COLORADO | Front Range Development Thread #2

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/bl...f&t=1441147839

[Cirrus]

My monthly troll of RTD's Flickr page turns up some photos from the August 16 opening of the new Boulder Junction bus station. In addition to the bus station, this includes a 150-room hotel, 71 housing units, a restaurant, and a parking garage.








via SEH architects



All images from RTD unless otherwise noted.

[Brainpathology]

Not that I'm complaining but is RTD using yellow in a lot of places? I (surprisingly) like how it looks where I've seen it so far, but is it a conscious push? or just the same designer?

[Cirrus]

My question is, uh, where are the benches? Is everyone supposed to stand while they wait?

[Brainpathology]

I would assume so....benches would encourage loitering.. or even sleeping on them.

Though I didn't even notice the lack. You have an eye for the function of those sorts of things that I don't even think of.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

My question is, uh, where are the benches? Is everyone supposed to stand while they wait?

The benches are against the walls, I guess they figure that'll be adequate because RTD is composed of the best and the brightest.

Though I wouldn't expect any benches by the bus slips, you don't wan't to encourage people to be queing up where they'll be sucking down exhaust.

[Cirrus]

I do actually think I see a bench, up against the blue wall in the 2nd photo. Maybe there's more. It's kind of hard to tell what's going on.

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Though I wouldn't expect any benches by the bus slips, you don't wan't to encourage people to be queing up where they'll be sucking down exhaust.

Oh you westerners and your crazy demands for "clean air."

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28...00k-population

[mojiferous]

Originally Posted by rds70

I don't think this has been posted before:

Black Hawk is getting another highrise hotel. The Monarch Casino will be adding a 500 room, 22 story hotel to the existing facility. The hotel has been on the back burner for a couple of years, but it now looks like construction will start this summer, with a 2017 completion.

Here is a press release:

http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...ri-1939004.htm

And a rendering:

Update on this March post: driving through Black Hawk this weekend this hotel is already making quite the visual impact... It's going to look great stuffed in that canyon!

[seventwenty]

Aspen Airport could be getting a facelift and upgrade.

Pitkin County commissioners Wednesday unanimously approved an airport layout plan for the construction of a new terminal of up to 80,000 square feet and a runway upgrade to accommodate larger aircraft that potentially would include 737s.

The next step is for the Federal Aviation Administration to approve the plan and subsequently begin an environmental assessment that could take up to two years. The environmental assessment would be funded through federal grants.

...

The commissioners’ approval was the latest development in a complex series of airport discussions that began in 2011. And last week, the county announced that it would not be moving forward on plans for a second fixed-based operator, an underground parking garage or a new taxiway on the airport’s west side because of a shortage of federal funding.

Figures released at the meeting by J.D. Ingram of Denver-based planning and design firm Jviation, put the total cost of the terminal, the runway widening and configuration, and new above-ground parking at $145.9 million.


...

But the fleet [of larger RJs] is projected to be retired by 2025, giving the county a sense of urgency to move the improvement project forward. That’s because a number of regional jet aircraft are in the manufacturing pipeline that have wingspans too large for the Aspen airport. Improving the runway by widening it 50 feet and shifting its center line 80 feet to the west would allow wingspans of up to 118 feet, according to FAA guidelines. A small stretch of Owl Creek Road, which is located within a county right of way, also would have to be moved to accommodate the runway.

...

Commissioners also asked about the potential for 737s. It’s possible they could fly into Aspen, officials responded, but that would be the airline’s call. United Airlines already has said it can’t fly them to Aspen even with an improved runway, airport Direct John Kinney said.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mojiferous

Update on this March post: driving through Black Hawk this weekend this hotel is already making quite the visual impact... It's going to look great stuffed in that canyon!

Dang... My how time flies by

Next year will mark 25 years since Colorado voters legalized limited-stakes gaming in three former mining towns — and, in the same vain, a quarter-century since state residents began to know Black Hawk...

"Black Hawk turning the corner on being more than just a gambling town"
Sep 11, 2015 by Ed Sealover Denver Business Journal

Black Hawk civic and business leaders, however, are undertaking an ambitious project to change the reputation of their town from one marked only by card tables and jangling slot machines to a place that people could escape to for a short weekend away — and throw gambling into their plans, along with dining, shopping and outdoor activities. And the planned opening of a second casino hotel resort in 2017 gives them the leverage to be able to combine their renovation efforts with private-property growth to finally make that pitch, they believe.

Nice piece by Ed.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by acw007

Sage Hospitality's planned downtown Fort Collins hotel's design work continues:

From Chestnut Street:




The corner of Chestnut Street and Walnut Street:


Ariel view of the hotel facing Walnut Street:


Its interesting seeing the mid-century influence pop up in more and more new buildings here. Is this happening every where? Fort Collins definitely boomed in the 60's. CSU is a damn mid-century time capsule and all of our high-rise buildings were built in the 60's. I like the design of this hotel so far. I'm just not entirely sure the metal screens fit in a national historic district like Old Town. I love that the back side of the hotel is deliberately more modern in design nodding to the River District across the street.

"Fort Collins OKs 162-room downtown hotel"
September 11, 2015 by Adrian D. Garcia, Coloradoan

The downtown hotel can officially check in to Fort Collins after city officials approved the project Thursday evening.

The downtown hotel will sit on 354 Walnut St., a property owned by Bohemian. The company is partnering with McWhinney Inc. of Loveland to develop the project. Sage Hospitality will operate the hotel once construction is complete.

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/ne...f&t=1442525775

[Denver Dweller]

http://gazette.com/two-colorado-spri...rticle/1559539

[TakeFive]

Must be something happening in Colorado Springs.

Credit: Mayor Suthers

Ahh, Nice:

CU Fund

ENR Mountain States

UCCS Breaks Ground on New Performing Arts Center
The new center will unify the Dept. of Visual and Performing Arts, currently spread across six locations on campus

[Denver Dweller]

duplicate

[TakeFive]

New apartments planned in Aurora.

Courtesy of Aurora Sentinel

According to Rachel Sapin of the Aurora Sentinel:

AURORA | Aurora’s first transit-oriented residential community should be breaking ground by 2016, according to developers.

“These are high-end market-rate units. We believe there will be demand and they will break ground as soon as possible,” said Michael Sheldon, a lawyer who is representing the developers Steelwave, LLC, and Norris design who have plans to transform infill land near the future Iliff light rail station into a millenial-enticing, modern apartment complex.

The neighbors are mighty concerned, especially about the traffic.

Located at the northeast corner of South Anaheim Street and East Yale Avenue, south of the Regional Transportation District’s future Iliff Station light rail station, a 424 multi-family apartment complex is being planned that developers and city officials hope will attract young professionals, as well as those looking to live near a light rail hub.

[comoneymaker]

Crane is up behind the theater building at DU. Also dirt is being moved across the street for that block project and for the other block project off Buchtel the elevator shaft is going up. I guess no crane for this project? Just going to be like 2 floors of match-sticks?

Anyway we got renderings for all these DU projects?

[Denver Dweller]

http://bizwest.com/developer-taking-...lanning-board/

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/mo...f&t=1443801808