DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[comoneymaker]

Couldnt get the 3rd crane for the other apartment building going up on University.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bcp

Listening and acting on all the complaints of constituents is not how it works... We are a democratic republic, not a straight democracy...you are supporting weather-vane politics, rather than a council that thinks through all sides of an issue and the long term impacts, and the alignment with our financial system.

When's the next election?

BTW, Colorado/Denver engages in a good amount of direct democracy; how atypical that is I couldn't say. Not so much at the state level but certainly at the local/regional level. For example, there has been direct citizen approval of T-REX, Fastracks, Better Denver Bonds and most recently the new National Western Center redevelopment. Just so you know I do understand the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy. Now, that we have that silliness behind us...

With respect to "a council that thinks through all sides of an issue," I'm all for that. Not a politician nor a council person but I'd suggest that treating the opinions of citizen-residents whether owners or renters like dog poo may not be the wisest thing. Perhaps I give ordinary citizens and voters too much credit for actually having brains? In any case I'll await the DCC's decision.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

When's the next election?

BTW, Colorado/Denver engages in a good amount of direct democracy; how atypical that is I couldn't say. Not so much at the state level but certainly at the local/regional level. For example, there has been direct citizen approval of T-REX, Fastracks, Better Denver Bonds and most recently the new National Western Center redevelopment. Just so you know I do understand the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy. Now, that we have that silliness behind us...

With respect to "a council that thinks through all sides of an issue," I'm all for that. Not a politician nor a council person but I'd suggest that treating the opinions of citizen-residents whether owners or renters like dog poo may not be the wisest thing. Perhaps I give ordinary citizens and voters too much credit for actually having brains? In any case I'll await the DCC's decision.

That's not entirely true, there has been direct voter approval of the financing. The actual implantation and details are still left to our elected representatives. Just ask Boulder. What they voted on was a tax, not a rail line.

[TakeFive]

July was HOT, HOT, HOT

Normally physical evidence is quite convincing and Ken has been rolling out the physical evidence like a man possessed. In retrospect July was much busier than we all thought, I suspect, especially for new apartment construction.

Starting with everybody's favorite developer, TCR (Trammell Crow Residential) broke ground on Alexan LoHi at 32nd and Tejon. By my count that makes 4 Alexans currently under construction: Alexan Cherry Creek, Alexan Uptown, Alexan West Highlands and now Alexan LoHi at Dickison Plaza. That doesn't include Alexan Sloan's Lake which aside from loose ends is now completed.

Alexan LoHi at Dickison Plaza (106 units)

Rendering per TCR

A personal favorite of mine is Mill Creek Residential who according to Ken has now started construction on Modera River North Arts. They also have under construction Modera Observatory Park near DU and Modera River North along Brighton Blvd.

Modera River North Arts (183 units)

Renderng per Denver Exclusive

When it's finally done then we will have come to the end of the road for Riverfront Park. According to Ken, Holland Partner has broken ground on Parkside Apartments at 19th and Little Raven and the last piece of dirt in Riverfront Park.

Parkside Apartments (161 units)

Rendering per Denver Infill

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless also broke ground on Renaissance Downtown Lofts at 2075 Broadway with 101 units.

Quite a one month haul, I'd say.

[TakeFive]

Tuesday's Tulips


credit: addcovers


Ain't she pretty?

Handel Architects, photo courtesy of Tim Griffith via AIACC

She sure is pretty; who is she?
According to BROCK KEELING of Curbed San Francisco on Aug 1st, 2016 she's:

The Millennium Tower, located in Yerba Buena next to the Transbay and Salesforce Tower constructions, is a symbol of the new San Francisco wealth. The tony high-rise, currently offering the most expensive one-bedroom in the city, houses such luminaries as Hunter Pence, Joe Montana, and a slew of tech brethren.

Well that's nice. Is their a plot for posting this?
Yes

Since its completion in 2008, the 58-story building has sunk 16 inches, according to an independent consultant hired to monitor the problem. It has also tilted 2 inches to the northwest.

"That’s significant ... and of concern," said Professor Greg Deierlein, director of the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center at Stanford University, who has been called in to evaluate the designs of a couple of San Francisco’s newer downtown high-rises.

Any guesses why this is happening?

In fact, there stands several reasons why the Millennium is sinking—for starters, it's not steel-framed and instead uses a concrete design. Also, as the Chronicle points out, "the building is located on unstable mud-fill, just off the bay’s original shoreline."

And perhaps most damningly:

Any thoughts from our engineering friends?

[Curtis Park]

I am hearing from people that might be considered "in the know" that the proposed redevelopment of the Rossonian Hotel in Five Points has been dropped. I think it was Confluence Builders working on it.
Anyone have info?

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Curtis Park

I am hearing from people that might be considered "in the know" that the proposed redevelopment of the Rossonian Hotel in Five Points has been dropped. I think it was Confluence Builders working on it.
Anyone have info?

Do not know who you got this from, but I am very in the know with the project and know that it is still going strong. The issue is that Palisade currently has four projects under development, BMC has four projects under development, and Sage has a few as well. Not much bandwidth with any of the parties. Unfortunately, that is all I can say.

Edit: The original project team was Palisade Partners, Confluence Development, and Sage. Confluence dropped out and were replaced by BMC. It is possible that that is what you heard.

[comoneymaker]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Tuesday's Tulips


credit: addcovers


Ain't she pretty?

Handel Architects, photo courtesy of Tim Griffith via AIACC

She sure is pretty; who is she?
According to BROCK KEELING of Curbed San Francisco on Aug 1st, 2016 she's:

Well that's nice. Is their a plot for posting this?
Yes

Any guesses why this is happening?

Any thoughts from our engineering friends?

This belongs in it's own or another thread.

[Curtis Park]

Originally Posted by Denver

Do not know who you got this from, but I am very in the know with the project and know that it is still going strong. The issue is that Palisade currently has four projects under development, BMC has four projects under development, and Sage has a few as well. Not much bandwidth with any of the parties. Unfortunately, that is all I can say.

Edit: The original project team was Palisade Partners, Confluence Development, and Sage. Confluence dropped out and were replaced by BMC. It is possible that that is what you heard.

Great to hear! Thanks!

[comoneymaker]

1974

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

1974

Very different looking city then.

A shot from around same time, looking west.



Then perhaps mid 80s? All that empty land screaming: REDEVELOP ME!!!



What did a nice house cost in LoHi in 1985? 50K?

Then there's Union Station, Union Station "North" and Riverfront circa 1995. Wasteland.

[BG918]

The revitalization of Union Station/Riverfront Park has to be one of the biggest urban transformations in the US, especially when combined with Lodo and the ballpark area.

[Chucolo]

Can't speak to LoHi, but the house we purchased in 1984 near 32nd and Lowell cost us 80k (we might have paid a bit too much and by '85 Denver housing prices were beginning to fall, so not sure what the value of the house would have been then).

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.businessden.com/2016/08/04/trammell-crow-residential-to-start-100m-apartment-project/

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by BG918

The revitalization of Union Station/Riverfront Park has to be one of the biggest urban transformations in the US.

Hm. If you include LoDo then you'd have to include infill in other established neighborhoods too, which would be hard. But it'd be interesting to compare acreage and square footage with other start-over-with-a-blank-slate developments. My guess is that New York would have everyone beat between Atlantic Yards and the World Trade Center, but the CPV is probably up there.

[mhays]

In terms of "start from scratch," Portland's SoWA counts, and much of the Pearl too.

San Francisco's Mission Bay definitely.

Boston's Seaport district or whatever it's called.

But the CPV is certainly up there.

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by Chucolo

Can't speak to LoHi, but the house we purchased in 1984 near 32nd and Lowell cost us 80k (we might have paid a bit too much and by '85 Denver housing prices were beginning to fall, so not sure what the value of the house would have been then).

That does sound high. A friend of mine purchased a nice bungalow 3 blocks west of Wash Park in 1989 for $89 K. That was near the bottom of the late 80s bust. Wash Park was the LoHi of its day, even in 1989.

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.businessden.com/2016/08/04/trammell-crow-residential-to-start-100m-apartment-project/

It looks like this is going to be another ocean liner. 12 stories and it consumes the entire half block. If the zoning change had only come a little earlier...

But Trammell Crow will be sticking to 12 stories, the maximum allowed by the site’s previous C-MX-12 zoning code. Schildt said his firm had already drawn up plans for a 12-story building before the site was rezoned, and redesigning a taller building could set the project back a couple of years.

[comoneymaker]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.businessden.com/2016/08/04/trammell-crow-residential-to-start-100m-apartment-project/

Trammell Crow will build the Alexan....

WTF there are already like 25 Alexan's in Denver. Can these idiots not think of something new ?

[comoneymaker]

Kinda sucks....

http://www.9news.com/money/business/mode...m-longtime-south-broadway-home/287298853