DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[SnyderBock]

I remember CLT being developed and deployed for construction in Europe back in the early 1990's (~1993). At the time, they thought CLT would be in widespread use within a decade. So by 2003, it should have been in widespread use, as it was inherently superior to regular timber construction and was strong and light enough to even be used in place of steel and concrete. Is this major innovation really just now finding its way into the USA, a quarter of a century later?

[SnyderBock]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Excellent!.!

Perhaps I'll find time to expand on that - or not.


RTD Removes Bathroom Stall Doors in Union Station Over Drug Concerns
DECEMBER 15, 2018 By CHRIS WALKER/Westword


Credit: Chris Walker/Westword

Not without some wit:

Welcome to Union Station

How about installing cameras in each stall, that feed into an AI recognition program, that when potential illegal activity is detected, it alerts the security gaurds right across from the restrooms to intervene. Since no human eyes would be viewing the video, it wouldn't create a privacy issue. The video footage could be locked from human eyes, unless ordered released by a judge for evidence.

[Joshua_Hicks]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

How about installing cameras in each stall, that feed into an AI recognition program, that when potential illegal activity is detected, it alerts the security gaurds right across from the restrooms to intervene. Since no human eyes would be viewing the video, it wouldn't create a privacy issue. The video footage could be locked from human eyes, unless ordered released by a judge for evidence.

Are you serious? We can't even program crossing gates to raise/lower at the appropriate times and you want to put content aware cameras in bathroom stalls?

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mhays

Couldn't possibly crack down on public drug use. Better just ruin things for the whole public.

I know.

IMO, anyone caught peddling Heroin and/or other drugs laced with 'illegal' fentanyl or similar opiates added as a kicker should "Go directly to jail; do not pass Go" with a Life Sentence as that is what these drugs do to users. Among those who happen to somehow quit, many end up dead when they fall off the wagon with a lowered tolerance.

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

How about installing cameras in each stall, that feed into an AI recognition program, that when potential illegal activity is detected, it alerts the security gaurds right across from the restrooms to intervene. Since no human eyes would be viewing the video, it wouldn't create a privacy issue. The video footage could be locked from human eyes, unless ordered released by a judge for evidence.

That is so Orwellian of you I can't help but drool a little.

Originally Posted by Joshua_Hicks

Are you serious? We can't even program crossing gates to raise/lower at the appropriate times and you want to put content aware cameras in bathroom stalls?

Touche

And another hearty WELCOME to the posting side.

[The Dirt]

On the flip side, with nobody ever using those stalls to do their business ever again, they can save money on cleaning supplies and staff. It's a win - win for all.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by The Dirt

On the flip side, with nobody ever using those stalls to do their business ever again, they can save money on cleaning supplies and staff. It's a win - win for all.

As long as they leave the urinals so I can pee and they don't spy on my little thingy, I'm good.

Originally Posted by Cirrus

This is the predictable pattern of how gentrification works. It's because if you want to live in the city, your ideal location is in one of those more core neighborhoods like Five Points, generally east of 25 plus maybe LoHi.

Just to put my wrap on the topic, in addition to Five Points, as I 'drove around' Curtis Park, City Park West and Uptown (No Cap Hill) there are a number of places where upzoning to 3-story multiplexes would be highly desirable. Call them slices, pockets or carve-outs, I could like staying lower density in general while adding architectural housing diversity. There are also some sites where mid-rise projects would be appropriate.

Don't scapegoat Zone me in

Originally Posted by Cirrus

West of I-25 (particularly as far out as Tennyson) is acceptable but less ideal to most urban buyers. So the west gets the spillover growth from gentrifiers who were priced out of getting what they really wanted in LoDo or Cap Hill, and thus otherwise comparable products are cheaper to the west than in the center (ie the east).

Looking at maps to keep neighborhoods straight.

Starting with Sloan's Lake at Colfax Ave, I'd say up to 17th Ave could be mid-rise zoning; from 17th Ave up to 21st Ave stepped down to 5 stories and from 21st ave to 26th Ave stepped down to 3-story multiplex zoning.

All along the east side of Sheridan Blvd could be zoned up to 5-story to Wolfe St while east of there to Stuart St (just east of Tennyson) could all be changed to accommodate 3-story multiplex.

The remainder of Sloan's, West Highlands and Berkeley should maintain a measure of protection for their unique character and History.

There has to be a couple of decades of mid-market and more dense development opportunity in all those areas.

[TakeFive]

I can't even imagine...

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/n...year-with.html

A record number of companies are leaving California for states with a better business climate, and a new report shows that Texas remains their No. 1 destination.

The study estimates that 1,800 relocation or “disinvestment events” occurred in 2016, the most recent year available, setting a record yearly high going back to 2008. About 13,000 companies left the state during that nine-year period.

While 299 of the 1,800 moves ended up in Texas there was still plenty of companies that went elsewhere including Denver.

Dayum

Forty-three of the 123 corporate headquarters that have relocated to DFW since 2010 came from California, according to the Dallas Regional Chamber.

I knew Dallas was attracting HQ's like flies on a warm summer day and while most were NOT Fortune 500 companies, many were.

S'Up California? Do the business unfriendlies got you down?

The top reason to leave California is no longer high taxes, although that still ranks highly, Vranich said.

Hostility toward businesses, high utility and labor costs, punitive regulations and worrisome housing affordability for employees are among California’s other negatives, Vranich said.

California has reached a “tipping point” with the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, a new statute that Vranich says puts businesses in a legal “lose-lose” situation.

This guy, Vranich, has been tracking this stuff for years and I'm a bit skeptic of some of what's included but in any case that some pretty heady numbers.

What does Denver want to be going forward? Is maintaining a degree of being business friendly important or not that important?

The top 10 cities gaining company migrations from California were:
Austin, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Dallas. Portland (Ore.), Denver, San Antonio, Scottsdale

The top 10 states starting in the order of those that gained the most from California business relocations were:
Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado. Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia

[corey]

If the new building at 44th Avenue and Tennyson Street is a condominium building, with reasonably priced units, I will be more forgiving of its cheap appearance. If it is just another apartment building then I think the developer should have definitely spent the money to at least use better materials on the sides that face the street since it is on such a prominent corner. I don't really care too much about cheaper buildings if they are tucked away somewhere in a neighborhood. Capitol Hill is full of 1960's-70's nondescript, cheap when built, apartment buildings that are fine and serve the important function of providing more affordable, basic housing.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

FYI - River Mile is moving forward but it'll be 4-5 years before anything goes vertical.

https://www-denverpost-com.cdn.amppr...tch-gardens%2F

[Curtis Park]

Nevermind

[Jefficator]

Originally Posted by rds70

Some interesting concept plan reviews submitted to Denver over the last week or so:

At Broadway Marketplace (near Alameda Station):

At Broadway Station:

In RiNo:

There's a warehouse-type building at the corner of Broadway and Dakota in Alameda Station. It formerly housed a Starbucks and a Papa Murphy's Pizza. There's a large "ANTIQUES" sign on the Broadway side. This building is presently being gutted and rehabbed. Does anyone know what is becoming of it?

[twister244]

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

FYI - River Mile is moving forward but it'll be 4-5 years before anything goes vertical.

https://www-denverpost-com.cdn.amppr...tch-gardens%2F

This is great..... I love the River Mile project, and happy to see it has just as much momentum even after Amazon's decision. Perhaps moving forward we can use this to attract other larger companies to locate there.

Also, in response to the US bathroom article.... it's worth noting that bathroom is way back at the far end of the bus terminal. If someone really wants to use a private stall with doors, there are bathrooms inside US. Plus, the article mentions this is temporary and they have plans for a fix.....

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by twister244

Also, in response to the US bathroom article.... it's worth noting that bathroom is way back at the far end of the bus terminal. If someone really wants to use a private stall with doors, there are bathrooms inside US. Plus, the article mentions this is temporary and they have plans for a fix.....

People seem to forget that Market Street and Civic Center (not sure about after the remodel) station also had stalls without doors for the exact same reasons.

Also because RTD isn't allowed to beat the shit out of vagrants anymore...

[DenvertoLA]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

How about installing cameras in each stall, that feed into an AI recognition program, that when potential illegal activity is detected, it alerts the security gaurds right across from the restrooms to intervene. Since no human eyes would be viewing the video, it wouldn't create a privacy issue. The video footage could be locked from human eyes, unless ordered released by a judge for evidence.

Or they could put in a clean needle exchange and information about how to get help..

[twister244]

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

Or they could put in a clean needle exchange and information about how to get help..

I really hope this is sarcasm......

[Valley Highway]

Thanks for the info on bookmarking the Mountain West forum. Much appreciated.

[Valley Highway]

While I'm here...does anyone know what happened to Denver Cityscape? I used to check that daily, but there hasn't been anything new since March of 2017. Apologies if you have already covered this topic - I only recently began posting.

[seventwenty]

Originally Posted by twister244

I really hope this is sarcasm......

I really hope it's not. Or we can just undo laws surrounding drug felonies and lock 'em up for $30,000+ plus a year per vagarant.

[Alchemist]

OZ Architecture has a rendering of the revised, 14-story, now apartment/condo building that will go up in Jefferson Park.


Retrieved from here:
http://ozarch.com/2018/12/oz-archite...e-26th-alcott/

There are no views (as yet) of the side facing Alcott, but I am a bit disappointed. The previous design had different facades for the different masses, creating the illusion of different buildings. This new design makes it look like one giant, block-sized building. I guess we'll see. In any event, the density is appropriate.

[CastleScott]

^ Now that's going to be huge with lots of apartment units, interesting and thanks for sharing.