DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

https://businessden.com/2019/08/27/12-st...m_term=0_e8b1506f0c-fb6ea020a2-147998669

Cool looking hotel.



Cherry Creek continues to evolve into a real commercial and tourist destination district. What could add value is small/medium sized convention facility. That might need to await the re-development of the West Side of the Mall.

In other Cherry Creek news there's this from the DBJ:

Beck Architecture on Tuesday submitted a conceptual development plan on behalf of its client, Broe Real Estate Group, for construction of two separate buildings in the 200 block of Clayton Street. According to those plans, the development would include 100,000 square feet of office space, ground level retail and above- and below-grade parking.


https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2019/08/27/cherry-creek-north-new-office-buildings.html




This right next to the new mid rise that has the Amazon Books on the First Floor. Here's what's there today:


https://www.google.com/maps/place/200+Cl...ef591933!8m2!3d39.7195903!4d-104.9555641

[BG918]

^ Nice to see a steady stream of new developments in Cherry Creek. I had thought after this latest round of hotel/office/apartment projects that the boom there had subsided. I guess there is still the redevelopment of the old Sears and Whole Foods that will be a significant project but I don't know if that will happen this cycle or not.

Back to downtown, BusinessDen posted an article about the progress at Market Station and these renderings. This will be such a big hole filled in the middle of Lodo.

16th and Market St


17th & Market St


17th & Blake St


16th St Mall frontage


Source: https://businessden.com/2019/08/28/project-snapshot-market-station/

[Agent Orange]

I'm going to go into Matt-mode for a moment and ponder what the chances are that Cherry Creek's height limit could be raised. I think CC would make a nice secondary mid/high rise district, and its skyline has become quite table-toppy with the recent infill. I'd love it if Denver had our own Buckhead style mini-skyline, but is there any mechanism for the city council to revise height limits?

[BG918]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

I'm going to go into Matt-mode for a moment and ponder what the chances are that Cherry Creek's height limit could be raised. I think CC would make a nice secondary mid/high rise district, and its skyline has become quite table-toppy with the recent infill. I'd love it if Denver had our own Buckhead style mini-skyline, but is there any mechanism for the city council to revise height limits?

I think that ship has sailed in Cherry Creek. I do wish north RiNo had a higher height limit for that same reason. At least you can now go to 16 stories around 38th & Blake Station.

[DenverInfill]

Zoning is just a tool to implement a plan. And the plan for Cherry Creek says that the height we are getting now is the intended max for the neighborhood. So if you wanted taller buildings, the city would first have to do an update to the Cherry Creek plan and make taller buildings part of the plan's recommendations. Then a rezoning could follow.

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by DenverInfill

Zoning is just a tool to implement a plan. And the plan for Cherry Creek says that the height we are getting now is the intended max for the neighborhood. So if you wanted taller buildings, the city would first have to do an update to the Cherry Creek plan and make taller buildings part of the plan's recommendations. Then a rezoning could follow.

That all makes sense, and the plan was a good one for Cherry Creek North - I think the development there has been of very high quality.

I do wonder whether a fresh look might make sense if and when the west side of Cherry Creek Mall gets re-developed. That area in particular seems suitable for greater height than what's in Cherry Creek North & 1st Avenue.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

That all makes sense, and the plan was a good one for Cherry Creek North - I think the development there has been of very high quality.

I do wonder whether a fresh look might make sense if and when the west side of Cherry Creek Mall gets re-developed. That area in particular seems suitable for greater height than what's in Cherry Creek North & 1st Avenue.

Good luck convincing the Country Club neighborhood of that...I would imagine some big push back from them.

[rds70]

Here is the latest massing design for the Bell Park Tower - 390 feet, 184 units:

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by rds70

Here is the latest massing design for the Bell Park Tower - 390 feet, 184 units:

Pretty ‘meh’....mediocre mash up of confluence and the spire. Is the office component on the other side still a go?

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by rds70

Here is the latest massing design for the Bell Park Tower - 390 feet, 184 units:

I see where you images are numbered 1 thru 5 but 3, 4 & 5 are the same.

I like it fine; it's nicely striking.

[rds70]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I see where you images are numbered 1 thru 5 but 3, 4 & 5 are the same.

I like it fine; it's nicely striking.

Refresh your browser.

[twister244]

Yeah, it's pretty meh...... I agree, a mashup of the Spire and Confluence. But... I will take it as it would help build the skyline out a bit.

[derek.berardi]

Bell Tower.....what happened?!!??!????! I hope to God design review tears this apart. How did they manage to make this look worse than it already did. I'm sorry, but no city I've been to in the past 10 year does a more pathetic job with architecture than ours. Where is the sense of pride? This isn't a "victim of the times" situation...this is a Denver problem.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by twister244

Yeah, it's pretty meh...... I agree, a mashup of the Spire and Confluence. But... I will take it as it would help build the skyline out a bit.

I pulled up images of Confluence and Spire and that's when this rendering grew on me. I even wondered if this might not look better when finished than it does in the rendering.

Originally Posted by derek.berardi

Bell Tower.....what happened?!!??!????! I hope to God design review tears this apart. How did they manage to make this look worse than it already did. I'm sorry, but no city I've been to in the past 10 year does a more pathetic job with architecture than ours. Where is the sense of pride? This isn't a "victim of the times" situation...this is a Denver problem.

This is not an easy site to work with; Hines walked away from the opportunity; why did they do that? Anybody else knocking the door down to build here?

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by derek.berardi

Bell Tower.....what happened?!!??!????! I hope to God design review tears this apart. How did they manage to make this look worse than it already did. I'm sorry, but no city I've been to in the past 10 year does a more pathetic job with architecture than ours. Where is the sense of pride? This isn't a "victim of the times" situation...this is a Denver problem.

Agreed. I like the parking lot better.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

I'm going to go into Matt-mode for a moment and ponder what the chances are that Cherry Creek's height limit could be raised. I think CC would make a nice secondary mid/high rise district, and its skyline has become quite table-toppy with the recent infill. I'd love it if Denver had our own Buckhead style mini-skyline, but is there any mechanism for the city council to revise height limits?

That would be cool if Cherry Creek could get increased height, but sure seems like a crapshoot. An easier pick would be golden triangle. I really despise height limits everywhere, they lead to generic and uninteresting city-scapes.

If you drive on 6th Ave West of I-25, it's a great sight when you see all the 1960's and 1970's senior buildings of 10+ stories poking up throughout many neighborhoods. We could never EVER do that now because of our current zoning...

[rds70]

Originally Posted by derek.berardi

Bell Tower.....what happened?!!??!????! I hope to God design review tears this apart. How did they manage to make this look worse than it already did. I'm sorry, but no city I've been to in the past 10 year does a more pathetic job with architecture than ours. Where is the sense of pride? This isn't a "victim of the times" situation...this is a Denver problem.

Keep in mind that this design is only for massing review by the LoDo review board. The final architectural design comes later.

[rds70]

Originally Posted by laniroj

That would be cool if Cherry Creek could get increased height, but sure seems like a crapshoot. An easier pick would be golden triangle. I really despise height limits everywhere, they lead to generic and uninteresting city-scapes.

If you drive on 6th Ave West of I-25, it's a great sight when you see all the 1960's and 1970's senior buildings of 10+ stories poking up throughout many neighborhoods. We could never EVER do that now because of our current zoning...

As part of the updated Golden Triangle plan, point towers options are being discussed.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Agreed. I like the parking lot better.

Denver's design review board should just be a single architect from Chicago. If that architect chuckles, the developer goes back to the drawing board. If the architect laughs, the developer is banned forever.

[Ich]

Maybe you all should move then. Tired of transplants whining about everything. Most natives (myself included) were happy with Denver and our “🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵” architecture.