DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by BG918

Colorado Center (I25 & Colorado) has good potential if the area south of the station and north of Evans were redeveloped. Same goes for I25 & Broadway with whatever goes on the Gates land and extending up to Alameda where the big box stores are currently located.

Stapleton is another contender. No one has seen the future plans for the Town Center around the new station but it certainly could be just as dense as what Westminster has planned.

Agreed, those are also some other good examples of potential upcoming dense developments. Will have to wait and see, Gates has been going on for so long it's one of those "I'll believe it when I see it" types of situations.

Seems like the metro cities love the densities around the stations, and push for it, but really start backing away once the economics start to come into play. Arista was a big missed opportunity IMO,

The Superior town center also has an opportunity to be a nice development if they really follow through as planned. They are actually giving it a pseudo street grid too, which is pretty damn unusual for that area.
http://www.superiortowncenter.com/

[TakeFive]

In 2010 developers were content to break even maybe make a little money. Now they're cutting a fat hog. A whole lot can change in 5 years.

I expect that central Denver will continue to develop out going forward but chances are pretty good by this time next year that the Big Sur Surge will start petering out.

Can't think of a good reason why developers won't move to TOD's; I'd also expect to see new suburban (sprawl) development take off.

OTOH, If Facebook were to lease 20 floors at 1144 15th Street all that developing oversupply of apartments could disappear real fast. With development over the next 12 months already substantially known it's the following couple of years when a lot could change.

[PLANSIT]

9th and Colorado will have some solid density.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/r...mA+ElKTwGoSbqOBYu5F/O7W7Amf&t=1439846322

Fits what I've been thinking of as other developers move to take advantage of Denver's overall tight market and meet a different need.

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.denverpost.com/news/local/ci_...ams-county-to-put-road-on-national-stage

Interesting...

That will take some time but another great example of taking advantage of a different niche/need.

[TakeFive]

Nothing like history repeating itself.

Smiley housing survey map courtesy of The Denver Public Library

The housing crisis in the 1940s went on for half of the decade. Other headlines from the 1940s read "Governor warns possibility he will call special session of legislature to curb sky-rocketing rents in state," and "Council passes ordinance limiting rent increases to 10%."

...the housing shortage if the late 70s and early 80s was due to the baby boomer generation reaching home-buying age. There was also a recession in the mid-1970s that caused a slow down in new construction.

Quotes from a piece by Morgan Breitenstein on May 11, 2015 Denver Library.org.

[TakeFive]

2015 results are in:

"The best state and city for small business are..."
By Caitlin Huston MarketWatch, Published: Aug 18, 2015

Best Climates for Small Business - States
1. Texas
2. New Hampshire
3. Utah
4. Louisiana
5. Colorado

Source: Thumbtack including interactive map.

[Brainpathology]

Weird set of states to say the least. Obviously the need for workers who understand how old a rock is doesn't really play into many people's opinions given the company Colorado keeps on that list. I would imagine if you asked a lot of people in Colorado and NH what states they would least likely like to share space on any list with at least 2 of the other 3 would be near the top of THAT list.

And it's always nice to see how people feel about where they actually are but 30 seconds on this board (or even just my own posts) can show you that even giant obstacles can be ignored if you want to show everyone else how happy you are and how terrific you have things.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

And it's always nice to see how people feel about where they actually are but 30 seconds on this board (or even just my own posts) can show you that even giant obstacles can be ignored if you want to show everyone else how happy you are and how terrific you have things.

That's what Facebook is for. This place is for bitching. Oh wait, that's just me. I suppose I could treat the forum like my Facebook page, but fair warning, happy and terrific bunt is pretty damn terrific. I might make the rest of you feel bad about your own lives. Except for the fact that we all get to live in Denver; truly, what greater privilege is there?

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

That's what Facebook is for. This place is for bitching. Oh wait, that's just me. I suppose I could treat the forum like my Facebook page, but fair warning, happy and terrific bunt is pretty damn terrific. I might make the rest of you feel bad about your own lives. Except for the fact that we all get to live in Denver; truly, what greater privilege is there?

I don't get to , and I would rather be there. And I could probably buy an expansive 1/1 condo there with the giant salary one of 10 people in the country with my qualifications could command.

Funny I use Facebook as my bile depository.. and usually stay pretty positive here.

[seventwenty]

Did we discuss what was going to replace the 11th & Broadway Arbys?

Well prepare to be disappointed from an infill perspective!

Originally Posted by Westword

Earlier this year, Torchy's Tacos, a Texas chain that got its start as an Austin food trailer in 2006, announced its intention to expand outside of the Lone Star State — starting with a new location at 11th Avenue and Broadway in a former Arby's. Not much happened after that, but last week a flurry of construction on the site marked the eatery's intention to open later this year.

[DenverPoke]

This is pretty amazing for Denver. More $$ in construction starts in first half of 2015 than SF, Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, Dallas.

http://www.thenextmiami.com/index.php/on...tion-activity-in-the-first-half-of-2015/

[RyanD]

Alexan Arapahoe Square is looking MUCH better:

Arapahoe Square: Alexan Arapahoe Square Project Update #1
via DenverInfill

[PLANSIT]

I think there are like 6 Alexan projects on the table or UC right now in Denver.

• Alexan Uptown
• Alexan Cherry Creek
• Alexan Sloan's Lake
• Alexan Arapahoe Square
• Alexan West Highland
• Alexan Lower Highland

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

I think there are like 6 Alexan projects on the table or UC right now in Denver.

• Alexan Uptown
• Alexan Cherry Creek
• Alexan Sloan's Lake
• Alexan Arapahoe Square
• Alexan West Highland
• Alexan Lower Highland

Yup, all but Arapaho Square are under construction. I didn't realize until recently that Trammell Crow was a part of CBRE Group. I wasn't recalling Lower HIghlands but that's b/c it's actually called Alexan Belmar.

Originally Posted by DenverPoke

This is pretty amazing for Denver. More $$ in construction starts in first half of 2015 than SF, Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, Dallas.

http://www.thenextmiami.com/index.php/on...tion-activity-in-the-first-half-of-2015/

That is impressive. There were a number of nice projects that broke ground in the first six months including Hines' Big Boy. The second half is looking pale by comparison.

[TakeFive]

Photo credit: Blaine Harrington III/Corbis via Money

"The 5 Best Big Cities" (H/T to Denver Business Journal)
Aug. 16, 2015 by Ian Salisbury, Money

Best in the West: Denver

Denver is one of the country’s fastest-growing destinations for millennials, and it’s not just because of what you might call the chemically induced Rocky Mountain high factor. “You have real, legitimate urban living, then 45 minutes away you have back-packing, biking, or you can be scaling a 14,000-foot mountain,” says Ken Schroeppel, a professor of urban planning at the University of Colorado Denver.

EDIT: Since I can no long post to RyanD's thread I'll add this postscript.
The other four cities from the Money piece are:

• Best in the Northeast: Pittsburgh
• Best in the Southeast: Tampa
• Best in the Midwest: Omaha
• Best in the Southwest: Mesa

[rds70]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Yup, all but Arapaho Square are under construction. I didn't realize until recently that Trammell Crow was a part of CBRE Group. I wasn't recalling Lower HIghlands but that's b/c it's actually called Alexan Belmar

No, Alexan LoHi is a new project.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by rds70

No, Alexan LoHi is a new project.

I was just testing to see if you were paying attention.

OK I found it; at W 32nd Ave & Tejon St. So that makes seven Alexan projects then, five of which are under construction.

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I was just testing to see if you were paying attention.

OK I found it; at W 32nd Ave & Tejon St. So that makes seven Alexan projects then, five of which are under construction.

There are 6 active Alexan projects in Denver.

Of the six, 3 are under construction:

• Alexan Uptown
• Alexan CC
• Alexan Sloan's Lake

and 3 are in planning phase:

• Alexan Arapahoe
• Alexan LoHi
• Alexan West Highland

[DenvertoLA]

So from the Skyhouse web cam it looks like they are starting excavation on the parking structure.

Is there any validity behind the rumor that they are building the structure with the ability to base a future tower?

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

There are 6 active Alexan projects in Denver.

Of the six, 3 are under construction:

• Alexan Uptown
• Alexan CC
• Alexan Sloan's Lake

and 3 are in planning phase:

• Alexan Arapahoe
• Alexan LoHi
• Alexan West Highland

Well it's a good day to get my Alexan lesson down.

I remembered reading about Cherry Creek and West Highland and thought they had broken ground. I see that Bellmar is now Belmar Urban Flats and completed. A generic search can be very misleading. I stand corrected.