DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by RyanD

^Didn't we have a huge debate about this like 2 months ago? And people were saying why can't you just walk a block, who cares about the elderly / disabled, blah blah blah.

I recall this ridiculous conversation now...

Yeah I got flamed for expressing those views, but I am just curious if there are any constraints in the infrastructure to shift the buses over.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Is there a practical reason this route couldnt be shifted to 15th/17th?

Money. FTA funding would go bye-bye and you'd probably end up decreasing the carrying capacity of the Shuttle unless you put it on dedicated transit ways on 15th & 17th. Which would require more money.

The Mall study is interesting but disingenuous. While it talks about x percentage increase in 16th St Mall pedestrian counts on the days that the Shuttke was moved, it doesn't mention what the numbers were. Meanwhile the back of the study mentions that the Shuttle saw something like 8,000 fewer passengers. So, did those 8,000 people stay on the Mall, go elsewhere downtown, or did downtown see a net decrease in visitors?

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

If you've never been to the mountains hiking, you do not belong here. Move to the coast.

Hiking is a upper middle class white man's activity. Especially if you're talking about hiking 14-ers.

That's racist.

[RaspberryD]

In response to the Tabor II talk and market capacity... here's some neato edumacational material:

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/r...ndustrial-office-commercial-markets.html

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.denverpost.com/arapahoeco/ci_...enter-citys-residential-development-boom

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Money. FTA funding would go bye-bye and you'd probably end up decreasing the carrying capacity of the Shuttle unless you put it on dedicated transit ways on 15th & 17th. Which would require more money.

The Mall study is interesting but disingenuous. While it talks about x percentage increase in 16th St Mall pedestrian counts on the days that the Shuttke was moved, it doesn't mention what the numbers were. Meanwhile the back of the study mentions that the Shuttle saw something like 8,000 fewer passengers. So, did those 8,000 people stay on the Mall, go elsewhere downtown, or did downtown see a net decrease in visitors?

Just curious; what is it about the FTA funding that applies to the 16th street mall but wouldn't apply to 15th or 17th streets?

I thought I learned that Sunday's are normally dead? Be hard to draw hard conclusions about "Meet in the Street" events held just on a Sunday except that lots of people came out. They also came up with figures on 17 different "programming" items that would presumably apply to weekdays as well.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Mulligan

There's a financial hit for RTD to move the shuttles off 16th Street FTA gives RTD a good chunk of change in fixed-guideway funding.

So if they moved the shuttles to a different street they'd need fixed guideways to maintain that funding? Got it.

[mojiferous]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I thought I learned that Sunday's are normally dead? Be hard to draw hard conclusions about "Meet in the Street" events held just on a Sunday except that lots of people came out. They also came up with figures on 17 different "programming" items that would presumably apply to weekdays as well.

"Dead" is relative -- a lot of that measurement is based on polling the tenants on the mall, a vast majority of which are fast-ish food and do much less business on Sundays. In my experience the mall is still pretty busy on Sunday afternoons...

[Scottk]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.denverpost.com/arapahoeco/ci_...enter-citys-residential-development-boom

We seriously wanted to buy a ranch house somewhere in Littleton Village but none of the developers released any information to us about the plans for Littleton Village.


We were interested in some of the properties Century was offering last month, but all of them were right on dry creek road.


Disappointing.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by RaspberryD

In response to the Tabor II talk and market capacity... here's some neato edumacational material:

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/r...ndustrial-office-commercial-markets.html

Interesting... in that it's good to see the industrial market doing so well. While Denver will never be a big industrial center, it's still solid evidence of a growing, healthy economy.

For example, the "East Valley" of Phoenix metro has most of the over 33,000 semiconductor and electronics jobs. While that is down from a peak of over 60,000 jobs in 2000 and over 45,000 jobs before the recession, it is still significant. Intel is the pace setter with over 11,000 employees. While some companies have downsized new companies are popping up and growing.

Point being that in today's world, "industrial" companies often require "clean rooms" and create jobs for industrial engineers, software developers and researchers as well as more traditional jobs.

[LAM]

Originally Posted by Scottk

We seriously wanted to buy a ranch house somewhere in Littleton Village but none of the developers released any information to us about the plans for Littleton Village.


We were interested in some of the properties Century was offering last month, but all of them were right on dry creek road.


Disappointing.

You know, it does take time to put that stuff together. You just have to be patient. But, I would not expect to see any ranch houses there as they are trying for higher densities - suburban as they might be.

[transistor]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Interesting... in that it's good to see the industrial market doing so well. While Denver will never be a big industrial center, it's still solid evidence of a growing, healthy economy.

For example, the "East Valley" of Phoenix metro has most of the over 33,000 semiconductor and electronics jobs. While that is down from a peak of over 60,000 jobs in 2000 and over 45,000 jobs before the recession, it is still significant. Intel is the pace setter with over 11,000 employees. While some companies have downsized new companies are popping up and growing.

Point being that in today's world, "industrial" companies often require "clean rooms" and create jobs for industrial engineers, software developers and researchers as well as more traditional jobs.

I am currently in grad school focusing on semiconductor research, particularly nanoscale manufacturing, and the fact that CO, where I have lived since I was kid, has almost no jobs in this industry really annoys me.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by transistor

I am currently in grad school focusing on semiconductor research, particularly nanoscale manufacturing, and the fact that CO, where I have lived since I was kid, has almost no jobs in this industry really annoys me.

Wouldn't you like to live in Taiwan for awhile? Intel has a big presence in Hillsborough OR as well as in Chandler AZ. Not aware of who else is actually using much Nano-tech. Heard IBM is working on some whiz-bang breakthrough but who knows how realistic that is? I know there's a lot of ongoing R&D of course.


Westin Hotel DIA has its first sellout.
Call it a good snow day for them.

[TakeFive]

May the Force Be With You

Credit Star Wars.com

Time to finish our business and head home for the Holiday's.

No cat n' dog fights today in the often recalcitrant House of Representatives as according to Kelsey Snell of the Washington Post:

Early Friday morning the House passed the $1.1 trillion spending portion of the deal on a 316 to 113 vote, with 150 Republicans and 166 Democrats supporting the measure, after passing the $622 billion tax section of the agreement Thursday on a 318 to 109 vote.

Good for the economy, good for Colorado, good for Denver, good for downtown.

"Charlie: Order the steel for our next project. It's time to build."

[larimer]

http://www.businessden.com/2015/12/18/ap...ats-lohi-retail-corner-for-next-project/

[TakeFive]

^ I assume Trammell Crow is smart enough to not tear down that historic retail building so that means they'll build behind and/or over it. They have my fond seal of approval.

[RyanD]

I was able to catch the sunset from the roof of 1800 Larimer last night. I was shooting some views for a client!


1800 Larimer by Ryan Dravitz, on Flickr


1800 Larimer-2 by Ryan Dravitz, on Flickr

[lumos]

Dear Ryan,

I am astonished how you keep managing to raise your game. Great arresting images and excellent post work.

[Fritzdude]

Originally Posted by awholeparade

Anyone know what's planned at Larimer and Broadway?

I grabbed a drink at the remaining building still on that block, which is a mix of retail options with a bar in the middle. Even though the building has been nicely remodeled, apparently it's destined to be torn down in the next few months as the entire block is slated for a hotel.

Anyway - that's the WOTS.

[Stonemans_rowJ]

Originally Posted by bcp

wow..i'd be very surprised if it stays - they will probably leave three walls and trash the rest (the insides are not good, certainly no structural value)

good for mr. dickinson! he was asking $4mm a couple years ago...

These $660,000 townhomes will now feature "spectacular views of blank stucco wall"

At least they will still have the charm and curb appeal of walking back to the unit along a 3ft narrow passageway.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by lumos

Dear Ryan,

I am astonished how you keep managing to raise your game. Great arresting images and excellent post work.

Thank you Lumos!! I definitely put these on the top of the list for the best night photos I've ever taken!