DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[RiNo Randy]

Here's a bit of a bombshell - the original Rock Bottom Brewery on 16th Street has closed.

https://www.westword.com/food-drink/end-...-brewery-on-16th-street-closed-40901080/

[TakeFive]

Simply Amazing

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

Here is an interesting article with renderings by Sasaki on what they are proposing for Denver Pavilions.

It definitely would change things up dramatically!

Worth the Click to see Sasaki's Concept renderings.

Then add Asher Luzzatto's ‘High Fidelity’ office conversion and upper downtown would take on a whole new look and vibe.

Not sure what it would take to get developers interested; that would be the key. Perhaps Denver would need to add additional incentives to create the necessary comfort zone. It could be redeveloped in separate pieces over time of course.

It will be very interesting to see how the City chooses to proceed.

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Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

Here's a bit of a bombshell - the original Rock Bottom Brewery on 16th Street has closed.

https://www.westword.com/food-drink/end-...-brewery-on-16th-street-closed-40901080/

While reading that Westword piece I did recall having read much of the background previously.


BusinessDen adds to the closing discomfort and notoriety.

Rock Bottom, Church and Union and 1up Arcade all close downtown
June 23, 2026 By Max Scheinblum -- BusinessDen

[RiNo Randy]

But then we have another business moving to downtown: https://businessden.com/2026/06/23/architecture-firm-moving-office-from-boulder-to-downtown-denver/

I found this interesting at the end of the article...

"Echoing Cooper Carry’s Reis, he said that Denver is closer to the clients and other firms that LandDesign works with. But the firms differed in where they ultimately ended up.

“RiNo felt much more creative than being on the 17th floor of an office tower downtown,” Martin said."

I'm going to guess that the dearth of lunchtime restaurants in RiNo, particularly by Steel House and The Hub, led to them opting for Downtown. Speaking of, Troy Guard might want to get started on his space in that building...

[TakeFive]

Architecture firms 'On the Move'

Architecture firm signs lease to relocate Colorado office to 1900 Lawrence
June 23, 2026 By Jessica Alvarado Gamez | The Denver Post

National architecture and design firm Cooper Carry is moving its Colorado operations to downtown Denver, becoming the latest tenant at one of the city’s newest office towers. The firm announced Monday afternoon that it has signed a lease for approximately 5,700 square feet at 1900 Lawrence, with plans to relocate from its Boulder office later this year.

Plans submitted to the city show the firm will occupy Suite 1850 on the 18th floor... “We were intentional about choosing a space that supports how our team works today and where we’re headed as a firm,” said Krista Dumkrieger, principal at Cooper Carry.

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AI Overview

Major architecture and design firms are increasingly relocating to and expanding within downtown Denver. Driven by urban revitalization efforts, multiple national and global firms have recently established, expanded, or moved their Colorado headquarters into the city's premier office towers and historic buildings.

Notable architecture firms recently securing or moving into downtown Denver spaces include:

Cooper Carry: Noted above
HLW: The global architecture and design firm recently opened a permanent Denver outpost at 1801 California Street, marking a major expansion of its Western region footprint.
HDR: The prominent design and engineering firm leased a massive 74,000-square-foot space in the Block 162 tower, relocating a 500-person workforce into the heart of downtown.
Cushing Terrell & Gresham Smith: Both firms moved into the urban core, with Cushing Terrell recently expanding its footprint at 1700 Broadway due to rapid team growth.
Sasaki: The architecture firm expanded its Denver presence into a 13,700-square-foot office in the historic Kittredge Building downtown

NOTE: HDR's move into Block 162 moved their occupancy to virtually 100% and (IIRC) Block 162 is now For Sale.

[TakeFive]

Denver Rolls Out 90-day Review for Affordable Housing
June 23, 2026 -- Mile High CRE

Affordable residential development projects that meet key eligibility criteria are now able to apply for plan review and permits through an expedited process that will deliver a path to approvals in 90 calendar days, which include city and customer time.

Talk about a Clustermess...

City staff across all departments involved in the Affordable Housing Review Team (AHRT) developed the fast-track review process in collaboration with the Denver Permitting Office (DPO). Those departments are Community Planning and Development (CPD), the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), the City Attorney’s Office, the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Department of Health and Environment (DPHE), and the Denver Fire Department (DFD).

Apparently it's working

“Since it was created, the Affordable Housing Review Team has been an incredible asset in the city’s efforts to help get more homes built for individuals and families of all incomes,” CPD Executive Director Brad Buchanan said. “They have done great work not only in creating a pathway for affordable development, but also in getting projects through this new expedited pipeline.”

[TakeFive]

"It's not a walk in the park"

Showing the mayor just how much it sucks to walk on Federal Boulevard
Jun. 23, 2026 By Paolo Zialcita -- Denverite

Mayor Mike Johnston joined residents and Pedestrian Dignity on the notorious road. Here’s what he learned.

As the intense June heat radiated off Federal Boulevard’s asphalt, a group of elderly and disabled residents found themselves in the middle of a crosswalk as the light turned green.

“We don't have a chance to get across,” said Cleo Johnson, a resident of Denver Housing Authority’s Mountain View complex at Federal and Louisiana Avenue. “The walk light only lasts about three seconds and people on a walker or a wheelchair do not have time to cross the road.”

It's a Good Read. For those who are curious about Pedestrian Dignity, Westword had a nice piece back in 2022.

Honestly, this is not Rocket Science -- Quick Example

Everyday I go through a T-intersection with a stoplight for those who need to turn left onto the arterial road. For pedestrians it's not difficult to reach the other side during what is admittedly a short cycle. But for those 'slow' walkers or those with disabilities ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUSH THE WALK BUTTON AND IT DOUBLES THE TIME OF THE LIGHT. Problem solved. Depending on the situation there are other ways to address pedestrians including installing crosswalks with HAWK lights.

Boogaloo Down Federal

There's a number of complications with Federal Blvd. For starters CDOT has been doing multiyear road improvements. In one stretch they widened the road while in other stretches they adding a median. All these ongoing improvements are for both safety as well as to accommodate for the planed BRT along Federal.

[RiNo Randy]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

"It's not a walk in the park"

Showing the mayor just how much it sucks to walk on Federal Boulevard
Jun. 23, 2026 By Paolo Zialcita -- Denverite

It's a Good Read. For those who are curious about Pedestrian Dignity, Westword had a nice piece back in 2022.

Honestly, this is not Rocket Science -- Quick Example

Everyday I go through a T-intersection with a stoplight for those who need to turn left onto the arterial road. For pedestrians it's not difficult to reach the other side during what is admittedly a short cycle. But for those 'slow' walkers or those with disabilities ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUSH THE WALK BUTTON AND IT DOUBLES THE TIME OF THE LIGHT. Problem solved. Depending on the situation there are other ways to address pedestrians including installing crosswalks with HAWK lights.

Boogaloo Down Federal

There's a number of complications with Federal Blvd. For starters CDOT has been doing multiyear road improvements. In one stretch they widened the road while in other stretches they adding a median. All these ongoing improvements are for both safety as well as to accommodate for the planed BRT along Federal.

A google search tells you that, allegedly, pedestrian call buttons already exist at that intersection. https://www.google.com/search?q=is+there...0ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

If the city were truly pedestrian friendly, they'd use sensors to determine when pedestrians need to use their portion of the infrastructure. Kinda like we already do for cars...

[TakeFive]

Interesting

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

A google search tells you that, allegedly, pedestrian call buttons already exist at that intersection. https://www.google.com/search?q=is+there...0ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

If the city were truly pedestrian friendly, they'd use sensors to determine when pedestrians need to use their portion of the infrastructure. Kinda like we already do for cars...

It so happens that Federal is a designated CDOT highway; it's an important arterial road.

They have a HAWK light there which is as good as it gets. It was observed that they can/need to add additional walk time which is easy enough to do.

NOTE: a couple of those people could benefit immensely from having a motorized scooter; those things zip along nicely

[RiNo Randy]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Interesting

It so happens that Federal is a designated CDOT highway; it's an important arterial road.

They have a HAWK light there which is as good as it gets. It was observed that they can/need to add additional walk time which is easy enough to do.

NOTE: a couple of those people could benefit immensely from having a motorized scooter; those things zip along nicely

From the article:

"Jill Hansen, who uses a motorized wheelchair, said running her weekly errands has become more stressful.

“Nowadays it's not safe and all that because people don't pay attention where they're driving through,” she said."

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

From the article:

"Jill Hansen, who uses a motorized wheelchair, said running her weekly errands has become more stressful.

“Nowadays it's not safe and all that because people don't pay attention where they're driving through,” she said."

That's not a traffic engineering problem, that's a traffic enforcement problem.


Something that the City of Denver hasn't made a priority post-2020.

[RiNo Randy]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

That's not a traffic engineering problem, that's a traffic enforcement problem.


Something that the City of Denver hasn't made a priority post-2020.

It's both.

And something that can, and should be addressed.

I'm still baffled how some busy corridors, like Colo Blvd as an example, don't have better timing on lights to allow traffic to flow. Especially during the "rush hours".

But alas, our reliance on cars is far too great.

[TakeFive]

With respect to the West Side

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

It's both.

And something that can, and should be addressed.

But alas, our reliance on cars is far too great.

South of Sloan's Lake the demographics change. Various Asian residents and a boatload of Hispanics.

Going West from Federal along Alameda, drive down/along Morrison Rd. That stretch is rich with culture. One could live and work there without having a car. It's also an intense area for Food Banks' need. The long planned street improvements are to start this year. The funds for that date back to the Elevate Denver Bond Program which voters passed in 2017. The planned safety/road improvements are specifically designed for the needs of that neighborhood.

On the whole Hispanics love their cars; they do all kinds of fun things with their cars.

AI Overview

The Hispanic love affair with cars in Denver centers deeply on lowrider culture, an iconic movement of art-on-wheels, community identity, and mechanical craftsmanship deeply rooted in Chicano heritage. Centered around historic cruise routes like Federal Boulevard and 38th Avenue, this passion has evolved from a grassroots lifestyle into a celebrated cultural institution.

Partly... my concern with your approach is that you'd be happy to Gentrify everywhere.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

It's both.

And something that can, and should be addressed.

But alas, our reliance on cars is far too great.

You and I are "single;" wong has a family. Families have a whole different mindset than we have. To a degree the needs of children (always) come first. Central Park was built to be family-friendly... and that's a good thing.

As young adults get a little older (like near their 30's) and become families they tend to move out of Denver, especially the city center. It's all about their changing mindset. It's why the Denver School District is shrinking and having to close schools and more of that is ahead. Gentrification adds to this, partly because it has made the city center a more expensive place to live.

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It's a logistics quagmire.

Originally Posted by RiNo Randy

'm still baffled how some busy corridors, like Colo Blvd as an example, don't have better timing on lights to allow traffic to flow. Especially during the "rush hours".

The need for cross traffic is nearly as important as traffic flow along Colorado Blvd. Plus the volumes change at 1st Avenue; much heavier to the south, less so on the north side.

[TakeFive]

Heading out to the SE suburbs at Meridian International Business Center

AI Overview --Credit BusinessDen

Denver-based Knightbridge Capital and Pennsylvania-based Argosy Real Estate Partners purchased two office buildings in Douglas County's Meridian International Business Center for $14 million.This represents a roughly 55% discount from the combined $30 million the seller, Mark IV Capital, paid in 2013 and 2015

AI Overview

The Meridian International Business Center (located in Douglas County, southeast of I-25 and C-470) has an office vacancy rate of approximately 22%. While this is higher than the suburban average, it is performing significantly better than the greater Denver area...

• Leasing Activity: Major entities continue to secure large spaces. For instance, Douglas County recently leased a whole 82,000-square-foot building in the park

Vacancy of 22% hardly sounds that positive (compared to Lone Tree for example) but there are many companies who prefer being in such business parks.

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UPDATE:

CU to buy Independence Plaza at 80% discount
June 24, 2026 By Thomas Gounley -- BusinessDen

The University of Colorado will pay $29.75 million to purchase Independence Plaza, the downtown Denver office tower. That’s according to documents prepared for the university’s system’s Board of Regents, which also state that the deal will close Friday.

This has been in the works for some time but apparently this deal is going to 'close.'

[TakeFive]

An innovative approach to more affordable housing

Modular Affordable Housing Project Marks Major Milestone
June 25, 2026 -- Mile High CRE

Blue Room Housing, a Denver-based impact-first developer creating affordable mixed-use communities through innovative modular construction, alongside RISE Modular, today reached a major construction milestone at Blue Room House One, its flagship residential modular development in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District.

Located at 817 W. Eighth Ave., the project celebrated the “setting” of its modular housing units. This milestone refers to the time when modular units are lifted into place by crane and assembled on-site.

The modular units were designed by Studio K2 Architecture.

Blue Room House One -- 817 W. Eighth Ave


Courtesy Studio K2 Architecture

[TakeFive]

Everybody's favorite TOD (transit oriented development)

Tempo Nine Mile Station in Aurora Reaches Stabilization
June 25, 2026 -- Mile High CRE

National full-service real estate firm Draper and Kramer, Incorporated, has announced that its Denver-area multifamily property, Tempo Nine Mile Station, a 255-unit rental community located within the 22-acre “The Point” master-planned development in Aurora, has reached stabilization. Located at 12150 E. Dartmouth Ave., Tempo Nine Mile Station was developed by a joint venture... The five-story property welcomed its first residents in early 2025.

The property’s location within The Point puts residents steps from retail and grocery stores, restaurants, a future park and planned pedestrian bridge across Parker Road that will provide access to Regional Transportation District (RTD)’s Nine Mile station, served by the H and R light rail lines.

KTGY is the project architect for Tempo Nine Mile Station... PGIM is the project lender, utilizing the HUD 221(d)(4) multifamily new construction loan program. (PGIM is the global asset management business of Prudential Financial, managing over $1.4 trillion in assets.)

Tempo Nine Mile Station -- 12150 E. Dartmouth Ave.





Images courtesy Draper and Kramer

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Vacancy of 22% hardly sounds that positive (compared to Lone Tree for example) but there are many companies who prefer being in such business parks.

Yeah, but nobody is looking at Lone Tree and salivating over developing speculative space there because, as previously mentioned, it's office developments have all been built-to-suit with nothing proposed since before the Pandemic.


Lone Tree =/= Cherry Creek

[TakeFive]

Nothing compares to Cherry Creek

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Yeah, but nobody is looking at Lone Tree and salivating over developing speculative space there because, as previously mentioned, it's office developments have all been built-to-suit with nothing proposed since before the Pandemic.


Lone Tree =/= Cherry Creek

I have no clue when the last office building was developed in Meridian ?

IIRC it was EngiNerd that alerted us to arrival of new hospitals about a year ago.

AI Overview

CommonSpirit Health is developing a new 42-acre medical campus in Denver's Meridian International Business Center. The project required the demolition of the former 270,000-square-foot TTEC Holdings headquarters at 9197 S. Peoria St., paving the way for a full-service hospital and medical offices.

• Demolition Project Details: Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health purchased the 42-acre former TTEC site in late 2024 for a $62 million investment.
• Campus Construction: Construction on the new campus, which includes a full-service hospital, ambulatory surgery center, and physician clinics, is currently underway. The project features architecture by SmithGroup and is being built by DPR
• Broader Healthcare Expansion: Healthcare providers are capitalizing on distressed office real estate in the Meridian submarket. Intermountain Health also purchased the nearby 142,000-square-foot Gateway Plaza building at 9800 S. Meridian Blvd. to expand its south metro Denver footprint.