DENVER | Main Development Thread #7 - Page 41

Tykendo · #**801** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 5:53 PM**

Elitches has matured as an amusement park. The trees are great now. It's not a Six Flags anymore. Sure, it would be great to get a couple of larger coasters, but I think it's great where it is. Ol' Kroenke can build in his parking lot if he wants, but I think he's worried too much about his development in LA to care. Elitches can stay, Kroenke can go.

Matt · #**802** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 9:03 PM**

July 2, 2017:

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SIZE VERSION

1144 15th Street is really making an impact on the skyline, even when viewed from the east. Shame that people approaching Denver on I-70 won't be greeted by a stunning illuminated crown. Any chance of Hines changing their mind on this? Surely... surely... they must be looking at this tower during the final stages of structural topout and realizing the epic missed opportunity they are about to (not make) in our nighttime skyline...

I'm really impressed with how much cleaner and modernized the Denver skyline appears after all the recent additions (and new facade upgrades) over the last 15 years or so...

CastleScott · #**803** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 9:12 PM**

Quote:

Elitches has matured as an amusement park. The trees are great now. It's not a Six Flags anymore. Sure, it would be great to get a couple of larger coasters, but I think it's great where it is. Ol' Kroenke can build in his parking lot if he wants, but I think he's worried too much about his development in LA to care. Elitches can stay, Kroenke can go.

I agree and it would take quite a long time for the trees to catch up if a new venue was built in Commerce City-being a 58 yr old Denver native I remember the old Elitches very well and they should have never moved in the first place.

As for the Pepsi Center-has anyone been to LA lately? That area around the Staples Center is going through a mega boom almost similar in scope to what happened around the Toronto sports venues not long ago-heck a 66 story 975 foot beuaty is set to go in right near Staples as well as several 500-760 footers. Just my 2 cents here..

RyanD · #**804** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 10:06 PM**

Here's another pano:

DaVita II is going to make an impact, Confluence looks huge, and 1144 Is looking great. Speaking of illumination, apparently The Confluence is going to have a LED 'waterfall' that trickles down the building at night. At least that's the rumor.

seventwenty · #**805** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 12:24 AM**

In the pano battle, Matt wins.

COtoOC · #**806** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 4:33 PM**

I drove through downtown this morning and 1144 looks so modern. It looks like a sculpture made of mirror! I'm still curious to see how the crown turns out.

rml213 · #**807** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 4:38 PM**

I can confirm that is the true. The building will light up in all sorts of colors (blue/orange on gamedays, etc.). It's also going to have 365-day valet for the residents. This is definitely going to be the #1 luxury building in town, without a doubt.

Construction has been a disaster though and we were supposed to move in May and now we're looking at August - nevertheless, I'm extremely excited.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanD

Here's another pano:

DaVita II is going to make an impact, Confluence looks huge, and 1144 Is looking great. Speaking of illumination, apparently The Confluence is going to have a LED 'waterfall' that trickles down the building at night. At least that's the rumor.

Alchemist · #**808** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 6:45 PM**

Kephart has some renderings of the 5/7 story apartment that will replace the now-closed Kmart.

http://kephart.com/portfolio/363-broadway/

It is a shame that there is (supposedly) no ground floor retail space. Perhaps they can convert some of the ground floor parking spaces in the future.

mhays · #**809** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 7:17 PM**

I suspect the ground floor would be 9' or 10' floor-to-floor, just enough for a lobby but not enough for retail, which would typically be at least 12'.

Based on street view, South Broadway appears to have some stretches of successful retail, but this stretch looks intermittent. Rents tend to lag in places like that...not a critical mass of pedestrians, and complicated parking for the drivers. So lacking a mandate from the City, they seem to be skipping it.

DenverInfill · #**810** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 9:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemist

Kephart has some renderings of the 5/7 story apartment that will replace the now-closed Kmart.

http://kephart.com/portfolio/363-broadway/

It is a shame that there is (supposedly) no ground floor retail space. Perhaps they can convert some of the ground floor parking spaces in the future.

That should be 363 South Broadway. It's not at 3rd Avenue, but at Alameda, which is the 300 South block.

Alchemist · #**811** Posted **Jul 4, 2017, 4:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

I suspect the ground floor would be 9' or 10' floor-to-floor, just enough for a lobby but not enough for retail, which would typically be at least 12'.

Based on street view, South Broadway appears to have some stretches of successful retail, but this stretch looks intermittent. Rents tend to lag in places like that...not a critical mass of pedestrians, and complicated parking for the drivers. So lacking a mandate from the City, they seem to be skipping it.

Just to clarify, this project is not along Broadway but at the SE corner of Alameda and Cherokee. It will replace the closed (closing?) Kmart in that shopping center. IIRC, D4 Urban's original vision for the entire Alameda Marketplace site was to have more of the retail concentrated towards the northern section. Not that I would expect another big box, but replacing retail space with a mixed use development fits the vision and makes sense as TOD.
With more residents like this project will bring and some fresh retail, that might help bring additional foot traffic. Plus, part of the reason Broadway is somewhat dead here is that much of the west side is dominated by parking lots. That is not the way it is further north on Broadway where there is more foot traffic.

ddvmke · #**812** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemist

Kephart has some renderings of the 5/7 story apartment that will replace the now-closed Kmart.

http://kephart.com/portfolio/363-broadway/

It is a shame that there is (supposedly) no ground floor retail space. Perhaps they can convert some of the ground floor parking spaces in the future.

That is a shame...I had heard there would be retail on at least one corner of the development (likely facing Cherokee) and that a local bar owner had first dibs on the space. Hard to tell from the renderings if the building goes all the way south to Dakota Street taking up the whole block, but if it does that southern end looks like it may have convertible parking to retail space, similar to the Denizen, for when the area picks up. I can't blame the developer for not putting retail space along Alameda though, at least not until that awkward third eastbound lane from Cherokee to Broadway is eliminated either for parking to create a barrier from traffic, or an expanded sidewalk to create more space. It's pretty uncomfortable to walk along that stretch and routes through the Baker neighborhood to S. Broadway are much more pleasant for foot traffic.

mr1138 · #**813** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

^^^^ Exactly. The new one has no charm and all the rides suck and is full of nothing but thugs. Well at least the last time I went there like 8 years ago. I want a full 6 flags. Not something with 2 crappy roller coasters. I go to lakeside because it has character.

Just reading these responses (I had posted right before leaving town for the long weekend). To be clear, I'm not talking about leaving the park exactly as-is, but rather to give it a complete makeover and put the grounds into the hands of the City's Parks department to manage as a proper urban park. What I'm proposing is to tear down the cheesy entrance, the half-assed "Main Street USA" clone, and spread things out. Put in gravel paths, and things like outdoor beer gardens, more trees, and GARDENS. Take down the fences and ticket gates and let people just wander in - it would likely attract a very different and more diverse clientele. Most of the rides are carnival-style rides that can simply be moved onto new foundations, same goes for the midway games. The amusement park has been an asphalt wasteland since the day it opened in its current location, and should be ashamed to be calling itself Elitch "Gardens."

Like I said before - move many of the rides across the river and incorporate the Children's Museum and Aquarium into the mix. If it's managed as a city park, it doesn't have to stay on its existing footprint. It's all too crammed-in anyway right now.
Don't leave anything other than the things that simply cannot be moved (basically just the towers and roller coasters) on the high-ground above the flood plain - that's where all the urban development potential lies. The area could be like Riverfront Park, but the park could be an amusement park. And I don't think this scheme of mine preempts the creation of a "real" 6-flags kind of park on the outskirts of town either. They would be very different kinds of attractions, and I think the Denver area could support both (we already support Lakeside and Water World in addition to our crappy "flagship" park).

mr1138 · #**814** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 4:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemist

Kephart has some renderings of the 5/7 story apartment that will replace the now-closed Kmart.

http://kephart.com/portfolio/363-broadway/

It is a shame that there is (supposedly) no ground floor retail space. Perhaps they can convert some of the ground floor parking spaces in the future.

Ideally, a new development like this should begin the Chinese-fire-drill of replacing the existing Safeway. Having a full-service grocery store nearby is part of what makes this area so appealing. One of these new mixed-use developments, and ideally one right near the LR station, should create a new store before they move on to close and redevelop that Safeway. I have long thought this would have been the ideal site for such a project - oh well

.

mhays · #**815** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 7:48 PM**

That looks like a tougher site than Broadway for street-facing retail, unless blocks to the east also get developed (and don't have retail so it can concentrate). But that's just based on google.

Ich · #**816** Posted **Jul 5, 2017, 10:26 PM**

Looks like Denver landed both shows! This should mean more hotel development in the near future.

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/05/outdoor-retailer-trade-shows-denver-confirmed/

Matt · #**817** Posted **Jul 6, 2017, 2:10 AM**

Denver to Zurich has been announced!

YouTube announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM8KOSgGcDY

MovinOnUp · #**818** Posted **Jul 10, 2017, 4:25 PM**

Checking this forum's pulse

Not sure if this has been posted, but gives this a bit more context re: the DIA renovations. Looks like it will be a nice repurposing of the main hall. Security still seems a little confusing, but otherwise nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHbxv_Wqedk

wong21fr · #**819** Posted **Jul 10, 2017, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovinOnUp

Checking this forum's pulse

Not sure if this has been posted, but gives this a bit more context re: the DIA renovations. Looks like it will be a nice repurposing of the main hall. Security still seems a little confusing, but otherwise nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZG7IK99OvI

I like it, certainly more of an urban vibe. Though the fashion is a bit dated.

(I'm thinking that the YouTube hyperlink is pointing to the wrong address on account of me jamming to a Ludacris song when I click it.)

MovinOnUp · #**820** Posted **Jul 10, 2017, 6:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wong21fr

I like it, certainly more of an urban vibe. Though the fashion is a bit dated.

(I'm thinking that the YouTube hyperlink is pointing to the wrong address on account of me jamming to a Ludacris song when I click it.)

Haha - pulse checked, and link fixed. Apologies!