DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[TakeFive]

Checking into this gem that's in planning

8th & Lincoln


Image courtesy of Trailbreak Partners

I originally posted this project in Sept when it was 1st announced. At the time I wasn't familiar with Trailbreak Partners but learned they had built various projects in the Denver area. This project would clearly be a 'signature' project for them.

There's been follow-up articles recently announcing the closing on the land purchase.

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/...ys-12-million-for-capitol-hill-site.html

Denver-based Trailbreak Partners purchased property on the northeast corner of East 8th Avenue and Lincoln Street for $12.04 million on Dec. 15, according to property records. The site, located at 808 N. Lincoln St...

Trailbreak filed a concept plan with the city of Denver in May to build an 18-story building with 332 residential units, indoor parking and about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Last month, Trailbreak submitted its formal site development plan to the city, which is currently under review. Hord Copland Macht is the architect on the project, while Arco/Murray Design Build is the architect.

So two architects?

Wasn't familiar with Hord Copland Macht but they have three offices back east and one in Denver for about three years.

Wasn't familiar with ARCO/Murray Design Build but they are out of Dallas:

As one of the largest design/build general contractors in the United States, ARCO Murray offers the strength and presence of a national builder with the personalized attention of a small company. ARCO Murray provides complete, turnkey delivery from site selection to building turn over for all types of clients.

The only thing I still don't know is how this project will be funded but likely Trailbreak Partners is confident they've lined up some solid equity and/or institutional investors.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

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.


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.

Yeah, I've noticed in Phoenix that the freeways function fairly well and are very similar to how CALTRANS does it. Denver is maddening when they spend billions and in the end, there are still bottle necks where you lose a lane (225 is like that and now the 70 project has done the same thing). If you have 4 lanes in each direction, don't drop down to 3 lanes for a quarter mile then back to 4!

[coolmandan03]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

If you have 4 lanes in each direction, don't drop down to 3 lanes for a quarter mile then back to 4!

If budget was no issue, it wouldn't. You think CDOT wants it that way?

[TakeFive]

CDOT has never had dedicated tax $'s for their capital budget

Metro Phoenix laid our a futuristic freeway system in the 1980's; in 1986 voters approved a metro five-tenths percent tax for building freeways etc. Couple of years ago they finished the last piece of that plan 45 years later. Early on they were able to acquire land where nobody lived for next to nothing.

Over the years standards for freeways changed, were greatly improved. From the beginning ADOT has been able to forge 5-year plans. One learns as you go along but all manner of efficiencies result from having dedicated funding.

Road building in Colorado has been piecemeal but they have managed to do a credible job. But without dedicated funding to rely on a lot of things get left on the table.

Obviously, two different places with different philosophies but I'm just speaking to the efficiency of procedures and processes that are continuously updated versus a 'start and stop' approach.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by coolmandan03

If budget was no issue, it wouldn't. You think CDOT wants it that way?

Yes.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

CDOT has never had dedicated tax $'s for their capital budget

Metro Phoenix laid our a futuristic freeway system in the 1980's; in 1986 voters approved a metro five-tenths percent tax for building freeways etc. Couple of years ago they finished the last piece of that plan 45 years later. Early on they were able to acquire land where nobody lived for next to nothing.

Over the years standards for freeways changed, were greatly improved. From the beginning ADOT has been able to forge 5-year plans. One learns as you go along but all manner of efficiencies result from having dedicated funding.

Road building in Colorado has been piecemeal but they have managed to do a credible job. But without dedicated funding to rely on a lot of things get left on the table.

Obviously, two different places with different philosophies but I'm just speaking to the efficiency of procedures and processes that are continuously updated versus a 'start and stop' approach.

We have dedicated funding, guys. We passed a package of huge transportation fees two years ago. It’s gotten so little attention because we’ve done everything in our power first to put off fee collections, and second to pretend there’s no money. No true anymore. We just don’t want the money.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

We have dedicated funding, guys. We passed a package of huge transportation fees two years ago. It’s gotten so little attention because we’ve done everything in our power first to put off fee collections, and second to pretend there’s no money. No true anymore. We just don’t want the money.

I keep forgetting about these new (pending) fees for CDOT.

Consider RTD Dedicated Funding

Since 1974 RTD has received six-tenths percent sales tax.
Since 2005 when FasTracks was added RTD has collected 1% sales tax.

The Good News is that RTD ridership is up a healthy 29% in 2022 from 2021 (thru October).

Comparing RTD (daily) ridership in 2022 from 2019 thru 3 quarters - per APTA

• In 2022, both Light Rail and Bus ridership are 59.5% of 2019
• Commuter Rail in 2022 is 80% of 2019
• Rail ridership in 2022 is 57% of Bus ridership; in 2019 Rail ridership was 51.5% of Bus ridership

Fare Recovery Ratio

From a high of 21.6% in 2011 fares are now only 7.2% of Operating Expenses.

[bobg]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I keep forgetting about these new (pending) fees for CDOT.

Consider RTD Dedicated Funding

Since 1974 RTD has received six-tenths percent sales tax.
Since 2005 when FasTracks was added RTD has collected 1% sales tax.

The Good News is that RTD ridership is up a healthy 29% in 2022 from 2021 (thru October).

Comparing RTD (daily) ridership in 2022 from 2019 thru 3 quarters - per APTA

• In 2022, both Light Rail and Bus ridership are 59.5% of 2019
• Commuter Rail in 2022 is 80% of 2019
• Rail ridership in 2022 is 57% of Bus ridership; in 2019 Rail ridership was 51.5% of Bus ridership

Fare Recovery Ratio

From a high of 21.6% in 2011 fares are now only 7.2% of Operating Expenses.

Not saying you are but I wouldn't draw any conclusions from the commuter rail.

The G line opened in q2 of 2019 and the N line opened in 2020. While bus and light rail services have been cut both prior to and after the pandemic. Additionally the eagle p3 has less wiggle room with its schedule. It would be more shocking if commuter rail didn't have better numbers.

[DenvertoLA]

looks like NAVA is working on another high quality project. Still bummed about their 575 E. 20th ave proposal tho.

https://milehighcre.com/196-unit-apartment-project-breaks-ground-near-sloans-lake/

Sloan lake is really coming up.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

looks like NAVA is working on another high quality project. Still bummed about their 575 E. 20th ave proposal tho.

https://milehighcre.com/196-unit-apartment-project-breaks-ground-near-sloans-lake/

Sloan lake is really coming up.

Just me or does this actually look like a cruise ship? But for the sharp corner in the front of the rendering, this could pass for royal caribbean. I don't usually like these land barges architecturally, but I'm almost on board with this one.

[TakeFive]

Astute observations

Originally Posted by bobg

Not saying you are but I wouldn't draw any conclusions from the commuter rail.

The G line opened in q2 of 2019 and the N line opened in 2020. While bus and light rail services have been cut both prior to and after the pandemic. Additionally the eagle p3 has less wiggle room with its schedule. It would be more shocking if commuter rail didn't have better numbers.

Good chance that without the additional routes opening that ridership might have shown close to the same 60% level for commuter rail.

BTW, RTD has now permanently dropped the C & F lines. RTD's return to 60% ridership is on par with most transit agencies.

This was dated 01/02/23 and subways are still sucking air at 50% levels. https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/3793566-as-pandemic-wanes-subway-cars-remain-half-empty/

In other words, between 2019 and 2020, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority lost a billion passengers. Most of them haven’t returned.

The nation’s second- and third-busiest subway systems, in Chicago and Washington, D.C., are faring even worse.

[rds70]

A couple of new animations of the 800 Lincoln project:

https://vimeo.com/780465179/0522826a02

https://vimeo.com/780464122/5c960701f9


Also, it looks like demolition of the old Gart Sports Castle parking garage is imminent. Fencing and sidewalk protection has been installed in the last week.

[TakeFive]

Denver7 News has had a couple of pieces about the 16th Street Mall

First, the not so good:

McDonalds and TJ Maxx to leave 16th Street Mall
Jan 03, 2023 By: Rob Harris

Headline says it all.

The look-forward optimistic take:

Downtown Denver Partnership reports early successes of new public safety initiatives
Jan 03, 2023 By: Rob Harris

DENVER — As McDonald’s and TJ Maxx join a long list of closed businesses along 16th Street Mall, many viewers told us that cleanliness and crime are the main reasons they are not spending more time in downtown Denver.

Kourtny Garrett, president of the Downtown Denver Partnership, acknowledged that customers feeling unsafe and uncomfortable visiting Denver’s Central Business District, and 16th Street Mall is a major obstacle to increasing foot traffic to businesses. However, she said that early results of the new measures are showing promise.

Tell me more?

The City of Denver, in coordination with the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP), is investing millions of dollars to renovate the mall and subsidize local small businesses to operate. In November, it also announced new public health and safety measures to combat crime and connect those experiencing homelessness with mental health and addiction services.

Even today there's some Good News.

While daytime foot traffic levels downtown are still far below pre-pandemic levels — due in large part to the exodus of office workers from Denver’s downtown — restaurant reservations on weekend nights have met and even surpassed 2019 numbers, according to the DDP.

“We see that there’s so much activity, and I think those who have not been down in quite some time are really those who need to come see the excitement that’s here today,” Garrett said

[TakeFive]

The Governor uses his megaphone to talk Urbanism

In dual quest to reduce housing costs and lower climate emissions, Gov. Jared Polis eyes shift away from sprawl and toward density
Jan 5, 2023 by Nathaniel Minor - CPR

Gov. Jared Polis says he’ll make housing affordability one of his top priorities this upcoming legislative session.

On Thursday, he said a key to making housing affordable and environmentally friendly is to shift how Colorado grows: fewer sprawling neighborhoods of car-dependent single-family houses and more walkable, transit-friendly homes.

But Polis argued Thursday that housing and transportation are issues that transcend individual communities. Many Front Range communities have sprawled outward for decades, which, in conjunction with rising housing costs, have forced longer commutes and created more air pollution and climate emissions.

Has a familiar ring to it.

I wish the Governor well and Best of Luck!

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Does anyone know what's going on at the Broadway Station? Seems like there's a bunch more activity going on right now.

[Interzen]

Ryan Dravitz has you covered: denverinfill.com

[SirLucasTheGreat]

That's a Roundup for Broadway Park, which is the development near the Alameda Station that is north of I-25, South of Alameda, West of Broadway, and East of Santa Fe.

I'm specifically wondering about the development near Broadway Station, which is South of I-25. This includes the Gates District.

[TakeFive]

Well, there's this:

South Broadway & I-25 Improvement Projects

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

Does anyone know what's going on at the Broadway Station? Seems like there's a bunch more activity going on right now.

You're talking about the parcels on the west side of the tracks, right? I believe that's all enabling infrastructure (utilities, roads, the bridge over the Platte, and the pedestrian bridge over the tracks). There is proposal for two apartment building on the parcels just north of Mississippi called the Promenade, but no vertical construction at the moment.

[Interzen]

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

That's a Roundup for Broadway Park, which is the development near the Alameda Station that is north of I-25, South of Alameda, West of Broadway, and East of Santa Fe.

Sorry, I mixed up the two.