DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[HighSt.]

Originally Posted by twister244

Call me crazy, but I kinda want this project to fall through...I would love to see something a little more innovative here...I have slightly higher expectations for this lot (and the one across the street). Maybe I am just being greedy....

I mean, I would also love it if David Adjaye came back and designed a non-euclidean, genre-breaking building to cover the 18th and Market lot, and some Chinese developers built an ADA-compliant, historically-faithful copy of the Tabor Grand Opera House in all of it's mixed-use glory across the street, but this is Capitalism and we very rarely can have nice things.

I'd much rather have the foot traffic and street activation created by two competently executed apartment buildings that actually exist. Until we get a few more really large residential builds in the inner core of downtown and LoDo, we'll still be trying to find the residents to get the kind of street activation so long denied us by the Urban Renewal period.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by HighSt.

I mean, I would also love it if David Adjaye came back and designed a non-euclidean, genre-breaking building to cover the 18th and Market lot, and some Chinese developers built an ADA-compliant, historically-faithful copy of the Tabor Grand Opera House in all of it's mixed-use glory across the street, but this is Capitalism and we very rarely can have nice things.

This. Plus both blocks are in the LDDRB so 1800 Market is your architecture by committee result whose built form change very much no matter what goes in programming-wise and I'm not sure if the Board would even approve a Tabor Opera House as it wouldn't fit in with the character of LoDo.

[CherryCreek]

New development in Union Station North (UsNo). "Dorm living" for adults. Sounds like the targeted market may be dating ap users:

Property Markets’ website says its “PMGx” developments are “designed to help you get out of your own way so you can crash into each other,” with organized social activities, coworking space and large common areas.

“Most apartment dwellers have potential friends, lovers, professional contacts and helping hands living literally feet away, but their interactions are limited to awkward elevator small talk,” the website says. “That’s not our style.”


https://businessden.com/2018/06/11/n...d-coors-field/.

No liking the blue. (But lots of budding romances going on in the conceptual drawing! Once fully moved in, Tinder will go crazy in this neighborhood).

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

No liking the blue. (But lots of budding romances going on in the conceptual drawing! Once fully moved in, Tinder will go crazy in this neighborhood).

Hell, the Metro has always been considered a post-college dorm- this just takes it to the next level.

I wouldn't be caught dead swimming in that pool, no amount of chemicals in the world will be enough to handle the semen load that thing will incur.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

no amount of chemicals in the world will be enough to handle the semen load that thing will incur.

FYI, semen is high in protein.


Since today's focus is places to play...


A rendering of a pocket park at Broadway and Blake. (Courtesy RiNo Art District, image by Davis Partnership Architects) via Denverite

RiNo has “not one public bench,” so they want to make a temporary park
June 11, 2018 by Allan Tellis (and his cool Dreads)/Denverite

“There’s no public realm in RiNo,” he said. “There’s not one public bench. There’s nowhere to go but a brewery or a retail establishment.”

So, with RiNo Art District, he plans on launching a pop-up park — “Boxyard Park” — in mid-July at the intersection of Broadway and Blake.

How did we come up with this design?

He recruited the help of Davis Partnership Architects to design the park in a way that was fitting for this growing area of the city. The project will also feature Matthew Gines and his class at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning. The graduate students will be designing the park’s climbing wall and furniture.

[twister244]

City council approved the Central Platte/River Mile/Elitch Gardens long-term plan tonight 11-0....

Not really news I guess, but good to see this moving forward to some extent.

[rds70]

The first building permits for the Ace Hotel at 19th and Logan have been submitted to the City for review.

[roshea999]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

New development in Union Station North (UsNo). "Dorm living" for adults. Sounds like the targeted market may be dating ap users:

Property Markets’ website says its “PMGx” developments are “designed to help you get out of your own way so you can crash into each other,” with organized social activities, coworking space and large common areas.

“Most apartment dwellers have potential friends, lovers, professional contacts and helping hands living literally feet away, but their interactions are limited to awkward elevator small talk,” the website says. “That’s not our style.”


https://businessden.com/2018/06/11/n...d-coors-field/.

No liking the blue. (But lots of budding romances going on in the conceptual drawing! Once fully moved in, Tinder will go crazy in this neighborhood).

Finally a rendering (sort of)! The lot is currently fenced in and I've been eagerly awaiting an update.

I live in the Metro currently (done in November). It is what it is. For me, it's a close walk to work and I love being by the ballpark. But it definitely has the feel of extended college.

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by rds70

The first building permits for the Ace Hotel at 19th and Logan have been submitted to the City for review.

Awesome, this is a great project to revitalize a historic property and bring a cool new hotel to the neighborhood.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Awesome, this is a great project to revitalize a historic property and bring a cool new hotel to the neighborhood.

Yeah I think this project is going to rival ramble. It actually will probably be even cooler with the historic building integrated and the 'community space' in the old gym. Anyone know exactly what they are doing with the gym?

This project will also make Alexan Uptown stick out even more as the travesty it is -- surrounded by some great developments. Thanks again Trammel Crow for throwing your poo poo platters all over denver!

[kemachs]

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Yeah I think this project is going to rival ramble. It actually will probably be even cooler with the historic building integrated and the 'community space' in the old gym. Anyone know exactly what they are doing with the gym?

This project will also make Alexan Uptown stick out even more as the travesty it is -- surrounded by some great developments. Thanks again Trammel Crow for throwing your poo poo platters all over denver!

Yeah, Trammel Crow projects are hot garbage. Wish they would bring someone with an urban planning background onboard - the street activation, or lack therof, bothers me way more than the architecture (both are awful). I mean, this isn't even a pioneering part of town where retail would be questionable, it's Uptown!

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by kemachs

Yeah, Trammel Crow projects are hot garbage. Wish they would bring someone with an urban planning background onboard - the street activation, or lack therof, bothers me way more than the architecture (both are awful). I mean, this isn't even a pioneering part of town where retail would be questionable, it's Uptown!

Sure it's questionable. Not every urban street should be filled with ground-floor retail or you risk severe under-utilization of your retail component, empty storefronts and a lack of street-level activation. Vancouver is a good example of understanding this:

https://www.vox.com/2017/6/21/158155...amilies-cities

But what we found is that retail doesn’t always work, nor should it be the default assumption. In downtown Vancouver, we have retail streets and non-retail streets — streets where the ground-floor use is expected to be retail or commercial, and other streets where we don’t want those uses at grade, because it could dilute the success of the retail street. You have to have a strong sense of how much retail space your population can support.

But what Alexan Uptown does poorly is provide a sense of residential privacy and a delineation between the public and private space. No elevated terraces, no garden screens, not enough sidewalk space, etc.

Then there's the lack of multi-bedroom apartments going up in our multi-family construction....

[kemachs]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Sure it's questionable. Not every urban street should be filled with ground-floor retail or you risk severe under-utilization of your retail component, empty storefronts and a lack of street-level activation. Vancouver is a good example of understanding this:

https://www.vox.com/2017/6/21/158155...amilies-cities



But what Alexan Uptown does poorly is provide a sense of residential privacy and a delineation between the public and private space. No elevated terraces, no garden screens, not enough sidewalk space, etc.

Then there's the lack of multi-bedroom apartments going up in our multi-family construction....

I'm certainly not saying every street frontage needed to have retail (although some transparency would be nice with amenity spaces, etc), but this building ignores 20 Ave. which very much is a retail street, and right on the park to boot. In the days I frequented the Horseshoe Lounge, I always hoped 20th would be developed as a walkable stretch of businesses/nightlife connecting Uptown to Downtown - developments like this just seem to lack any imagination and just say "screw it, squeeze in a few more units there". The same could be argued for 19th Ave.

[seventwenty]

Cats.

https://www.denverite.com/denver-alley-cats-52582/

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Sure it's questionable. Not every urban street should be filled with ground-floor retail or you risk severe under-utilization of your retail component, empty storefronts and a lack of street-level activation. Vancouver is a good example of understanding this:

But what Alexan Uptown does poorly is provide a sense of residential privacy and a delineation between the public and private space. No elevated terraces, no garden screens, not enough sidewalk space, etc.

Then there's the lack of multi-bedroom apartments going up in our multi-family construction....

Interesting (VOX) article about family housing and Vancouver. It made me recall a piece I read a couple of years ago about a developer who specialized in two- and three-bedroom unit buildings and they noted it was the niche with the most demand-supply imbalance. Rhys Duggan has indicated it's their intention to build 'family' housing when they develop River Mile. I know he's familiar with Vancouver so no doubt that's where the motivation comes from. I agree it's a big hole in the downtown tapestry.

With respect to ground floor retail I also recall reading the architectural challenges of trying to meet retailers needs; in fact many developers don't understand their needs. Plus, given the growing (Amazon) challenge of running a successful retail business just adds to the overall problem.

I also found a piece by Nolan Gray from January in well-regarded uban site Strong Towns (H/T to John Riecke) entitled: MIXED UP PRIORITIES FOR MIXED-USE BUILDINGS


I'm okay with TCR buildings just b/c they are providing more affordable housing but I was a bit taken aback with the short-changed sidewalk widths.

Originally Posted by seventwenty

Cats.

https://www.denverite.com/denver-alley-cats-52582/

Thanks for the link; that's pretty funny.

[CherryCreek]

In early 2017 Denver Infill had an article on a proposed mix-used project at the Bell-Tower location, including a potential "W" Hotel.

https://denverinfill.com/blog/tag/bell-park-mixed-use

The early conceptual drawings were pretty awesome:



It's largely been crickets since then, with the exception of a story in May that the site was under contract.

https://crej.com/news/bell-tower-site-under-contract/

The owner, Buzz Geller is quoted:

“I think it will be nice,” Geller said. “I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think it will look like what I planned. But I think the city and the LDDR (Lower Downtown Design Review Board) will demand that it is a significant, beautiful building.”

Anyone have any updates? Loved the initial conceptual designs.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

The owner, Buzz Geller is quoted:

“I think it will be nice,” Geller said. “I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think it will look like what I planned. But I think the city and the LDDR (Lower Downtown Design Review Board) will demand that it is a significant, beautiful building.”

Anyone have any updates? Loved the initial conceptual designs.

Here's my guess

[twister244]

I think I have officially lived here long enough now to know anything with the name "Buzz Geller" tagged with it is to be immediately written off as a no-go, conceptual project that has a -100% chance of getting built....

Why does anyone take this guy seriously anymore?

[twister244]

Also, another article on the city's advancement of the River Mile concept....

https://coloradopolitics.com/denver-...nt-amazon-hq2/

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by kemachs

I'm certainly not saying every street frontage needed to have retail (although some transparency would be nice with amenity spaces, etc), but this building ignores 20 Ave. which very much is a retail street, and right on the park to boot. In the days I frequented the Horseshoe Lounge, I always hoped 20th would be developed as a walkable stretch of businesses/nightlife connecting Uptown to Downtown - developments like this just seem to lack any imagination and just say "screw it, squeeze in a few more units there". The same could be argued for 19th Ave.

I always felt that 17th and 19th were the high streets of Uptown, and 20th was meant to have more of a residential feel. But, I also frequented the area when the Horseshoe was the Painted Bench and the Fountain Bar so it certainly had a sleepier feel.