studio apartments that average 500 square feet, 216 one-bedroom units averaging 760 square feet and 80 two-bedroom units with an average size of 1,100 square feet.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by mr1138

YThis is a philosophical question and not an urban planning one. All I will say is that those of us who care about the lives of people experiencing homelessness at all seem to be in the extreme minority.

If that was true, we as a city wouldn't have have backed the acquisition and repurposing of hotels as noncongreate shelters (~$180M), approved tax increases to address homelessness, affordable housing, and mental health services (~$80-120M/year), and consistently rank it as one on the most pressing issues affecting the city.


People look at this allocation of funding and ask if the reduction has been sufficient compared to the financial outlays (I would say it's been worth it). But there's also the debate on what restrictions there should be to curtail the visibility of homelessness. You have organizations such as Housekeys and Mutual Aid Monday that ultimately want to repeal the camping ban and other restrictions on resting in public spaces while others advocate for furthering involuntary institutional confinement for those who are suffering from mental illness.


I don't think these elements reflect a reality where only an extreme minority care about the issue.

[wong21fr]

Another project breaks ground on the Auraria Campus:


Auraria breaks ground on apartment building in campus first

The campus broke ground on an $80 million residential tower Thursday morning at 10th and Walnut streets. The 7-story building will hold 176 income-restricted apartments with an early learning center on the ground floor.

-The apartments will be restricted to those making between 60% and 100% of the area median income, with the average unit clocking in at 89% AMI. It’s the first apartment building on campus that will be open to the public.

-The current early learning center at Ninth and Colfax will be relocated with 30% more space in the new building, allowing it to take in more children off the waitlist. The additional room will also allow for drop-in daycare services, convenient to the parent visiting campus for class or coursework. Other new features, like two-way windows, will help students who use the space for their education studies.

-It will be renamed the Merage Early Learning Center, thanks to a donation from the David and Laura Merage Foundation. Atlanta, Georgia-based Columbia Ventures is the developer.


-Last year, MSU Denver broke ground on a residential tower of its own next door. That 12-story building includes 550 beds for students, ground-floor retail and a 25,000-square-foot student-serving “classroom-to-career hub.” It will be the tallest building on campus once completed next summer. The site where both of the towers are being built is on MSU Denver’s old baseball field.

-And just last month, the campus broke ground on a new police station.

-$420 million of development is happening on campus. That includes a new MSU Denver health tower, which will help the school take in more nursing students.

IIRC, Auraria campus staff who meet the income qualifications get first preference for this building.

Between this building, CU Denver's student housing, and Metro's student housing this easily adds at least 1,500 people living directly on the campus. In addition, Auraria is also looking at developing additional workforce housing on a parcel that they own which is located across the Auraria Parkway that's currently a Ball Arena parking lot.

[RiNo Randy]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

The Denver Business Journal just opened up this Can of Worms

KNOCK DOWN, DRAG OUT
Jun 4, 2026 By Catie Cheshire – Reporter, Denver Business Journal

AI Overview

I'm all for knocking down buildings that can't economically be repurposed. I'm also excited for the Luzzatto Company's conversion of two existing office buildings and possibly two more.

But the stupid Trump Economy isn't helping.

Bond Market Turbulence Saps CRE Momentum
June 03, 2026 By Matt Wasielewski, National

I'm very much opposed to this.

We've seen this movie before.

Buildings downtown get demolished. Developers/groups leading this effort run out of money. We get rewarded with empty lots downtown. Thankfully, zoning was changed in the 1990s so that they can no longer just be converted into surface parking lots.

It looked like this in 1976:



Here's a bit of an older story on that: https://denverite.com/2017/05/17/destruc...lodo-three-images-skyline-urban-renewal/

Now, if there is a demolition with a replacement ready to roll, let's talk.

[TakeFive]

Apples to Oranges (Part One)

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

I'm very much opposed to this.

We've seen this movie before.

Buildings downtown get demolished. Developers/groups leading this effort run out of money. We get rewarded with empty lots downtown. Thankfully, zoning was changed in the 1990s so that they can no longer just be converted into surface parking lots.

Here's a bit of an older story on that: https://denverite.com/2017/05/17/destruc...lodo-three-images-skyline-urban-renewal/

Now, if there is a demolition with a replacement ready to roll, let's talk.

BTW, that piece by Andrew Kenney in Denverite was well written. I've always been a BIG fan of Andrew Kenney's writing ever since he arrived on the scene.

Also, for us long-timers we're all familiar with DenverInfill which also had great coverage of the Urban Renewal disaster.

My Memory

My memory goes back to the late 1970's / early 1980"s. Denver hit the Jackpot as that was a period of Booming Oil & Gas business and downtown development. I used to drive downtown on Sunday's and look through my open sunroof at all the cranes building all those skyscrapers.

Then they changed the Federal Tax Laws and the Boom went Bust within months. We used to describe downtown office buildings as being "See-through" because nobody had moved and put up window coverings. So many people just packed up and moved out-of-town.

Before long HUD and VA had tens of thousands of vacant homes they needed to sell. They both auctioned off big numbers of houses in blocks as well as selling them one-by-one.

Into the 1990's Denver stabilized but healed very slowly. I still remember selling a nice home in Highlands (original woodwork etc.) for ~ $91,000.

[TakeFive]

Apples to Oranges (Part Two)

AI Overview

The "apples to oranges" fallacy refers to false equivalence or a false analogy. It occurs when someone compares two inherently different things as if they are logically interchangeable, usually by focusing on superficial similarities while ignoring major, underlying differences

There's no comparison, really, between what the wholesale clearing of blocks, what that looked like and the disparate removal of a few buildings located in different blocks etc.

One of the proponents of selective demolition is the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI has been around since 1936; they are an urban (liberal) leaning organization.

Urban Land Instittue

The mission of the Urban Land Institute is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

The world's oldest & largest global network of cross-disciplinary real estate & land use experts.

Denver is not the only city with a struggling downtown. But in Denver's case and thanks partly to Mayor Mike and others the patient has been stabilized. But the ability to fill all the 'ghost' buildings is questionable -- and you can't just let empty building sit there while continuing to deteriorate.

[RiNo Randy]

There are still several retail spaces downtown, particularly by Union Station, that haven't been built out.

I'm going to guess you'll blame that on the unhoused that created a bit of a mess there for a while.

But what is tearing down older buildings, presumably build new ones, going to help with that situation?

Same is true here in Five Points. Tons of vacant retail and office spaces. And the office space is the newer variety that everyone is seeking. Rev360 has both and is completely vacant after being completed in 2020.

I personally think that if we could somehow land some well known local tenants, it would trigger a wave of new retail spaces coming to the area. Hopefully the Gradient as well as the projects at/around 38th/Blake will trip that wire, but it would be nice to see some pre-leasing activity for those projects.

But how and when does that happen in a seemingly stagnant office/retail market.

[TakeFive]

It's Complicated

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

But how and when does that happen in a seemingly stagnant office/retail market.

WESTWORD

If you want to follow the retail restaurant scene, Westword does a nice job. There's always a high turnover in the restaurant business and Westword does a nice job of highlighting the more significant changes. Westword is interesting; it's like they follow the "Vibes" of Denver.

The problem with Denver is Denver

Especially the Denver City Council. They have taken it upon themselves to set HIGH MORAL standards. Not to my free-market taste but they're in the Power Seats and not me.

If you want to be an entrepreneur in Denver... Best of luck. Newbies can go broke just waiting on the many permits needed before you even open the doors. Mayor Mike, aware of the issue has been wanting to expedite the process but as the saying goes you can't turn a ocean liner on a dime.

The DCC (Denver City Council) is especially fond of employees but Not fond of Employers so they jacked up the Minimum Wages. Apparently they haven't noticed that all that vacant space doesn't have any employees to pay any wages.

Edgewater Public Market

Eat, drink, and shop your way through Edgewater Public Market – Denver’s most eclectic collective of local food stalls, retail boutiques, and rotating events.

CentrePoint Properties Acquires Edgewater Public Market
January 7, 2025 -- Mile High CRE

“We believe Edgewater Public Market stands as one of the best market halls in Colorado,” said Tucker Manion, CEO of CentrePoint Properties, in a press release announcing the sale. “The LCP team has done a tremendous job with the redevelopment, creating a vibrant and inviting space for the community.”

Not the sexiest part of the city but they have experienced new development from apartments to missing middle style housing.

They, like everybody else - except Denver - has a minimum wage that matches the state minimum wage. Yes a number of businesses have made the move from Denver to Edgewater -- and they have employees getting paid.

With respect to DUS

Yes many retailers moved on due to the vagrancy, theft etc. And now that the bloom is off the rose any prospective new retailer has to ask themselves "Is this where I want to risk all my money?"

[TakeFive]

Speaking of Retail

Former Bubba Gump Property Near Colorado Convention Center Sells
June 03, 2026 By Cassidy Ritter, Bisnow

A restaurant space in the heart of downtown Denver has a new owner, one who paid less than the original asking price. Located near the Colorado Convention Center and revamped 16th Street, 1437 California St. sold Monday for $1.8M, about $700K below the asking price, according to marketing materials from NAI Shames Makovsky.

The property housed Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., a restaurant inspired by the film Forrest Gump, from 2007 to November 2025 and has sat vacant since. This was the eatery’s last Colorado location, according to Westword.

Courtesy Bubba Gump

AI Overview

Amnon Ben-Ari is a Denver-based entrepreneur and real estate investor, best known as the owner of Zanzibar Billiards Club on Larimer Street. He also recently expanded his local real estate footprint with a notable commercial property acquisition in downtown Denver.

• Downtown Real Estate Acquisition: An LLC managed by Ben-Ari purchased the former Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. building located ... near the Colorado Convention Center for $1.8 million. He plans to open a new restaurant concept at the site.

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Denver Announces $2.7M Investment for Improvements to Denver Pavilions
June 1, 2026 -- Mile High CRE

The Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) will invest approximately $2.7M for capital improvements at Denver Pavilions. The improvements include technology and structure improvements to the parking garage, roof repairs, signage updates and replacing the mural along 15th Street.

The approximately $2.4M in improvements to the garage include replacing the CO2 system and fixing areas of degradation, as well as upgrading the gate and payment system which will make the entry and exit process easier for users. The technology upgrades have been implemented, and the remaining work is anticipated to begin by July and will take approximately 18 months to complete.

[TakeFive]

Rising costs putting pressure on Denver restaurants, report finds
March 4, 2026 By Shallima Maharaj -- 9News

'2025 State of Denver Restaurants Report: Challenges Facing the Sector' combines feedback from full-service, quick-service, independent, multi-unit and minority-owned restaurants. Roundtables included representation from more than 150 establishments.

The Denver Restaurant Liaison Projection was launched by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), Visit Denver and inKind, as a way of understanding the issues faced by restaurateurs. To do that, Cumulus, Etc., a consulting company that focuses primarily on the hospitality industry, was brought on board.

I wonder if anybody over at Denver City Council is aware of this or gives two chits.

Labor costs were noted as the 'largest and fastest-growing' expense category for restaurants, going up by around 50 to 55 percent since 2019. Another key finding was regulatory and permitting barriers.

"The overall economics of running a restaurant are extraordinarily high in Denver. Almost some of the highest really in the country," Schlegel said.

"This really was a research paper, and we were just trying to report what we found." In the end, he said their hope is that even deeper conversation is stoked from their findings. "We all really strive towards the same things - great paying jobs, great opportunities for people to develop a thriving restaurant scene in Denver...in the place where everybody wants to be," Schlegel said.