DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I was sorry to hear that the planned new CU engineering etc building at Auraria has been put on hold due to costs going up by one-third.

That wasn't the main driver. CU f**cked up and turned a $400M system investment into a $120M loss:

CU’s $120 million investment loss upends plans for “once in a lifetime” spending on campus projects

The state shouldn't give CU a dime for facility expansions when so many other university's projects have been requesting funding for five years or more with nothing received.

EDIT: Didn't see that EngiNerd already highlighted CU's stupidity.

[mhays]

In my state, every university and agency ranks their capital budget line item requests in each budget cycle. This is then used to create the governor's capital budget proposal that winds through the legislature. Funding tends to follow that ranking, with some variation for prioritization by the politicians.

In other words, those unfunded CU projects might not be priorities for CU.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mojiferous

I know this is a dead horse, but Arizona and Texas are terrible models for everything. Except for cherry-picked statistics.

My son, his mom and I all live in north central Phoenix and the area is amazingly diverse. Mom is fluent is Spanish from having lived in Mexico City as part of a Christian outreach.

I've gotten to know the Hispanic crews that are renovating Jeremy's apartment complex; they all drive big fancy trucks and own their own home.

I know certain areas or apartments as 'new immigrant' places. They usually know at least some 'welcoming' phrases. Picked up a couple of gals and tried to get to know them. I quickly realized they weren't fluent in English and I asked "no comprendo" and they repeated what I said and added 'Si'.

I know the areas where many Eastern Europeans live.

Grand Canyon University, a Christian sponsored school has grown from a seed to now have 20,000 students. It is located in one of the worst parts of the city west of mid-town. Many of the students do outreach in the neighborhood as a part of their education. Picked up a couple from Washington State whose daughter is going to school there. They were aware it was not in a good area. I told them that 90% of the people were hard working good people. They agreed.

Here's my point:

These people don't care what their children's school scores on some arbitrary test. They tend to love their neighborhood schools and like the teachers and care about their children learning enough so that they can grow up to share in America's dream of opportunity.

Phoenix has an impressive Community College system. Many Hispanics (for example) come out of these places being very desirable employees due to being bi-lingual. Others may go on to graduate from ASU and they get high-paying job offers.

But with respect to the whole metro area it is very diverse is various ways including schools. People find their own comfort zone and I think that is just fine.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by mhays

In my state, every university and agency ranks their capital budget line item requests in each budget cycle. This is then used to create the governor's capital budget proposal that winds through the legislature. Funding tends to follow that ranking, with some variation for prioritization by the politicians.

In other words, those unfunded CU projects might not be priorities for CU.

That's how Colorado works as well. The difference is that Washington probably puts actual money in the their capital budget whereas Colorado puts maybe $100M in theirs. You can put your project on the list, but the chance of actually getting funding is somewhere between slime and none.

[TakeFive]

Oh My Gosh

Originally Posted by wong21fr

That wasn't the main driver. CU f**cked up and turned a $400M system investment into a $120M loss:

CU’s $120 million investment loss upends plans for “once in a lifetime” spending on campus projects

The state shouldn't give CU a dime for facility expansions when so many other university's projects have been requesting funding for five years or more with nothing received.

EDIT: Didn't see that EngiNerd already highlighted CU's stupidity.

I do hope everybody is able to get over their disappointment and frustration. Good chance that many Ivy League School's endowment plans also suffered losses last year.

The article mentions that the previous year they had a 'windfall gain' of $400 million. My math says that still leaves a windfall of $280 million.

This project being right on the edge of downtown could be hugely valuable. Perhaps somebody in the private sector will see it as an opportunity to get a building named after them?

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Oh My Gosh

I do hope everybody is able to get over their disappointment and frustration. Good chance that many Ivy League School's endowment plans also suffered losses last year.

The article mentions that the previous year they had a 'windfall gain' of $400 million. My math says that still leaves a windfall of $280 million.

This project being right on the edge of downtown could be hugely valuable. Perhaps somebody in the private sector will see it as an opportunity to get a building named after them?

The windfall wasn’t realized and turned into a $120M loss during the same fiscal year. So a net change of $(520M). So rather than expand facilities and programs, CU is cutting them. It’s a fiasco.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

That's how Colorado works as well. The difference is that Washington probably puts actual money in the their capital budget whereas Colorado puts maybe $100M in theirs. You can put your project on the list, but the chance of actually getting funding is somewhere between slime and none.

Yes, it's in the billions per year overall, including hundreds of millions per year to the UW. Also sometimes a rich guy will simply fund an entire building.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by rds70

According to the census bureau, the Colorado population increased by about 28,000. That is far below the state projection of about 45,000.

I have no idea where that 45,000 came from but their 'updated' growth numbers were up a tad from what was estimated earlier in the year.

One thing that jumps out is all the top ten growers by percentage were (with the exception of Delaware) Red states. They weren't necessarily in the south though.

I was surprised that Oregon made the top ten for states losing population by percentage. New York, Illinois and Louisiana were the top three losers.

It will be interesting to see updates by cities/counties.

P.S. It looks like mhays somehow prevented Washington State from falling like a rock.

[mhays]

How did I do it for WA? We had a slight loss due to domestic migration, deaths were a record by far, and births were still in the post-2016 lull and Covid lull resulting in a minimal natural increase. But we got over 37,000 in net international migration.

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by mhays

How did I do it for WA? We had a slight loss due to domestic migration, deaths were a record by far, and births were still in the post-2016 lull and Covid lull resulting in a minimal natural increase. But we got over 37,000 in net international migration.

If you're mobile and want to avoid a state income tax I wonder if that plays into anyone's choice. I doubt you save much given what I saw of sales tax but I'd be curious. It didn't play into my decision to move there at all but out of all the states without state income tax WA is the only real liberal one - or maybe the Puget sound area is the only real liberal area there but it seems to drive the state similar to how Denver drives CO? (generally speaking obviously cough Boebert cough)

[i4isoar]

Originally Posted by MovinOnUp

Tres Birds is a local treasure. Very exciting to see them working on higher profile (and scale) projects around the city.

Love the simplicity of this one. Feels very Japanese/Skandi clean and modern.

Looks great! Thanks for sharing - nice to see Denver getting its own "plyscraper", nice to see smaller architects and developers take on big projects, and always nice to see high-density housing coming up. A wonderful Christmas present; hoping that between this and One River North, Populus, 1900 Lawrence, and 650 17th, we're starting to get better-looking architecture in this city.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by mhays

Yes, it's in the billions per year overall, including hundreds of millions per year to the UW. Also sometimes a rich guy will simply fund an entire building.

Not only does the state not fund higher ed here anymore, it’s unreliable enough that CU wouldn’t want significant general fund transfers if they could get them, as they’d risk losing their constitutional enterprise status. To retain that, they need to continue to receive less than 10% of revenues from general tax sources.

Basically, if our flagship universities can’t get sustained high levels of state funding, they’re better off getting almost none for the revenue (read: tuition) and bonding flexibility that affords outside of TABOR.

[TakeFive]

Side Pocket Topics - Celebrating the Party Trays

Business Democrats?

https://www.yahoo.com/now/jan-6-congress-born-chaos-050604831.html

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., compared this session to the Lyndon Johnson and Franklin Roosevelt administrations that produced some of the nation’s most lasting laws.

“These two years in the Senate and House — in the Congress — were either the most productive in 50 years Great Society, or most productive in 100 years since the New Deal,” he said.

The point is well taken even if Dem bluster. The linked piece by AP writer LISA MASCARO via Yahoo is a Good Read.

Who would have predicted it would be Joe Biden that signed an historical $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill plus the $250 billion CHIPS and Science Act?

Patriotic Liberals?

John McCain must be rolling over in his grave laughing and so proud that his best buddy - Joe Biden - is proving to be perhaps the best Commander-in-Chief in American history.

Sleepy Joe or Sneaky Joe?

https://www.yahoo.com/now/biden-final-act-unified-washington-022502046.html

Among the long list of achievements are a number of priorities that had evaded lawmakers for years—sometimes decades. Democrats passed and signed into law a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, a $433 billion bill tackling climate change and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill, the most significant 🞵🞵🞵 safety reform bill in nearly 30 years, an overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service, a health care expansion for veterans, and a number of bills supporting Ukraine that have come with the added benefit of substantially weakening the Russian military.

The Year-end Party Trays

Knowing the tenor of Congress was about to change the Senate put their heads together in passing the $1.7 trillion Omnibus Bill.

While perhaps more window dressing than impactful they included a smorgasbord of Old Fashion Earmarks. It's always fun to bring home some bacon for the Holidays as Rebecca Tauber/Denverite breaks out what Denver's earmarks will be.

Given the stupidity and pointless noise of everyday Politics, it's important to not lose track of the Big Picture.

[TakeFive]

Any Predictions for Denver and the State in 2023?

Brainpathology reminds us that the State of Washington has NO income tax. Gov Jared Polis hates the state Income Tax. Thanks to a good economy, Arizona will have the lowest flat income tax in the country of 2.5 percent starting in 2023. Admittedly every state is different but is it possible to at least have a conversation for how best to fund the state? Colorado in recent years has cut their income tax from 4.63% all the way down to 4.4%. 3.5% sounds like a better compromise.

Denver will have an election for a new Mayor with fifty candidates running (it seems). That should be exciting.

Denver has a serious number of cranes in the air. Is there room for many more?

CDOT, with a full plate, will start the design process next year for replacing 8 bridges along the 7-mile I-270 corridor with construction starting in 2024. It's really the last metro freeway that's a sorry mess.

Tucked into the Omnibus Bill is more than $583 million for Sound Transit so Seattle can move forward with their 🞵🞵🞵🞵 light rail projects. Fortunately for Denver, even if more utilitarian, the train transit bones are already done. The Omnibus Bill did include an extra $4 million for rail maintenance.

Not to be overlooked is planning for New Denver Sidewalks.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Any Predictions for Denver and the State in 2023?

Brainpathology reminds us that the State of Washington has NO income tax. Gov Jared Polis hates the state Income Tax. Thanks to a good economy, Arizona will have the lowest flat income tax in the country of 2.5 percent starting in 2023. Admittedly every state is different but is it possible to at least have a conversation for how best to fund the state? Colorado in recent years has cut their income tax from 4.63% all the way down to 4.4%. 3.5% sounds like a better compromise.

Denver will have an election for a new Mayor with fifty candidates running (it seems). That should be exciting.

Denver has a serious number of cranes in the air. Is there room for many more?

CDOT, with a full plate, will start the design process next year for replacing 8 bridges along the 7-mile I-270 corridor with construction starting in 2024. It's really the last metro freeway that's a sorry mess.

Tucked into the Omnibus Bill is more than $583 million for Sound Transit so Seattle can move forward with their 🞵🞵🞵🞵 light rail projects. Fortunately for Denver, even if more utilitarian, the train transit bones are already done. The Omnibus Bill did include an extra $4 million for rail maintenance.

Not to be overlooked is planning for New Denver Sidewalks.

Are they adding any lanes to 270? I'm just guessing, they way things work with CDOT, they'll add one toll lane in each direction when what's actually needed is to add 2 free lanes in each direction.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

Are they adding any lanes to 270? I'm just guessing, they way things work with CDOT, they'll add one toll lane in each direction when what's actually needed is to add 2 free lanes in each direction.

Yes, the plan is to add one HOV lane in each direction. Afaik, they haven't decided on tolling but it's a good bet they'll have it.

Say you're traveling in a SE-rly direction to merge with eastbound I-70, down here they would (typically) create a flyover from the inside or #1 lane so that the HOV lane is continuous.

Given that CDOT has no real dedicated funding they have used tolling as a way to fund maintenance & repairs. It's one way to keep the lights on.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

Are they adding any lanes to 270? I'm just guessing, they way things work with CDOT, they'll add one toll lane in each direction when what's actually needed is to add 2 free lanes in each direction.

One toll lane (as opposed to the two free lanes) is now the “old fashioned way” now and we’d be lucky to even get that. Our beloved governor and the new CDOT have a “no capacity expansions” policy now, with the notable exceptions of I-25 up north and maybe this one. After that, we’ve adopted that favorite blue state policy of no new lanes.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Yes, the plan is to add one HOV lane in each direction. Afaik, they haven't decided on tolling but it's a good bet they'll have it.

Say you're traveling in a SE-rly direction to merge with eastbound I-70, down here they would (typically) create a flyover from the inside or #1 lane so that the HOV lane is continuous.

Given that CDOT has no real dedicated funding they have used tolling as a way to fund maintenance & repairs. It's one way to keep the lights on.

Yeah, I've lived in the LA area and for carpool lanes to really work, you need to connect them at freeway interchanges. I remember back in the 90s when they were building all the connectors around LA.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

One toll lane (as opposed to the two free lanes) is now the “old fashioned way” now and we’d be lucky to even get that. Our beloved governor and the new CDOT have a “no capacity expansions” policy now, with the notable exceptions of I-25 up north and maybe this one. After that, we’ve adopted that favorite blue state policy of no new lanes.

That's where I disagree with Colorado. When your population expands as fast as it has in the Denver metro area and Front Range, you need to expand freeway capacity along with mass transit. Even all this I70 work really hasn't helped much with traffic... it should be 5 lanes all the way, but in CDOT fashion, they built in bottle necks.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

Yeah, I've lived in the LA area and for carpool lanes to really work, you need to connect them at freeway interchanges. I remember back in the 90s when they were building all the connectors around LA.

That makes total sense!

Phoenix was waay behind in providing freeways until 1986 when metro voters approved a five-tenths percent tax for 20 years which has since been renewed. It's a certainty that ADOT closely looked to CALTRANS over the 1st decade for how to build their freeways. Biggest advantage in the desert is that they gobbled up large swaths of right-of-way.

Originally Posted by bunt_q

One toll lane (as opposed to the two free lanes) is now the “old fashioned way” now and we’d be lucky to even get that. Our beloved governor and the new CDOT have a “no capacity expansions” policy now, with the notable exceptions of I-25 up north and maybe this one. After that, we’ve adopted that favorite blue state policy of no new lanes.

The biggest benefit for Colorado/Denver is that they were a Red state before they were a Blue state.

I always get a chuckle out of the Streetsblog crowd complaining about the gas tax funded FHWA as if that were the only 'legal' source for funding roads. Go back a couple of decades.

In GWB's 1st term more roads were likely funded through earmarks in the year-end Omnibus Bill. That piggy-backed on the voter-approved T-REX project with additional expansion to Lone Tree - as well as other projects.

Metro Denver is unique given its north-south pattern of sprawl along the front range foothills. I-25 serves most of that area. CDOT did manage to expand U.S. 36 (the Turnpike) before the worm turned.

Denver doesn't really (compared to many cities) have much east-west sprawl and the metro area has 3 different freeways plus I-225 for north south traffic flow.