Denver: Downtown Infill Projects

[DenverInfill 1]

Hi. I've recently completed my website documenting all the infill projects in the Downtown Denver area. There have been 11,771 residential units either completed, under construction, or announced since Spring 2000. The area in question is approximately 1.5 mile radius from a central point in Downtown Denver. Everyone one of these is identified and profiled at DenverInfill.com. Enjoy!

Edited July 26, 2005 by DenverInfill

[bobliocatt 0]

Welcome to the forum and great website. I just found it through google and I was getting ready to post a link here. There's truly some amazing things happening in Denver.

[DenverInfill 1]

Thanks, thelakelander.

Here are two new high-rise projects announced within this past week in Denver:

From the Denver Post on Friday July 22:

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A Denver development firm plans to build a contemporary and swanky condominium high-rise unlike anything the city has yet seen so close to its light-rail train lines.

The 31-story, 190-unit building will break ground this year at 20th Avenue and Lincoln Street. It is designed to trumpet the ease of downtown living, said Angela Osborn, whose husband, Erik, is the project's developer.

Called One Lincoln Park, it will feature homes priced from about $300,000 to $5 million as well as 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and underground parking. The building will be a short walk from Denver's 16th Street Mall and will be built on what is now a parking lot along one of the city's major light-rail routes. When completed in late 2007, the high-rise is expected to be valued at $130 million, Angela Osborn said.

The building is the first of several massive changes the couple hopes to make to a pocket of downtown Denver largely paved with surface parking. Backed by private investors, Osborn Development Corp. has secured options to buy adjacent and nearby parking lots on which it hopes to build an urban village with roughly 150,000 square feet of office and retail space and 1,000 homes, Angela Osborn said Friday.

"We think people are tired of T-REX and tired of having to drive everywhere," she said. "The market is right for this. People want easy access to everything they need."

Trips to Chicago, Florida and New York - as well as jaunts to the city's Central Platte Valley to see how East West Partners has transformed it with homes and shops - inspired the Osborns' vision and shaped One Lincoln Park's design by Denver architectural firm Buchanan Yonushewski Group.

"We're trying to build back a piece of the city," senior project architect Mark Young said. "This is a very contemporary building that will set a new baseline for modern, urban living in Denver."

The city is maturing, he said, but is a little behind other large cities, where people clamor to live near offices, restaurants, shops and mass transit.

Condominiums in the five-sided building will range from 795 square feet to 2,800 square feet. Osborn said 30 units already are sold to family and friends. Sales to the public will launch Aug. 20.

Denver officials reviewed the building's design in mid-April and are scheduled to re-examine it next month.

"There is a lot of acceptance of dense development right now," city planner specialist Ellen Ittelson said. "One of our goals is to have a wide variety of housing types at a wide variety of prices close to light-rail stations. We want the very rich, the very poor and everybody in between living downtown."

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Here's a rendering:

And then from the Rocky Mountain News on Wednesday, July 27:

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Plan unveiled for 41-story condo tower

By John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

July 27, 2005

The developer of the luxury Clayton Lanes development in Cherry Creek North on Tuesday unveiled plans for a 41-story, $110 million condominium high-rise at 14th and Champa streets in downtown.

Randy Nichols' project will be one of the largest buildings constructed in downtown Denver in the past 20 years and joins a flurry of developments on the drawing board.

Last week, developer Erik Osborn announced plans for a 31-story condo development at Lincoln and 20th streets. In addition, a 50-story Four Seasons hotel and condominium development is planned a few blocks from the latest project by Nichols.

Unlike the other projects, however, Nichols plans to make his 505-unit development more affordable. Nichols on Monday closed on his purchase of the Davis & Shaw Furniture store at 1434 Champa St., which he plans to raze. Earlier in the year, he bought the lion's share of the block from St. Charles Town Co.

"We're turning back the clock," said Nichols, whose Clayton Lane boasts some of the most expensive condos in the metro area, with some selling for more than $500 per square foot.

Clayton Lane also includes high-end retail, the JW Marriott Hotel and Janus' world headquarters.

At the downtown development, "we're going to be selling units at $290 per square foot," Nichols said. "We're trying to fit into a demographic that has been underserved. We're aiming at the young professional who works downtown who enjoys LoDo and everything downtown has to offer but is priced out of the vast majority of projects."

Ten percent of the units, which must be affordable under a city ordinance, will be priced from $165,000. Market rate units will be priced from about $220,000 to about $570,000, he said. RNL is the architect. Construction will start in the first quarter of 2006, and no pre-sales are required, he said.

John Shaw, who is developing a condo high-rise at City Park, said he welcomes new developments downtown.

"They will compete with us to a certain extent," said Shaw, of Opus Northwest. "But we can offer some things they can't offer, and they offer some things we can't offer. But overall, all of these developments are good for Denver. And they reaffirm belief that that there is a lot of demand for high-rise living."

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No rendering yet available on this one.

[DenverInfill 1]

Another new hotel tower was recently announced for Downtown Denver. Actually, it's an older proposal that came back from the dead but also changed in height, added some residential units, and a totally different design.

Here's the article:

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Deal nears on luxury hotel downtown

Proximity to athletic club sets the project apart, developers say

By John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

August 19, 2005

A group is moving forward on a $47 million, 22-story luxury hotel and condominium development next to the Denver Athletic Club at 13th and Welton streets, officials confirmed Thursday.

"It's not a done deal yet, but it is very close," said Hersh Lackner, a member of the DAC and the managing partner of the five-person private group, Glenarm Limited Partners, which wants to build the hotel on the surface parking lot next to the DAC.

The boutique hotel, called Inn at the DAC, would have 138 rooms and 14 condominiums. The group would sell the unfinished condo units for $400 to $500 per square foot, and the buyers would finish them, Lackner said.

Over the years, several groups have tried to build a hotel on the parking lot next to the club without success.

There are about 1,800 hotel rooms either under construction or on the drawing board for downtown, estimated John Desmond of the Downtown Denver Partnership. At an average cost of $125,000 per room, that equates to more than $1 billion in hotel rooms.

"Denver does not really need another hotel. What we're really selling is the DAC," said Lackner, a retired investment banker from New York City.

His Denver company is called McKay Holdings Inc. Other members of the ownership group are Jim Allred, principal of TAAG Architects, the designer; George Shaw, principal of Shaw Construction, the builder; Bob Gustin of Albuquerque-based Gustin Property Group, the developer; and Jim Anderson of Municipal Capital Markets, which is putting together the financing.

The DAC also would have an ownership stake in the hotel, Lackner said. Driftwood Hospitality Management of Jupiter, Fla., would manage the property.

John Montgomery, who has done consulting work for Glenarm Limited Partners, agreed with Lackner that the adjacent athletic club sets the project apart from other planned hotels.

"I think what really makes this is the DAC," said Montgomery, president of Horwath Horizon Hospitality Advisors in Denver. "Someone can come in and work out for two hours. That's a huge selling point."

Because of the DAC, the hotel doesn't need any meeting space or athletic facilities, Lackner said. However, his grandson, Joe Kohn, one of the owners of the well-known Izzy's Steak & Chops in San Francisco, would operate a steakhouse in the hotel that would be open to the public.

"We're aiming at the junior executive who would be willing to spend $170 to $180 per night here and have access to the DAC, rather than $130 someplace else," Lackner said. "And because we're right across the street from the Colorado Convention Center, we would expect a lot of activity from people attending conventions."

Andre van Hall, general manager of the DAC, said that the club's 2,000 members could help fill the hotel rooms, although he emphasized the club's board is still six or seven weeks away from deciding whether to give the project the green light.

"Let's say an attorney is a member and some of his clients are flying in; this would be a wonderful place for them to stay," Van Hall said. "And we have reciprocal members with about 150 clubs worldwide, and they could also help create demand."

That said, Van Hall said the hotel market in downtown "is still out of balance," with too many hotel rooms.

That will worsen when the 1,100-room Hyatt opens late this year across from the convention center, he said.

"I don't want to give the wrong impression," he said. "There are still a lot of hurdles."

But Gustin, who has developed about 25 high-end properties, said the proposed hotel "has a great location, right across from the convention center, and provides great amenities for an upscale, boutique hotel. The DAC is a really big plus."

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Rendering:

[DenverInfill 1]

Here are some more projects planned or underway in Downtown Denver:

Hyatt Convention Center Hotel (37 Stories) due to be finished in December 2005:

[DenverInfill 1]

Four Seasons Hotel and Residences (50 stories) planned to break ground late 2005/early 2006:

[DenverInfill 1]

Downtown Residence Inn (14 stories) due to be finished Spring 2006:

[DenverInfill 1]

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel (12 stories) due to break ground Fall 2005:

[DenverInfill 1]

The Glass House condo towers (twin 23-story) under construction now and due for a late 2006 completion:

[MR-2 0]

Denver's downtown is quite a happening place these days. I visited it a few months ago and I still love the improvements in transit and ground retail.

These residence projects should have quite an impact on Denver's skyline and nightlife, which I quite look forward to.

[DenverInfill 1]

Here's a new aerial of Downtown Denver that I've annotated with some of the more major new projects and existing landmarks:

[OE-305 0]

Here's a new aerial of Downtown Denver that I've annotated with some of the more major new projects and existing landmarks:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, Denver is a really beautiful city! Keep up the good work DenverInfill

Question... that light rail line on the NW side of town by the Union Station looks like it's out there all by itself. Are they going to run a light rail/trolley down 16th street mall to connect it with the other lines? Also, will the current bus depot near the clocktower be relocated?

[DenverInfill 1]

Wow, Denver is a really beautiful city!  Keep up the good work DenverInfill 

Question... that light rail line on the NW side of town by the Union Station looks like it's out there all by itself.  Are they going to run a light rail/trolley down 16th street mall to connect it with the other lines?  Also, will the current bus depot near the clocktower be relocated?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, OE-305.

As you probably know, the 16th Street Mall is a transit-way, with free-shuttle busses that run the entire length, thus connecting the two LRT lines. But no plans to replace the shuttles with LRT or trolley. The bus depot near the clocktower is Market Street Station which used to be the end of the Mall before it was extended to Union Station a few years ago. Market Street Station will be phased out and redeveloped within the next five years or so, due to the construction of the multi-modal transit center behind Union Station under the FasTracks program.

With the passage of the FasTracks transit tax last November, we're now starting a 10-year $5 billion transit program that will make Union Station the metrowide hub for transit. Right now, only the Central Platte Valley LRT spur comes in to Union Station. With FasTracks, another LRT line from Golden (West Corridor) will come into Union Station, along with a LRT line from Arvada (Gold Line), BRT and commuter rail from Boulder, commuter rail from 1-25/E-470 (North Metro) and commuter rail to Denver International Airport. Remaining at Union Station will also be Amtrak and the Ski Train. Greyhound will be moving its main bus terminal to Union Station as well. The Union Station master plan also incorporates rental cars, parking garages, bicycle stations, taxi stands, hotel and ski resort shuttles, and every other known form of transportation, public or private.

Also, once all these transit lines are finished, they predict the 16th Street Mall will be at capacity, so we'll also then start the free 18th Street Shuttle, which will be like the free busses along 16th, but will run from Union Station down 18th to Broadway, down Broadway to 13th Avenue, loop around the Art Museum, Library, etc. in Civic Center, back up Lincoln to 19th Street, and back into Union Station. The long term plan is to upgrade this 18th Street shuttle with a trolley system.

Lots going on!

[OE-305 0]

With FasTracks, another LRT line from Golden (West Corridor) will come into Union Station

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this the Colfax line? That's the one I used when I was in Denver last. Also, it will be GREAT to have commuter rail to Boulder IMO.

[DenverInfill 1]

Here's a new rendering of a project announced earlier this year: a 12-story Best Western hotel Downtown at 15th & Stout. Not huge, but it replaces a surface parking lot!

[DenverInfill 1]

Here are two new renderings of the proposed 41-story, 505-unit condo tower planned for the corner of 14th & Champa in Downtown Denver:

[Southernyank 4]

Check out this site. its got great info and renderings of the 14th street condo development.

http://www.nicholspartnership.com/

Edited February 19, 2006 by southernyank

[Southernyank 4]

Hey guys. check out these great photos from the opening of Denver's first scraper in a quarter of a century.

http://www.denverinfill.com/subpages_speci...t_countdown.htm

[DenverInfill 1]

Here's an updated rendering of the Spire:

[DenverInfill 1]

Hey, we just had a 55-story condo tower announced for the corner of 14th & Lawrence! Here it is:

[Cityscape 0]

Wow! I joined this site tonight just to express my amazement that this building might soon tower over nearby Larimer St! It would be nice to see another parking lot get covered up but this building seems kinda tall.

[DenverInfill 1]

Donald Trump just announced the details on his Denver tower. It will go next to the historic El Jebel temple at 18th & Sherman... a site where a developer has had plans for a similar tower for about 5 years now, but has never been able to acquire financing. Trump is buying the site from him. The site and building is already fully approved by the city.

The tower will be a mix of hotel and condos. It will be 715' to the top of the spire, and will be 60 floors. Here's a pic:

[Mobuchu 55]

Damn, you guys have some great projects going on in Denver. I cant believe there's not more Denver posters here. Mr. Infill, you need to hit the streets and get the UP word out. With that much going on there's plenty to discuss.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Mobuchu

[vtfan18 0]

DenverInfill is your site down? I haven't been able to access it lately? Get a page cannot be displayed error from IE.

[MJLO 930]

Any new info on the happenings of Denver? Can anyone tell me how many condo projects are either being built, or scheduled to be built downtown?