DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[Robert.hampton]

Meeting on September 11th to discuss Sherman Street North re-zoning with niehgborhood groups.

The proposal calls for extending the Downtown zone district farther to the east to include more of Sherman Street, and would also realign the western boundary of the City Park/Natural History Museum view plane.

Looks like the proposal will be submitted to city council based on feedback from the meeting. Hope this goes through.

[rml213]

Don't hold your breath on the Confluence lighting - a TON of pushback from neighbors as well.

[Denvergotback]

I wish there were a law stating: if it’s in the CBD then NIMBYS have no power/say unless it involves a building of historical importance

[Ich]

8 story homeless shelter, wonder what that is going to look like

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/29/salvation-army-rebuild-denver-rino-homeless-shelter/

[Fritzdude]

Originally Posted by Ich

8 story homeless shelter, wonder what that is going to look like

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/29/salvation-army-rebuild-denver-rino-homeless-shelter/

“Others, such as Washington, Salt Lake City and New York, are trying to shrink their shelters, creating more hospitable experiences and scattering them throughout the city.“

Please follow this lead. Congregating the homeless in one section of town is a bad idea.

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by Fritzdude

“Others, such as Washington, Salt Lake City and New York, are trying to shrink their shelters, creating more hospitable experiences and scattering them throughout the city.“

Please follow this lead. Congregating the homeless in one section of town is a bad idea.

Agreed. This sounds like a disaster in the making, a homeless "Cabrini". Really bad idea.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Agreed. This sounds like a disaster in the making, a homeless "Cabrini". Really bad idea.

I do think that there is some sensibilities in concentrating shelters in areas where there are comprehensive services available. Otherwise you end up with situations like the Network Coffee house in Cap Hill where people are invited to drink coffee and talk about jesus for a few hours, and then they kick everyone out at 9 and people go poop in neighbors yards and sleep on their porches because there's no nearby services. I don' think its realistic to have mental health, addiction, job placement, etc. etc. support scattered throughout the city. Those services probably need to be concentrated

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Fritzdude

“Others, such as Washington, Salt Lake City and New York, are trying to shrink their shelters, creating more hospitable experiences and scattering them throughout the city.“

Please follow this lead. Congregating the homeless in one section of town is a bad idea.

Also +1 here. I used to live down the street from Crossroads, and it was always sketchy riding by there. This is especially true on the bike trail at night as it goes by the shelter. I'm not sure why the owner is so insistent on staying in the neighborhood as more people move in. This is only going to cause more friction between existing residents and the shelter residents.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Agreed. This sounds like a disaster in the making, a homeless "Cabrini". Really bad idea.

Is it really? Reading further into the article the building will encompass a homeless shelter, offices for the Salvation Army, and affordable/transitional housing- it's not eight stories of racking and stacking homeless men. There's still the emergency housing, but also the desperately needed facilities meant to get people off the streets and into permanent housing. It's also not in the triangle of death of Samaritan House, the Rescue Mission, and the St. Francis Center. If we want to relocate a shelter, let's turn our attention to this area and try to get one of these moved to Aurora.

Seems a bit better than the "let's house the homeless in a camp by the airport" idea that's been batted about and more realistic than the "let's open a shelter in Cherry Creek" one.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by twister244

Also +1 here. I used to live down the street from Crossroads, and it was always sketchy riding by there. This is especially true on the bike trail at night as it goes by the shelter. I'm not sure why the owner is so insistent on staying in the neighborhood as more people move in. This is only going to cause more friction between existing residents and the shelter residents.

Because where is it going to go? If the Salvation Army sells the land to put up another eight story post-college f**k dorm of $2,000 apartments where does it at least replicate the model of Crossroads?

[twister244]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Because where is it going to go? If the Salvation Army sells the land to put up another eight story post-college f**k dorm of $2,000 apartments where does it at least replicate the model of Crossroads?

Replicate the model of Crossroads? Up until recently, the building was in a horrible state of disrepair and was cited numerous times for fire code violations. I was simply agreeing with Fritzdude on a model of more shelters that are smaller in nature scattered throughout the city.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by twister244

Replicate the model of Crossroads? Up until recently, the building was in a horrible state of disrepair and was cited numerous times for fire code violations. I was simply agreeing with Fritzdude on a model of more shelters that are smaller in nature scattered throughout the city.

I meant the model of being an emergency shelter at the bare minimum- which is also the model that faces the greatest resistance in being spread to other neighborhoods.

Personally, I'd rather see the shelters scattered throughout the metro area- other cities need to start carrying their weight (Aurora) in dealing with the homeless issue. Screw Denver having to carry 95% of the burden.

Unless other cities are willing to pony up some funding....

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

If we want to relocate a shelter, let's turn our attention to this area and try to get one of these moved to Aurora.

Aurora doesn't want Denver's riff-raff.

One thing I learned from discussion on a Phoenix thread is that Denver's 'sweeps' are likely illegal and I think there's a court case pending. From doing some generic searches I learned that cases have been decided on the basis of if homeless have alternative places to go ie is there enough shelter space. In essence, the homeless enjoy constitutional rights I hadn't been aware of.

This doesn't speak to where is best but makes managing the population a dicey proposition. What I don't understand is why the city doesn't just buy some of the remaining Stapleton land and... you know... maybe put up circus tents?

[twister244]

We have our first list of new concessions going into the Great Hall!

https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/game-...-concessions-for-denver-airport-project/

I'm pretty happy with this list for a first round. All mostly local places, and places I would take the time to stop at if I had the time at the airport.

[TakeFive]

More apartments coming to Denargo

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/...no-hot-spots-primed-for-development.html

An eight-story, 337-unit apartment building is slated for a nearly 2.5 acre lot on the southeast corner of Denargo St. and Wewatta Way. The area already includes apartment buildings Marq at RiNo, AMLI Denargo Market and Post River North, which house almost 1,000 units.

The plans, called Denargo Market Phase III, submitted by Austin-based Argyle Residential, are still under review by the city. However, the project is advanced enough that the developer began applying for building permits this month, according to Denver Community Planning and Development.

Way back when, Cypress Real Estate Advisors had the foresight to assemble a gaggle of land parcels which became Denargo Market. Unfortunately they didn't anticipate the Great Recession which put their development plans on extended hold.

Eventually they built the Yards at Denargo Market. I assume they liquidated/restructured the original ownership as they later sold this project and a nearby parcel to AMLI. At that point Cypress affiliate Argyle Residential has handled development in Denver.

[TakeFive]

VF Corp. CEO opens up on why Denver beat Portland to be company HQ
Aug 30, 2018 By Ed Sealover – Denver Business Journal

Statistical studies can point to greater results for companies that keep their core brands in one headquarters, and he hopes the move will allow VF to collaborate with other Colorado-based companies that can be suppliers as well, he said.

“Our decision to co-locate our outdoor brands here in Denver was really purposeful ... to spark greater innovation, to be able to look at the marketplace as an individual team,” Rendle said at the media roundtable. “We are an acquisitive company. If we acquire in the future, our intention probably would be to bring those brands here too.”

Sounds a bit like CEO speak that could just have easily applied to Portland. I still think Denver International was a yuge factor.

And the decision on where to locate is...

Leaders of the companies, for example, are still looking for both a temporary home and a long-term location and have not decided whether the headquarters will be a single building or a campus. They are looking both inside and around the city of Denver and have brought on a design firm to help them figure out how to create a cohesive environment for all of the employees while still respecting the unique cultures of each company, Rendle said.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by twister244

I'm not sure why the owner is so insistent on staying in the neighborhood as more people move in. This is only going to cause more friction between existing residents and the shelter residents.

Wait....shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why do developers insist on building douchey post-frat apartments when they know the douchey frat guys will make the existing homeless population uncomfortable.

[twister244]

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2018/08/31/world-trade-center-denver-new-tenants.html


Although, based on this article, less than 130k of office space is "left". If the project has 260k office space, then Formativ has only been able to secure tenants for half of the office space. Given how long this project has been in the works, this to me, seems a bit slow for getting folks on board. Originally, they were going to break ground back in March. Then.... it was August. Last I checked less than a week ago, there still wasn't any construction activity...

[ejwill04]

Work has begun on Modera Lohi
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHpQ_dHhfR/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=vjnv039e2cd7

[TakeFive]

Home of future mid- and hi-rises or a 1,000 homes?


Photo credit: CBS4 Denver

Would you settle for a friendly round of Golf?

CBS4 Gets Behind The Scenes Look At City Park Golf Course Project
September 4, 2018 By Dominic Garcia/CBS4 Denver

Former Director of Golf for the City of Denver, Tom Woodard, grew up playing the course and holds the course record at 62.

“It’s a golf course that’s really an urban golf course in the city, so you get a really diverse group of players here. Not only different races but socioeconomic levels,” he told CBS4’s Dominic Garcia.

Just tell me when I can tee it up again?

The city says construction should be finished by May 31, 2019. After that, they’ll need to let the grass grow in and the best case scenario is that some play will be allowed that fall.