DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by coolmandan03

Is it infill if the site already has a building on it? Tons of empty parking lots around, but this will be built on an already fully filled lot.

Would any of the parking lots provide a similar stellar location for the project and the way to will provide an active use for part of Civic Center Park? Not going to quibble the infill/non-infill debate, but this project is certainly a better use of the site than the current 1 1/2 story facility that's a shuttered childcare.

[DenverInfill]

The term "infill" does not require the site to be undeveloped. The site can also be underdeveloped or underutilized. The larger context for the term "infill" is that it is development occurring an an already-established urban area, as opposed to "greenfield" development where the development will be the first ever on its site.

[bunt_q]

I love that so much.

[Sam Hill]

Originally Posted by MovinOnUp

I like it! It's like one of those cat tower thingies, except for humans!

In all seriousness, this could turn out to be an exceptional Denver landmark, or it come out a bit goofy - like that central library which hasn't aged well. It's hard to tell from a rendering sometimes. Also, I have a sneaky feeling this will be one of those like the airport hotel - which started out as a sleek white spaceship, but ended up a big blue whale's tail. There's something pipe-dreamy about it (and not just because it happens to look like a giant dreamy pipe organ).

I love the scale. Triangle lots, man!

[ams5280]

I know we talk about parking in spaces, but I would love to see a breakdown by SF of parking vs office/usable space at the Belleview station.

Vectra is another example where parking space might exceed usable space, and is only especially egregious since it’s a parking garage with a hat right next to the light rail station. It doesn’t even try that hard to deny it.

[kemachs]

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

I like it! It's like one of those cat tower thingies, except for humans!

In all seriousness, this could turn out to be an exceptional Denver landmark, or it come out a bit goofy - like that central library which hasn't aged well. It's hard to tell from a rendering sometimes. Also, I have a sneaky feeling this will be one of those like the airport hotel - which started out as a sleek white spaceship, but ended up a big blue whale's tail. There's something pipe-dreamy about it (and not just because it happens to look like a giant dreamy pipe organ).

I love the scale. Triangle lots, man!

Even if it ended up goofy, I'd still appreciate the effort here to build something with character...despite the end result of the airport hotel, you have to admit it's become an icon of sorts. Both are much better than a carbon copy glass/metal box - if the city is going to lose old structures en-masse, at least replace some of it with worthy buildings for the next generation.

I've long been a fan of Studio Gang so I may be biased, I also quite like the execution of Postmodern at the central library. Just me?

[jbssfelix]

Great representation of Aspen trunks. Well done, and hopefully it ends up looking exactly as designed.

[rds70]

Yet another proposed apartment building in the Golden Triangle, per Denvergov:

Concept Plan: The proposed project is located at the southwest corner of E. 13th Ave and Cherokee Street in the Golden Triangle district of Denver is a 17-story building with 254 residential units with 5,280 sf of retail, 1330 sf of office space and 338 parking spaces. The site measures 325 ft by 150 ft and is served by an entrance on Cherokee Street and rear alley access as well. The building's massing is consisting of a street level courtyard, 2nd level, 7th level and 17th level terraces culminating in a 17 story tower.

[Sam Hill]

Does anybody know where we're at with the GT rezoning? I thought it was an approximately 18-month process that would be done around fall of 2020. I've tried googling it but can't find any info that isn't several months old.

[The Dirt]

Originally Posted by rds70

Looks like the Opus Group is going to take over the project located at 575 E 20th Avenue. The project will still be 12 stories, and will include 270 units and 5-6,000 square feet of retail. Here is the original project proposed by NAVA Real Estate:



This would be the third Opus multifamily project proposed in the past year, including the 12 story project just north of Empower Field and the 7 story project at Colfax and Kalamath.

Just walked by and saw a crew doing soil core samples.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Council rezones Denargo Market site for 16-story apartment complex

https://businessden.com/2020/12/17/counc...r%23newsletter%23newsletter%23newsletter

Assuming that we reach herd immunity in Spring 2021 due to the vaccine rollout and the economy starts to come back, what do you all think construction activity will look like in Denver?

[Ejjwheel]

Here is the Denverite article about that rezoning:

https://denverite.com/2020/12/15/a-rezon...ve-points-that-will-have-325-apartments/

Denverite is a part of Colorado Public Radio and they do great reporting, and its accessible to all. If you're not a member of CPR I think its a much better thing to donate to rather than pay for BusinessDen or Biz Jounal Denver.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by MovinOnUp

While we all dream of Denver's next tallest, it's projects like this from notable architects that give way to meaningful infill. Love it.

Who's the girl across the street in that 2nd image?

Originally Posted by coolmandan03

Is it infill if the site already has a building on it? Tons of empty parking lots around, but this will be built on an already fully filled lot.

Not to worry; no normal, sane developer had any interest in this site. It took someone with a few loose screws to obsess over trying to solve that puzzle. It took a local to develop an irrational attachment. Forget trying to make it pencil; they don't know about no stinkin' pencils.

That leaves all the empty lots for the professional builders of which there are many.

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

Are we supposed to climb it?

That's funny.... Wait... maybe we should hold a contest to see who can come closest to when some idiot will actually play Spider Man?

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

I like it! It's like one of those cat tower thingies, except for humans!

In all seriousness, this could turn out to be an exceptional Denver landmark, or it come out a bit goofy - like that central library which hasn't aged well. It's hard to tell from a rendering sometimes. Also, I have a sneaky feeling this will be one of those like the airport hotel - which started out as a sleek white spaceship, but ended up a big blue whale's tail. There's something pipe-dreamy about it (and not just because it happens to look like a giant dreamy pipe organ).

BEST COMMENT (so far)

What's ironically funny is for all of the complaining about "boxes" when someone actually thinks/designs outside the box you can count lots of critics weighing in.

For my money, I'm (still) personally fond of the Michael Graves addition to the Central library.

Originally Posted by jbssfelix

Great representation of Aspen trunks. Well done, and hopefully it ends up looking exactly as designed.

YEAH (hadn't considered that)

Feedback from the developer via Mile High CRE.

“As the signature private development on Civic Center Park, Urban Villages felt a responsibility to create a community asset that would contribute to the architectural legacy of the Mountain West and provide 24/7 activation in this underserved area,” said Jon Buerge, chief development officer at Urban Villages. “We have brought together a team that exemplifies this vision – from architecture and design, to sustainability, hospitality, food and beverage and more. Populus will create opportunities for locals and visitors to connect, relax and find inspiration.”

What jumps out at me, in addition to the design, is that they seem to have nailed the best function for this site. Who knows, they might even manage to make some money (someday).

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Ejjwheel

Here is the Denverite article about that rezoning:

Denverite is a part of Colorado Public Radio and they do great reporting, and its accessible to all. If you're not a member of CPR I think its a much better thing to donate to rather than pay for BusinessDen or Biz Jounal Denver.

I find myself reading Denverite less and less - but that's just a personal problem of mine.

I am a huge fan of NPR/BBC radio which runs most of the day down here (Phx) with a little local spice added in.

As for development news, I'll grab it wherever I can find it including CPR's website but I'll leave the paywall sites to local subscribers.


Ahh, an invitation to get wonky?

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

Assuming that we reach herd immunity in Spring 2021 due to the vaccine rollout and the economy starts to come back, what do you all think construction activity will look like in Denver?

I'm getting a little nervous about the acclaimed vaccine rollout. Pfizer seems to have underlying difficulty in acquiring needed materials. Just a guess that China, China companies were more aggressive in securing the mundane but necessary ingredients for the vaccine manufacturing process. Who knows with J&J and others also trying to get in the game?

Interestingly, Moderna, the little biotech that's never made a dime and constantly leaned on investors to keep going, now seems to have the inside track for supplying vaccines. Good for them.

In any case I'd look more towards the end of the 2nd quarter for sufficient available supply of vaccine. OTOH (whether preferred or not) a lot of 'herd immunity' is being acquired by our younger, healthier friends so maybe not as much vaccine will be needed?

--------------------
A recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal on feedback from developers indicated that many among the large backlog of projects planned for a 1st quarter groundbreaking have been put on 'hold' for now. Still too much uncertainty out there.

Industrial, multifamily and residential in general should continue. It's office and hotel (and retail) construction which will likely remain 'on hold' for some time (for most).

CBRE CEO says he expects at least 80% of office occupancy to return post-pandemic
DEC 11 2020 By Kevin Stankiewicz/CNBC

The CEO of real estate firm CBRE told CNBC on Friday he expects the coronavirus pandemic to have created a lasting impact on offices — but he’s hardly envisioning a doomsday outcome.

“You’ll see a hybrid scenario. Lots of returning to the office. We think 80%-plus of that occupancy, if not more, will come back,” Bob Sulentic said on “Power Lunch.” “There will be remote working flex space. There will be working from home, and there will be creative things happening in the use of office space. That’s for certain.”

Looking ahead to 2022

By the time 2022 rolls around, Sulentic said, he foresees additional recovery in the hotel and retail sectors. “So it is a mixed story,” he said, as there are now “pieces of the market with secular tailwinds and other pieces of the market with secular headwinds introduced by Covid.”

We have had a number of announcements (thanks much to rds70), many which indicated the capacity to proceed so there will still be plenty to talk about.

[ams5280]

Originally Posted by Sam Hill

Does anybody know where we're at with the GT rezoning?

https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/p...ory_committee_meeting12_presentation.pdf

It looks like the draft text is expected Q1 2021 with legislative review in Q2. The advisory committee is still active and I think they met tonight. It looks like presentations for the committee are still being updated regularly on the GT page.

[The Dirt]

Expect massive NIMBY backlash to delay that a couple of quarters because they want to see the pretty mountains from their mansions in Cheesman.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Expect massive NIMBY backlash to delay that a couple of quarters because they want to see the pretty mountains from their mansions in Cheesman.

They've already been a primary factor in the discussions. Honestly, I'll take the old GT zoning over the new stuff they are talking about. I haven't tuned in the last 4 months, but over the summer the results of the new contemplated framework were disastrous. I don't understand why it's so hard to promote small lot development, which has been a big focus of the GT rezoning effort. It's really not that hard to achieve, but all they do is talk about parking, height, views...to your point. Then they bitch about all these monstrosity buildings. Must be nice to have your cake and eat it too!

[TakeFive]

Speaking of the CPR - website

Originally Posted by Ejjwheel

Denverite is a part of Colorado Public Radio and they do great reporting, and its accessible to all. If you're not a member of CPR I think its a much better thing to donate to rather than pay for BusinessDen or Biz Jounal Denver.

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

I would love Denver to be as independent from cars as a place like Amsterdam but I fear that we are still a long ways from that, especially in DTC.

I agree it will be a slow slog to change peoples preferences and habits but it will happen eventually.

Originally Posted by ams5280

I know we talk about parking in spaces, but I would love to see a breakdown by SF of parking vs office/usable space at the Belleview station.

CPR's Nathaniel Minor (who's writing I like) has a piece right out of the Streetsblog playbook.

There Are Too Many Unused Parking Spots Near Transit Stations And It’s Pushing Up Rent, RTD Report Says
December 17, 2020 - CPR News

During the height of Colorado’s stay-at-home order in April, a handful of Regional Transportation District staffers ventured out on a rather mundane-sounding mission: to count empty parking spaces.

Their goal was to discover just how many parking spots go unused at 86 housing developments near transit stations across the Denver metro area. Their findings, issued in a new report, show that 40 percent of parking spaces at market-rate developments go unused at peak hours. That figure rose to 50 percent at affordable housing developments.

Much of this makes little sense but that's not what I'm interested in for now.

The simplistic views of "streetsbloggers" is not currently consistent with Average Joe and Juanita's preferences and NEEDS.

• As dense as Downtown Denver has become, the employment base is still only about 10% of the metro area's employment. The other 90% of jobs are somewhere else.
• Most Average Joe's and Juanita's neither work downtown nor along transit lines, especially if you talk about the suburbs. They're landscapers, car mechanics, retail clerks, restaurant workers etc
• As bad as traffic may seem it still takes up to twice as long as to 'get there' using transit as just driving.
• The Pandemic has most people wondering about their desire to use transit. The Pandemic has also made less dense (office space) development more desirable.
• We forummers are All Guys. There's lots of ladies in the workforce and they have a whole different 'feeling' with respect to their security around transit and especially to convenient "access".

Things will change but slowly

Most notably in the suburbs but even close to downtown the vast majority of TOD densification will occur over the next TWO decades and beyond. Meanwhile the Average Joe and Juanita is just concerned about getting back and forth to work since they live paycheck to paycheck. They're not concerned with your parking or transit fetishes.

There's nothing better than having Good Bones

Close to downtown we've seen lots of TOD plans. We're also aware of TOD plans further away from downtown. Over the next two decades lots of TOD will gravitate to nearby transit stations.

Eventually more and more people will be able to live carless but it will take time, lots of time.

Post Script: While I immensely enjoy observing politics I hate the propaganda from both the right and left. I gave up reading Streetsblog as it's too repetitive and too much propaganda.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by laniroj

They've already been a primary factor in the discussions. Honestly, I'll take the old GT zoning over the new stuff they are talking about. I haven't tuned in the last 4 months, but over the summer the results of the new contemplated framework were disastrous. I don't understand why it's so hard to promote small lot development, which has been a big focus of the GT rezoning effort. It's really not that hard to achieve, but all they do is talk about parking, height, views...to your point. Then they bitch about all these monstrosity buildings. Must be nice to have your cake and eat it too!

I find what really impairs the view of the mountains from my Cheesman mansion are all the bloody trees. But nobody seems to support me when I suggest cutting them all down. It's very confusing. I mean, friends and neighbors, do you want to see the mountains or not?

[mhays]

That's parking-use report will hopefully trigger some new thinking both in public policy and in developer/financier expectations. Sometimes it's useful to have a study.

By "peak" time is it night? That's what counts with housing. If they really mean work hours, maybe referring to potential commuter use, that's another issue.