DENVER | Main Development Thread #7 - Page 123

CastleScott · #**2441** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 3:00 AM**

^ I’ll take it-it will standout and look kinda cool when I come in on Amtrak’s Zephyr from Cali. Just my prespictive.

Sam Hill · #**2442** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 4:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rds70

Anybody want a new apartment tower in Arapahoe Square designed by Perkins+Will?

Yes please.

Sam Hill · #**2443** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 5:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by twister244

https://www.rivermiledenver.com/

The video on their homepage appears to have been filmed sometime in the September/October time frame from last Fall.....

Hmmmm.................

I'm no betting man, but Jesus that video looks aimed directly at Amazon, especially when they are trying to address housing affordability issues we have.

That video was well-produced and pretty dang fun to watch. It induced a little extra civic pride in me. I'm excited about River Mile.

I like to imagine how impressive it would be to enter downtown on Speer in a future in which River Mile, Next Stage and Bell Park are complete. These images from the "vision" page of the River Mile site definitely get my imagination going:

Cirrus · #**2444** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 7:11 AM**

^
The proposed waterfront treatments in those renderings are really interesting from an urban design standpoint. I looooove the amphitheater steps down to the water. That's going to be a primo public space. OTOH I think those suspended platforms in the first rendering need benches or they'll end up empty.

You do have to laugh at the kids with the butterfly nets though. Hand it to the rendering person for creativity there.

bunt_q · #**2445** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 3:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mishko27

That seems like an incredibly weird location for that height and mass.

I could not disagree more. This is exactly what we wanted with the switch to design review and the allowance for point towers in Arapaho Square. So your comment is only half correct - while the height is new, my guess is this is exactly the same mass as the half block monoliths we have already been seeing in that area (2020 Lawrence, anybody? That monstrosity pops up now when you google the word "mass.").

bunt_q · #**2446** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 3:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cirrus

^ OTOH I think those suspended platforms in the first rendering need benches or they'll end up empty.

Funny, I would think the opposite. Benches either mean somebody is sitting and it feels like their private space. Or they become permanent resting spaces for stinky vagrant lazy children. Either way, I would think not having benches makes them much more usable.

Robert.hampton · #**2447** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 4:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I could not disagree more. This is exactly what we wanted with the switch to design review and the allowance for point towers in Arapaho Square. So your comment is only half correct - while the height is new, my guess is this is exactly the same mass as the half block monoliths we have already been seeing in that area (2020 Lawrence, anybody? That monstrosity pops up now when you google the word "mass.").

Yeah I really wish we had seen these types of projects up around 20th and Welton rather than the Alexan monstrosities. The first few towers were always going to bit a bit out of place, but as you said the idea of rezoning was exactly to promote this type of development.

wong21fr · #**2448** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 4:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Yeah I really wish we had seen these types of projects up around 20th and Welton rather than the Alexan monstrosities. The first few towers were always going to bit a bit out of place, but as you said the idea of rezoning was exactly to promote this type of development.

There's always the next 3 or four towers that will pop up in that area. Still a lot of parking lots and 1 story warehouses to fill in.

TakeFive · #**2449** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 4:38 PM**

New way for a realtor to pay his bills

Parking spaces are now selling for over $70,000 in Spire, a little less in Brooks Tower.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Funny, I would think the opposite. Benches either mean somebody is sitting and it feels like their private space. Or they become permanent resting spaces for stinky vagrant lazy children. Either way, I would think not having benches makes them much more usable.

You have to wonder the way things are going, eh?

One of the more interesting 'cultural' differences between Phoenix and Denver is that in the desert, privacy and security, has long been a thing. Most developments/neighborhoods come with walls and gates. Sometimes the 'walls' are dense bushes. Walls also serve to "wall off" mobile homes or apartments from single family homes. That's not unusual in Denver either but it's much more prevalent down here. Admittedly for the young and healthy burglars getting over walls is doable; just hope that the police helicopter is not overhead.

CherryCreek · #**2450** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 4:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

That video was well-produced and pretty dang fun to watch. It induced a little extra civic pride in me. I'm excited about River Mile.

I like to imagine how impressive it would be to enter downtown on Speer in a future in which River Mile, Next Stage and Bell Park are complete. These images from the "vision" page of the River Mile site definitely get my imagination going:

Love the conceptual drawings. Very Vancouver-ish.

Agent Orange · #**2451** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 5:05 PM**

Side question for folks who have lived here a bit longer:

Are those power lines along the Platte ever going anywhere? Cause it really disrupts the bustling urban feel and makes me think I'm in a suburban Dallas office park.

What about having the towers serve double duty as gondola infrastructure. No-transfer ride from the future bustling centers of Brighton/RiNo to River Mile and Sun Valley (aka RiMi and SuVa).

Cirrus · #**2452** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Funny, I would think the opposite. Benches either mean somebody is sitting and it feels like their private space. Or they become permanent resting spaces for stinky vagrant lazy children. Either way, I would think not having benches makes them much more usable.

Walking paths that only result in a longer walk usually go underused unless there's a compelling reason to use them. In this case, the compelling reason is theoretically to enjoy the nice river view. But it looks like you can enjoy the nice river view more easily on the main path at other spots both up and downstream.

It'll be a nice spot for quiet reflection, and I suppose if that's your goal then this is pretty good. But if you want there to be as many people on it as the rendering shows, you need to give them a reason to feel welcome lingering. It's not offering that right now.

Swings might be cool there:

TakeFive · #**2453** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 6:00 PM**

Those swings are awesome.

The Dirt · #**2454** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 7:26 PM**

Welp, Emerson Place just got engulfed in flames. It just topped off not long ago, too.

https://denverinfill.com/blog/2017/04/new-project-emerson-place.html

Robert.hampton · #**2455** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 7:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Welp, Emerson Place just got engulfed in flames. It just topped off not long ago, too.

https://denverinfill.com/blog/2017/04/new-project-emerson-place.html

Jesus. If i remember correctly that project was massively crowd-funded by individuals at $25,000 per pop.

wong21fr · #**2456** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Jesus. If i remember correctly that project was massively crowd-funded by individuals at $25,000 per pop.

Well, here's hoping that crowdfunding included some BI and property insurance for the developer.

Which it almost 100% surely did.

Agent Orange · #**2457** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Welp, Emerson Place just got engulfed in flames. It just topped off not long ago, too.

https://denverinfill.com/blog/2017/04/new-project-emerson-place.html

That's a shame. I really liked the scale of this project and hope we see many more like this in neighborhood contexts.

Stonemans_rowJ · #**2458** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 8:24 PM**

Was just watching the video from cbs4 and it looks like a pile of ash with only the elevator shafts standing.

With all these wood frame apartment buildings, that would definitely give me pause if I was renter and I sure as heck wouldn't buy a condo in a wood frame structure like the new condos on 13th/Penn

wong21fr · #**2459** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonemans_rowJ

Was just watching the video from cbs4 and it looks like a pile of ash with only the elevator shafts standing.

With all these wood frame apartment buildings, that would definitely give me pause if I was renter and I sure as heck wouldn't buy a condo in a wood frame structure like the new condos on 13th/Penn

Why? There was no fireproofing installed yet. No baffling. No sprinkler system. A building is at its most vulnerable to fire when it's U/C as there are pretty much zero life-saving systems installed or active. It would be a weird standard to hold a building to.

DFD is reporting multiple injuries on sight- hopefully none are serious.

CastleScott · #**2460** Posted **Mar 7, 2018, 8:43 PM**

^ Yeah I'm not a big fan of wood-stick frame either although once covered in 5/8th sheetrock/drywall and outer brick or stucco is fairly fire resistant (of course most newer apt and condo complexes also have sprinklers as well). I am a fan of snap in place steel that's becoming more popular.