DENVER | Main Development Thread #6

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Mmm.... ghaaaagh... donut...

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Mmm.... ghaaaagh... donut...

Wouldn't a donut mean that's it's a parking garage surrounded by apartments? This appears to have, IIRC, u/g parking with an interior courtyard.

I can't remember if the ground floor is also parking.

[The Dirt]

Nah, it's like a lowercase b or a backwards p.

[mojiferous]

Can we start circulating this study any time anyone from West Highland or Country Club says anything at all?

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/...t-us-cities-are-segregating-the-wealthy/

It essentially finds that NIMBYism & density regulation == segregation and inequality. I would imagine nothing would shut up someone screeching about how a 5 story apartment building is a highrise faster than accusing them of being proponents of inequality.

We find that particular types of regulation, such as density restrictions, more independent reviews for project approval and zoning changes, and a greater level of involvement by local government and citizenry in the permitting process, are significantly associated with segregation overall and of the affluent.

[RyanD]

Hyatt House / Hyatt Place with some examples of what we should do with these giant blank walls:

Upper Downtown: Hyatt Place/Hyatt House Hotel Final Update











And some examples:

[bunt_q]

I COMPLETELY disagree. Have you actually walked by this building? At street level, it's really quite pleasant. It blends nicely, it has good visual interest, and at night the lighting is really classy. Granted, from the third story up, it's pretty terrible. But I actually think at the street level this is one of the better projects we've seen in the last 10 years.

I was walking by the other night on my way to the train, and I actually was texting photos to a friend. And I'm not exactly known for my positive commentary.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I COMPLETELY disagree. Have you actually walked by this building? At street level, it's really quite pleasant. It blends nicely, it has good visual interest, and at night the lighting is really classy. Granted, from the third story up, it's pretty terrible. But I actually think at the street level this is one of the better projects we've seen in the last 10 years.

I was walking by the other night on my way to the train, and I actually was texting photos to a friend. And I'm not exactly known for my positive commentary.

I 100% agree with you on the street level of this building, it actually looks like spent a lot of money on quality materials for the street level. The upper levels are obviously pretty bad, but they did a pretty darn good job at the base.

[Denver]

New perspective of the proposed Moxy hotel in Cherry Creek.


Source:http://www.vhghotels.com/what-we-do/projects

Construction fence appears to be up at the site.

[Matt]

I actually very much like the new Hyatt. It's clean looking, has glass, and is reminiscent of many early 20th-century "industrial" buildings you'd see in New York and Chicago. It reminds me of the first building I worked in (where my first job was) - 475 10th Ave. in Manhattan. With a modern twist, of course...



I think the Hyatt does more to establish an ambiance of "turn of the century metropolis" than any of the faux-historic crap being built in LoDo and the CPV. They Hyatt's location on the other end of downtown - away from "Disney Presents Historic Denver" - also adds to the building's nice vibe...

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/r...BElKTwGoSbqOBYu5F%2FO7W7Amf&t=1453348886

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_29...otel-proposed-downtown-denvers-hole-mall

[transistor]

Originally Posted by Matt

I actually very much like the new Hyatt. It's clean looking, has glass, and is reminiscent of many early 20th-century "industrial" buildings you'd see in New York and Chicago. It reminds me of the first building I worked in (where my first job was) - 475 10th Ave. in Manhattan. With a modern twist, of course...


I think the Hyatt does more to establish an ambiance of "turn of the century metropolis" than any of the faux-historic crap being built in LoDo and the CPV. They Hyatt's location on the other end of downtown - away from "Disney Presents Historic Denver" - also adds to the building's nice vibe...

I agree, the building has clean lines, and is in general an interesting addition to the skyline. While I am not happy with the blank walls I understand the reason for them, and have faith that they will eventually be covered up by infill on the surrounding lots.

The street level also seems nice, the (fake)stone facade is of high quality and is something you don't see often in the CBD.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by transistor

I agree, the building has clean lines, and is in general an interesting addition to the skyline. While I am not happy with the blank walls I understand the reason for them, and have faith that they will eventually be covered up by infill on the surrounding lots.

The street level also seems nice, the (fake)stone facade is of high quality and is something you don't see often in the CBD.

I really don't see the problem with "blank walls". Every *established* city that Denver aspires to be has them in droves; they really add to the urban "grit" which Denver is losing as our city transforms into a fake, hipster-magnet imposter of the authentic city it used to be.

[transistor]

Originally Posted by Matt

I really don't see the problem with "blank walls". Every *established* city that Denver aspires to be has them in droves; they really add to the urban "grit" which Denver is losing as our city transforms into a fake, hipster-magnet imposter of the authentic city it used to be.

Definitely. Although Denver was full of hipsters since at least the 90's, so that's nothing new.

[Denveropolis]

Looks like a red tower Crain for 1776 Curtis!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by transistor

Definitely. Although Denver was full of hipsters since at least the 90's, so that's nothing new.

The only true grit I feel in Denver - believe it or not - is biking underneath the I-70 viaduct by the stockshow complex. As we all know, even this is slated to be torn down and most likely trenched. How is anyone who genuinely loves cities *not concerned* with Denver losing its areas of grit and blight to put in flower planters and hipster cafes? Denver's soul is being sanitized in the name of "new urbanism". It's a mistake just as fatal as the DURA Skyline Improvement Project of the 1980s, and future generations will chide us for it.

[enjo13]

Originally Posted by Matt

The only true grit I feel in Denver - believe it or not - is biking underneath the I-70 viaduct by the stockshow complex. As we all know, even this is slated to be torn down and most likely trenched. How is anyone who genuinely loves cities *not concerned* with Denver losing its areas of grit and blight to put in flower planters and hipster cafes? Denver's soul is being sanitized in the name of "new urbanism". It's a mistake just as fatal as the DURA Skyline Improvement Project of the 1980s, and future generations will chide us for it.

While blight and decay sure made a great backdrop for RENT, I wasn't aware that anyone seriously thought that they were the mark of a great city. Grit isn't a virtue. The whole point of building a great city is about building a great community of interesting people doing nearly unlimited interesting things. You do that by creating places people *care* about. Abandoned buildings and projects are almost by definition not that.

So no I'm not even one ounce concerned about it. Christ I guess Detroit is reaching it's absolute zenith right about now.

Now you may be making an argument that the people in Denver today aren't doing interesting things or creating interesting things. Because only desperately poor people living in shanties can create real art? If so that's an equally ludicrous argument.

Denver in 2016 is the best version of Denver and it's only getting better. We're attracting creative people at a rate that every other single city in the nation is taking notice of. We're building great companies, contributing to culture at a pace this city has never done before, making better food, attacking our structural problems like homelessness with a zeal that is frankly long overdue... hell we dropped the first domino in ending the war on drugs.

I'm damn proud to be a part of this city. I find it amusing that you think "hipster" is an insult. I'll take them over the cantankerous, anti-growth, and generally miserable lot that resided in Denver before them.

[transistor]

Originally Posted by Matt

The only true grit I feel in Denver - believe it or not - is biking underneath the I-70 viaduct by the stockshow complex. As we all know, even this is slated to be torn down and most likely trenched. How is anyone who genuinely loves cities *not concerned* with Denver losing its areas of grit and blight to put in flower planters and hipster cafes? Denver's soul is being sanitized in the name of "new urbanism". It's a mistake just as fatal as the DURA Skyline Improvement Project of the 1980s, and future generations will chide us for it.

I haven't been north of I-70 in more than five years, so I don't know what you're referring to specifically.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by Matt

The only true grit I feel in Denver - believe it or not - is biking underneath the I-70 viaduct by the stockshow complex. As we all know, even this is slated to be torn down and most likely trenched. How is anyone who genuinely loves cities *not concerned* with Denver losing its areas of grit and blight to put in flower planters and hipster cafes? Denver's soul is being sanitized in the name of "new urbanism". It's a mistake just as fatal as the DURA Skyline Improvement Project of the 1980s, and future generations will chide us for it.

23rd and Park has to be as gritty as any anywhere.

Its also a sore reminder that the city is hardly attacking homelessness with 'zeal'. I believe a recent audit found the measly resources put into the "Road Home" initiative have largely been squandered with no results. Seems our plan for attacking homelessness is to bus them outside the city to a warehouse at night, and then bus them back in to poop on the streets of denver during the day.

[LAM]

No Grit is good grit!