DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[lumos]

I was just looking at the new Davita building on Chestnut and it appears that most the floor area is being consumed by three monster lift shafts. I must be missing something, perhaps one is a wine cellar, or their really like meetings on the move.

[comoneymaker]

Originally Posted by mojiferous

DHA is replacing the only-low-income projects with mixed-income developments, like they did in Curtis Park, by Benedict Fountain Park, and Lincoln Park. Like many cities have done over the last 25 years because they realized that isolating low-income residents hurts more than it helps. And DHA is fairly independent from the city, as most of their development happens on land they own and not all of their budget comes from Denver.

They want an entertainment district because it gives the neighborhood a potential economic anchor, not to purposely push anyone out.

First off the new low income housing is no where near the same price as the old. My friend grew up in those places. 3 bed 1 bath. They are moved out but parents still live there. If this happens they will have to move in with their kids cause the new "low income housing" is twice as much as those places are now.

Second, you or anyone else have got kidding on thinking that area can be a entertainment anchor. The entertainment anchor is on the other side of the highway in LoDo. You will still have Federal and all the crap around it. It will see business on football Sundays but be dead the rest of the year. If it is not dead it will a different kind of entertainment that you don't want to be a part of.

Oh and another example of cities demolishing the low income ghetto and it working out "fantastic" is this place called Chicago. No trouble there.

[mojiferous]

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

First off the new low income housing is no where near the same price as the old. My friend grew up in those places. 3 bed 1 bath. They are moved out but parents still live there. If this happens they will have to move in with their kids cause the new "low income housing" is twice as much as those places are now.

Do they qualify for subsidized housing? Because the rate should still be only 30% of the monthly adjusted income for everyone over 18.

Affordable housing may have increased in price, but that might be because it is based on median income or because they qualify for less subsidy with a smaller household. For example, if they make $40k with 5 people in the household they qualify for the 40% subsidy, but with only 2 it definitely doubles to 80% (as in they pay that percentage of the cost of the housing based on sq. footage)

I know people at DHA, work directly with kids and families and have close friends and family who live in DHA housing -- and I have heard a myriad of complaints, but cost issues are usually only because they make too much for HUD's income limits. And that's a horrible situation that is the fault of how we as a city and country have chosen to deal with income inequality and poverty and not because of these new developments being built by DHA.

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

Second, you or anyone else have got kidding on thinking that area can be a entertainment anchor. The entertainment anchor is on the other side of the highway in LoDo. You will still have Federal and all the crap around it. It will see business on football Sundays but be dead the rest of the year. If it is not dead it will a different kind of entertainment that you don't want to be a part of.

Not my plan, but I do know the only horrible thing about Federal south of 20th is that it isn't pedestrian friendly. Hopefully building improved housing and improved street experiences will turn the neighborhood around. Keeping the aging projects around sure isn't going to do anything positive. Not developing the lots around Mile High definitely won't do anything positive.

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

Oh and another example of cities demolishing the low income ghetto and it working out "fantastic" is this place called Chicago. No trouble there.

Oh, come on... South Chicago (I only assume you're talking about the south side) is a much better place than it was 30 years ago. Is it great? No, but that has everything to do with structural racism and economic inequality and nothing to do with demolishing the projects. The way that the PJs were constructed to section off low income residents from the rest of the community, both in Chicago and in places like Sun Valley, has been shown to be much more damaging to the residents and the neighborhoods than building mixed-income housing.

Sun Valley is isolated, has no decent retail or groceries, and is aging poorly. Making it a denser, more economically integrated neighborhood will only make it better, and hopefully provide more opportunities for the low-income residents (that DHA will still provide housing for)

You have friends there and presumably have spent a fair amount of time in the old townhomes... How can you argue that they're better than what DHA has built at Curtis Park or La Alma or Benedict? They're still air-drying their clothes, right?

[JR_xox]

Originally Posted by lumos

I was just looking at the new Davita building on Chestnut and it appears that most the floor area is being consumed by three monster lift shafts. I must be missing something, perhaps one is a wine cellar, or their really like meetings on the move.

Three factors that I know of:

- Remember that the office floor plates will actually extend over the RTD bus drive lane at the south end. They'll gain 2500 sf or so per floor at the office levels over the below-grade footprint.

- The long slender shape of the building forces you to include a 3rd stairwell to provide proper exit distances.

- The building was designed to have 2 lobbies. Each with it's own elevator banks. That way a major tenant could come in and make their own private /custom lobby and entry, but not have to lease the entire building. Davita will get the main lobby, built just for them, and any other minor tenants will have to use the secondary lobby.

[seventwenty]

Someone closed off the parking lot and started demo work for the small 15th and Market project.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mojiferous

Not my plan, but I do know the only horrible thing about Federal south of 20th is that it isn't pedestrian friendly. Hopefully building improved housing and improved street experiences will turn the neighborhood around. Keeping the aging projects around sure isn't going to do anything positive. Not developing the lots around Mile High definitely won't do anything positive.

You clearly know more than most of us. Few thoughts...

Due to project phasing I'd guess that it will be a dozen years before anyone has to move, maybe longer. I'd also assume there will be some "senior" housing included and that those qualifications are unique?

With respect to the entertainment district, it's but one potential idea of an anchor for a retail area. It may end up being something different or it may likely need to be combined with another type of anchor to work. Certainly some (type of) entertainment could help successfully activate the area. They obviously anticipate much higher density as it redevelops.

The Big Unknown is what kind of future Federal support there will be for lower income housing? The country could benefit from another Hope VI type of funding initiative. Take $5 billion in 1998 $'s (?) at tomorrow's dollar value and you're probably looking at closer to $15 billion in equivalent dollars.

[TakeFive]

..
Photos credit: CBS4

A good time was had by all at the signing and topping off ceremony for the new Carla Madison Recreation Center according to CBS4. Denver Parks & Recreation Executive Director Allegra “Happy” Haynes helped celebrate the occasion.

[lumos]

Originally Posted by JR_xox

Three factors that I know of:

- Remember that the office floor plates will actually extend over the RTD bus drive lane at the south end. They'll gain 2500 sf or so per floor at the office levels over the below-grade footprint.

- The long slender shape of the building forces you to include a 3rd stairwell to provide proper exit distances.

- The building was designed to have 2 lobbies. Each with it's own elevator banks. That way a major tenant could come in and make their own private /custom lobby and entry, but not have to lease the entire building. Davita will get the main lobby, built just for them, and any other minor tenants will have to use the secondary lobby.

Thank you so much. I had not realised that the building was going to extend outside its existing footprint, that certainly makes more sense. I appreciate your contribution.

[CastleScott]

Ryan those photos are spectacularly gorgeous-those ones looking southeast with those rising Country Club towers was cool as you could also see the DU area along with the DTC!!

Looks like Denver is booming right along and btw even though the Broncos mentioned that 361 million project for south of the stadium I believe it will be more as other developers come on board for that area with good transit access..

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by CastleScott

Ryan those photos are spectacularly gorgeous-those ones looking southeast with those rising Country Club towers was cool as you could also see the DU area along with the DTC!!

Looks like Denver is booming right along and btw even though the Broncos mentioned that 361 million project for south of the stadium I believe it will be more as other developers come on board for that area with good transit access..

Thank you CastleScott!! The Country Club Towers are just... Awesome!

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by RyanD

Thank you CastleScott!! The Country Club Towers are just... Awesome!

I noticed them rising from I-25 and Hampden this morning. From that angle, they almost look like they're downtown.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by CastleScott

Ryan those photos are spectacularly gorgeous-those ones looking southeast with those rising Country Club towers was cool as you could also see the DU area along with the DTC!!

Dang, yes - Only I was so busy drowning myself in one of my favorite building's photos (1401 Lawrence) that I plum missed the Country Club towers.

[CastleScott]

^ Thanks Ryan and I was also impressed with that one looking out west with Confluence in the background-I couldn't help but notice all that new density around I-25 and Speer that was just getting under construction when I left for northern California..

[TakeFive]

Friday's Follies

Oh this should be just tons of fun, a real donnybrook and clustermess.

Denver tried to solve a parking problem, but two sides couldn’t agree on the answer
December 15, 2016 by Erica Meltzer - Denverite

This is the question Denver is trying to answer: In what circumstances is it OK to build without providing parking?

Back in August, Denver City Council put a moratorium on the use of something called the small lot parking exemption ... The most controversial project is probably the 108 micro units that Pando Holdings wants to build at 16th Avenue and Humboldt Street.

A MUST READ as Erica Meltzer does an excellent job of laying out the issues and positions.

In summation:

Brooks had hoped to emerge from the working group with consensus.

That wasn’t to be. Four neighborhood reps said they are “hard no’s” on the plan.

But the clock is ticking on the moratorium, and City Council needs to act. The working group is done, and Brooks’ preferred alternative will be turned into a draft ordinance.

Read it and weep... or react.


You're Number One

America’s Best and Brightest Are Headed to Boulder
December 14, 2016 by Vincent Del Giudice and WeiLu - Bloomberg
A quick, fun read with a pictorial map. Behind Boulder is San Jose CA, Ann Arbor MI, Ithaca NY and Washington DC.

You're NOT Number One
But Pueblo CO does have the distinction of being Number Two on the Brain Drain Scale (lol)

[PLANSIT]

New hotel proposal at 15th and Stout:

Site Address and Description
1501 Stout St - 2016PM0000732 - 15th & Stout Hotel

[PLANSIT]

and this gem:

Site Address and Description
1770 N Sherman St - 2016PM0000735 - Sherman El Jebel Tower

Discuss

[DenverPoke]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

and this gem:

Site Address and Description
1770 N Sherman St - 2016PM0000735 - Sherman El Jebel Tower

Discuss

Wow! Will be interesting to see updated renderings, hope it comes to fruition.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by DenverPoke

Wow! Will be interesting to see updated renderings, hope it comes to fruition.

Ha, holy shit never thought it would make it this far! Look at this stunning team of developers:
http://www.goldenlampregionalcenter.com/team.html

[The Dirt]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

New hotel proposal at 15th and Stout:

Is that the north or south corner?

Any details on the Jebel tower usage and height?

[RyanD]

There's also this one, which is right behind the Pavilions:

Block 173 2016PM069 15th & Welton Hotel with ground floor retail/restaurant Mixed-Use