1Post2
Aug 4, 2006, 3:45 AM
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PREFACE
"Trains are shinier than highways, unless it has rained recently."
You've seen the proposed, upcoming, and under-construction projects in downtown Denver and the surrounding neighborhoods.
(If not, there's a thread for it (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=60810) in this section.
Denverinfill.com (www.denverinfill.com) has a synopsis of all that as well.)
This thread is the other part of Denver's story. In some ways, it's even more important. As many of you know by now, in 2004, metro
area voters agreed to add 116 or so miles of rail service to the metro area, supplementing the 3 existing LRT lines championed by
transit advocates as the solution to our traffic woes as the Denver area adds a million-plus people over the next two decades. The bus
system will also be vastly expanded and many lines reconfigured to provide feeder service to the new rail stops.
Opponents of the expansion said that this new rail system would have a negligible impact on traffic. Up to a point, I think they're right.
These new light rail and commuter rail lines aren't going to open up and suddenly make our jammed freeways flow smoothly again. Instead,
they'll work their magic slowly and more subtly by completely transforming the built environment of this city and its suburbs. The real scope
of what Denver is doing is perhaps best expressed by its mayor, John Hickenlooper, who once said that he envisions the metro's
future as being a series of interconnected pedestrian villages.
So are these trains going to take cars off the road? Maybe a good percentage of commuters will park at the stations instead of driving their
cars down the highway. But the real benefit will be that tens of thousands of new metro area residents over the next few decades will
be living in a much more compact, sustainable fashion than they otherwise would be if there was no TOD going up. Isn't traffic
prevention the same thing as taking cars off the road?
(All theoretical traffic prevention talk aside, for anyone who's interested, the Denver Regional Council of Governments estimates that
fastracks, the transit expansion plan, will remove 2.5 million vehicle miles from the roads each work day. Vehicle miles? Yeah, that's a
nice, not-so-abstact measurement to wrap your head around and try to comprehend.)
Amazingly, these rail lines have the ability to begin working that magic of theirs even before they exist. All that anyone needs to
know is their alignment, and what the city's guidelines are for development around the rail stations. (In Denver's case, the guidelines
are a new zoning category called TMU-30 that allows for higher densities and mixed uses near light rail stops.) Now that those two
things are established, ever-speculative developers are proposing, (and in some cases building), the beginnings of these
pedestrian villages, which will rise out of the suburban landscape to realize that future that Hickenlooper and metro area planners
have been longing for.
WHY THIS THREAD?
Denver, RTD, and other regional governments are currently in a planning process to determine development patterns around a large number
of upcoming stations. While the vast majority of these plans are still in early conception stages, a few are more solidified, and we are
already starting to see some of the details surface. This thread is meant to keep track of all the emerging plans that will udoubtedly
plaster the newspapers, internet, and now this forum for years to come.
GET ON WITH IT, THEN.
OK, enough with the prose, let's get to the meat. First, here is a map of the post fastracks system (2016), which I will
keep updated over time with indicators to reflect the new transit developments that are announced. The 'indicators' are the
numerical black circles you can see on various parts of the map. The size of each circle reflects the scale and importance of
the TOD project it refers to. The number is a footnote so you can find each project in the index that follows.
(Map credit: JChurch; this one is far easier to read than anything that RTD has produced.)
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And now the index.
(1) Union Station
Last Updated: Nov 21, 2006
This will be the hub of Denver's transit system; many rail lines will terminate here. It's also the transfer point for the free downtown
circulator bus system, (aka Mallride), which connects to the civic center and carries over 80,000 riders per day. Union Station is also
Denver's intercity Amtrak stop, as well as the launching point for the ski train to the mountains. The station has a few surrounding acres
that present the most valuable TOD opportunity in the metropolitan area.
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Status: This November, the two finalists in the running foor the lump contract to develop Union Station were narrowed down to one.
Continuum & East-West Partners beat out Union Station Partners, led by Cherokee Partners, the same company that is involved in the
I-25/Broadway TOD to be elaborated on a little bit further down. The justification for choosing the East-West team is that it provided
a more financially feasible plan for redevelopment.
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A rendering of the proposed Union Station redevelopment.
There is an infrastructure component to the project, (see buildout section below), which involves the alignment of all the rail tracks
that will serve the station. Fastracks, the large, multi-line expansion plan for Denver's rail transit system, does not budget quite enough
money to perform all the infrastructure work, just part of it. As a result, city officials decided to award the redevelopment project
contract to a private firm, provided that they could cover the financing gap in exchange for the privilege of developing the prime real
estate surrounding what will be the most important transit hub in the city and far beyond.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/DUT_mode.jpg
The current development plan places the light rail tracks at-grade two blocks to the west, at the end of 17th street. The expanded light
rail system design calls for many of the regional lines to converge on Union Station in downtown, and terminate there rather than simply
making a stop. This means that transit riders whom have a final destination other than downtown will need to transfer at this station,
and in many cases, this transfer will involve a two block walk. Critics are quick to point out that the plan should have involved the
burial of the light rail tracks, or at least an alignment closer to the station (and therefore the buses and commuter rail), since the
proper integration of all the transit modes was the entire purpose of awarding the development contract to a private firm in the first
place. The project managers have pointed out, however, that the vast majority of passengers will be boarding the downtown circulator
shuttles at this stop rather than making a transfer to the commuter rail or bus terminals blocks away. This plan places those circulator
shuttles more central to almost every mode of transportation than the competing Union Station Partners plan, especially in the case of the
bus terminal.
Buildout: The transit infrastructure work must be done by 2011. Final buildout would likely coincide with the opening of Fastracks,
which would be around 2016.
Additonal Info:
East West/Continuum Plan
Cost: Unknown
Transit: $298 Million (of which, $213 Million is public)
Retail: 246,100 sq ft
Office: 732,500 sq ft
Residential: 783,400 sq feet
Other: Grocery Store, Large-Format Retail
Visit the thread in the Mountain West forum (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114496)
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(2) I-25/Broadway TOD (Gates Redevelopment)
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2007
This 50 acre parcel of land is about 3 miles south of downtown, is the former site of the Gates rubber plant. The corresponding light
rail station is now a major transfer stop between multiple LRT lines, a role that will only grow with the completion of fastracks.
Status: Undergoing environmental cleanup. Cherokee Denver, one of the developers, must decontaminate some of the property before
constructioncan begin. Construction on the Cherokee portion is slated to begin fall/winter of this year.
Buildout: Cherokee states that the entire project will take 10-15 years to reach fruition.
Additional Info: The project is mixed use, including residential, office, retail, and "entertainment". Cherokee only owns a portion
of the land to be redeveloped. Joseph Freed & Associates, a Chicago development firm, has recently been announced as a developer of a
parcel adjacent to Cherokee's. The Joseph Freed portion alone is expected to yield 1,500 residential units, 565,000 sq feet of retail,
and 200,000 square feet of office. A rendering of its upcoming development is shown in the graphic below. RTD is currently under negiotion
with Cherokee to lease/sell the 20 acres it owns near the station so that it may become part of the redevelopment.
Visit the official project URL (http://www.cherokeedenver.com/)
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(3) Village Center at Arapahoe Station
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2007
This 45 acre area surrounding the newly-constructed Arapahoe LRT station, (opening November this year), will be Greenwood Village's focal
point for creating a new downtown area, similar to Lakewood's and Arvada's efforts, except seemingly more dense and substantial.
(Lakewood has the most 'evolved' (in advanced construction stages) new downtown, called 'Belmar', but it is not covered in this
thread since it is not at an LRT stop. Arvada's will be covered later.)
Status: According to the Greenwich village website: Over the last few months, a draft Framework Plan was developed for 45 acres that
comprise the area of the Village Center. This draft Plan is currently being reviewed by all of the primary property owners. Their comments
will be collected and integrated into the Plan prior to public presentations in late August and September. Architectural work has begun
on the project, as well as revenue and cost projections.
Buildout: Unknown
Additional Info: Clarion, a development and planning firm in Denver, has already announced plans for a large mixed use hotel and
residence tower to be built as part of the TOD. They hope to name a hotel operator around February, 2007. Likewise, Charlie Biederman,
developer of numerous other hotel ventures around Denver including the JW Marriott in Cherry Creek as well as the Ritz downtown, has
announced a 5 star hotel building near the station as well. See renderings of both proposals in the following graphic.
A preliminary rendering of the TOD is shown below. Treat it as a massing rendering, though, since this project is still in early planning
stages.
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(4) Boulder Transit Village
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2007 Contributor: Cirrus
This TOD project is centered around Boulder's upcoming 30th and Pearl St Station. The area is largely suburban today; it's 15 blocks
east of Downtown Boulder, along Pearl St., "one of Boulder's two main original urban avenues".
Status: The plan is currently nearing its final stages of approval. It is a small area plan intended to guide future development,
not a development proposal per se. The City of Boulder owns some of the land shown, however, including the essential two square blocks
immediately north of Pearl Street between the railroad tracks and 30th Street, and intends to develop that land to kick start larger
redevelopment.
Buildout: Unknown. There are various different plans being considered, ranging in residential, commericial, and industrial intensity. They
are roughly as follows:
Option 1: Junction Village
The area will become an exciting new neighborhood at a "village" scale with services primarily to meet the needs of local residents and the
community as a whole. It would contain a mixture of uses with an emphasis on providing a rich diversity of housing types for a variety of
groups, including families, singles and seniors. Housing types would include townhomes/small lot single family units and high density stacked
flats/apartments, either in stand-alone buildings ro in vertically mixed buildings with office and retail uses. Other uses would include service
industrial and service commercial, office, and both neighborhood-serving and regional retail uses. Buildings would range in scale from two
to four stories in this option, with most of the area containing two to three story buildings. The area would accomodate approximately
1,500 - 2,000 new jobs and 1,000 - 1,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
Option 2: Junction Center
The area will become a vibrant new urban center in close proximity to Twenty Ninth Street, expandign the existing regional / citywide
activity center if the Boulder Valley Regional Center. It would provide a mixture of high intensity uses throughout the area, including
a potential entertainment / shopping feature (e.g. events center, arts center, hotel or conference center) in the Pearl Street Center
district. New mixed-use buildings in the area would be primarily four and five stories tall and would line Junction Place, creating a
pedestrian-interest at the street, residences above, and a lively urban fee. Uses would include housing, office, industrial and retail.
Housing would be provided in multi-story apartments and/or stacked flats. This option would accomodate approximately 2,000 - 2,500
new jobs and 2,000 -2,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
Option 3: Junction Place Employment Center
The area will become an important new employment district with a rich mix of business and employment uses to serve the community and
the region. This would include corportate offices in the Wilderness Place district, small to medium-sized businesses in mixed use buildings
with housing the Pearl Street Center and Depot Square, and flexibility for a variety of uses in the Wye district- from industrial to commercial
to mixed-use or live/work spaces. Buildings in the area would range from three to five stories tall, except along Valmont where lower-scale
one and two story buildings would house service commerical uses adjacent residential areas adn the city as a whole. This option would
accomodate approximately 5,500 - 6,000 new jobs and 1,000 - 1,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
The current preferred option, chosen recently after an assessment of the various choices' provisions for the economy, the environment,
housing, transportation, community input, and market analysis, is shown below. It is a compromise plan that combines certain elements
all three options considered above. More specific details will be posted when they become available.
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(5) Belleview Station
Last Updated: Nov 26, 2006 Contributor: rds70
Continuum Partners LLC, the same company that is developing Belmar (http://www.belmarcolorado.com/), Lakewood's new town center, has
purchased 18 acres of
land from the Bansbach family, which, according to a Denver Business
Journal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2005/10/31/daily41.html), is partnering with
Continuum to develop the TOD. This TOD alone is expected to have a completed value larger than Belmar, despite occupying less than a
fifth of the acreage. The land was zoned TMU-30 (Denver's TOD-specific zoning category, see preface) in 2003.
Status: Construction on the first phase is expected to begin Fall 2006, and be in full swing by Spring 2007.
Buildout: The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2008.
Additional Info: This development will be mixed use in the spirit of TOD, and will include 1,900 residential units, 600,000 square
feet of office space, and 200,000 square feet of retail. A full service four or five-star hotel plus comphrehensive parking will be also be
included.
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Apparently, some of the stations around the Denver Tech Center are showing the earliest signs of heavy private investment. Village
Center at Arapahoe (#3 in this index) isn't too far from here.
Contributor: Glowrock
Fairfield Properties recently announced plans to invest over $170 million in the area in the form of 3 apartment complexes along Union and
Quincy avenues, near the Continuum project. Renderings and further details will be posted when they are made available. The projects are:
DTC III South Monaco Street/ East Quincy Avenue 398 $70 million
DTC IV East South Monaco Street/ East Union Avenue 240 $51 million
DTC IV West South Monaco Street/ East Union Avenue 270 $50.5 million
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(6) Lincoln Station
Last Updated: Aug 6, 2006 Contributor: rds70
Bradbury Properties, Inc. owns a 53 acre parcel of land on the east side of I-25 that is having a pre-existing master plan revamped
to better reflect TOD design principles. I was able to dig up some photos of the old plan; it's easy to see why it was upgraded.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/lincoln_plan1.jpg
Even though this TOD project is scheduled to be constructed in phases, it is unlikely that the plan above is simply an
earlier phase of the entire project, since the plaza area near the train stop itself has been reorganized quite a bit from
plan to plan. (See graphic below for comparison)
In this next revision, much of the surface parking has been replaced with garages, (there's now two instead of one), and the
resulting free land has been put to better use. In addition, the plan has been physically expanded in terms of acreage.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/lincoln_plan2.jpg
Status: Unknown. Contact information is available
on the official website (http://www.lincolnstation.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=99) for parties interested
in leasing office or retail.
Buildout: Unknown.
Further Info: The following information is available regarding the scale of the plan:
Office: 500,000 RSF
Retail: 50,000 SF
Residential: 1,500 - 2,000 Units
Further elevation renderings and even a marketing
brochure (http://www.lincolnstation.net/images/stories/lincoln_station_pdf/LincolnStationPoster.pdf) can be found on the website.
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(7) Olde Town Station (Arvada)
Last Updated: Sept 1, 2006
Remember earler in this thread when I mentioned Arvada's (along with Lakewood's) intentions of developing a new downtown?
Olde Town station will be the principal LRT stop for this redevelopment. (Unlike the other two projects, this is actually the
redevelopment of an existing, albeit dilapidated downtown.)
The station is so named because Arvada's historic downtown, which has been largely preserved, is located nearby.
The downtown hosts various festivals throughout the year and is the recent recipient of a new library, due to open this fall.
Total size? 433 acres, making this a very large project, as far as land area is concerned.
Status: The City of Arvada is currently reviewing various plans for the Olde Town LRT stop near its historic
downtown.
Buildout: Unknown. Currently, these plans are undergoing pubic review/feedback.
Further Info: The three plans are labelled A, B, and C, with respective increases scale, density, and zoning variety.
Concept A
From the city website: The Olde Town Station “A” concept focuses on residential development in the Olde Town area. Within the
historic Olde Town area, north of Grandview, an overlay zone would allow for higher densities of residential development to allow for
diversity in the for sale and market rate housing products. The overlay zone would provide specific design requirements to
maintain the character of Olde Town and also allow for 2 to 3 story buildings if set back from Old Wadsworth and Grandview.
Residential development with the overlay zoning is also proposed between Grandview and 56th Avenue. Mixed-use development is
provided south of the transit station, including the current cinema site that is proposed to be redeveloped into a more intense use
of commercial/retail with residential. Because of topography changes, a parking structure would be located south of the tracks and
west of Wadsworth Bypass, on the existing RTD park and ride site and shooting range property, would have parking on the ground
floors and residential uses above, which would also be at ground level with Grandview.
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Concept B
From the city website: The Olde Town Station “B” concept provides for more employment uses throughout the site, including both
mixed-use and commercial/office uses. Leading south from the transit station is a green street that helps create a pedestrian
oriented retail scheme. On both sides of the green street (Vance), commercial/office uses are proposed between the Wadsworth Bypass
and Vance Street. Two parking areas proposed off the Wadsworth Bypass should be structured parking for transit and adjacent retail and
commercial uses. North of Grandview, the majority of the existingland uses remain with selected mixed-use infill along the Wadsworth
Bypass. The only new residential development proposed in this concept is a retirement village east of the Wadsworth Bypass to provide
affordable senior housing. Building height could be up to 4 stories.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/olde_town_b.jpg
Concept C
From the city website: "The Olde Town Station “C” concept includes a revised street pattern in Olde Town to provide for increased
pedestrian connectivity and enhances the retail, office, commercial and residential opportunity in Olde Town. Alternative “C” maintains
the existing historic character of the areathrough an overlay that would allow taller buildings in the area provided that the upper
stories are setback from the street. Building heights on Olde Wadsworth and Grandview would be limited. Vance Street is
relocated one block east in the area south of the station, and extends north, across the railroad crossing to Upham Street. South of the
tracks, this street terminates at a public plaza that is surrounded by four to six story mixed-use. The public plaza serves as the
central focus of the development south of the transit station: all streets south of Grandview lead to the plaza. Designed as a gathering
place for the community, the plaza would be hardscaped to allow for community events, such as a farmers market, art fairs,
exhibits and small group activities. The proposed parking structure, located on the new extension of Upham Street south of
Grandview on the RTD site, would have parking on the lower levels and would include residential, mixed use and a public park
on the roof, with access to Grandview. From the public park on the roof of the parking structure, there would a view of the
mountains and the public plaza. Residential redevelopment south of Grandview includes the underutilized property east of Wadsworth,
as medium density residential. The residential redevelopment off of Olde Wadsworth is higher density residential that mirrors the
existing Water Tower development. The long term vision for the alternative includes a power commercial center similar to what
exists today, south of 55th at the intersection of Olde Wadsworth and Wadsworth Bypass."
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/olde_town_c.jpg
Apart from these TOD plans, the city of Arvada has created the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority (AURA), which is negotiating with
private companies such as Concert American to help facilitate further redevelopment projects. So far, the Water Tower Village project
has resulted, and is already nearing completion. It primarily features rowhomes and lofts, and is entirely residential.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/watertowervillage.jpg
Contributor: InfillJunkie
Landon Enterprises, which has developed many pseudo-urban or urban retail shops across the metro area, is breaking ground on
Grandview Plaza and Reno Place, which will include 38,500 square feet of office and retail space.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/olde_town_grandview.jpg
Look forward to more Olde Town Station updates as the city TOD plans advance and other developments take place.
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(8) Oak Street Station (Lakewood)
Last Updated: Sept 24, 2006
Much of West Colfax in Lakewood has unfortunately become dilapidated in over the past half century. The area is now
undergoing urban renewal, and the blocks surrounding the Oak Street Station site in particular are being surveyed for
environmental cleanup. Once the properties are made marketable again, the city is planning to encourage TOD around
the station, and are currently formulating plans and zoning to direct growth in the area.
Buildout: RTD would like to see buildout occur in 2008, (fearing the next chance won't come until fastracks
buildout of the West Corridor in 2015), but such a fast buildout is unlikely.
Further Info: From the city of Lakewood Planning Draft: The City of Lakewood’s overall vision is to transform
the area around the light rail station into a mixed-use center, with an emphasis on research and development, and
retail opportunities. Development that occurs in the station area is to be urban in form, with building entrances
located directly on sidewalks to allow for easy walking access. The station area will be pedestrian-friendly with
wide sidewalks and street trees planted to create a pleasant atmosphere. Multi-story office and residential buildings,
with ground floor retail will be located in the blocks nearest the station and in redevelopment areas north of Colfax
Avenue. The expansion of office, laboratory, and research and development uses south and west of the station will also
help create a strong employment base for the area and the City. New development north of the station will provide for
new pedestrian and vehicular connections to and from Colfax Avenue.
This TOD has been divided into 5 distinct sections, with each section reciving different develop guidelines.
Station Core - 3 to 6 story mixed use structures and parking for the LRT. Minimum densities: 35 units/acre, .65 FAR.
Wide sidewalks and buildings that meet them will be constructed, as well as mandatory open spaces on private property.
(That FAR will produce 3 floors? Let alone 6? Open space requirements? Just put in a public plaza. Anyway, hopefully
final densities achieved will be much higher than the requirements.)
Commercial Areas (2) - These areas will govern what happens on Colfax itself. The streetscape will be redesigned
to 'encourage outdoor activities.' Commercial buildings will be required to be oriented toward Colfax itself, with main
entrances on Colfax and automobile access to the side or rear.
Building heights: 2 to 6 floors. Minimum densities: 25 units/acre on residential. .50 FAR.
High Density Residential - This are will be directly north of the core station area. 3 to 6 story buildings, 30
units per acre. Mixed use will be permitted as long as residential is integrated.
Medium Density Residential - 2 to 4 story buildings, with densities expected between 15 and 25 units per acre.
Integrated office or retail permitted.
Research & Development - 2 to 4 story structures; Designed to encourage exisiting employment to expand in introduce new
employers in the area. .35 FAR required, but only for any new construction, since the area won't be starting from scratch.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/oak_st.jpg
Special Features: The TOD will include on street parking, open space as mentioned, (encouraged near the street so that
it may be publicly available), and a street with a wide, landscaped median between the station and 16th st north of Colfax. This
street will be the TOD's 'civic street' with public amenities and event space. Street furnishings such as pedestrian scale
lighting, benches, trash receptacles, and flower boxes will be located throughout the TOD, as well as bike paths and bike parking.
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(9)Union Corridor (Lakewood)
Last Updated: January 21, 2007
The Federal Center station will be located on Federal Center Land, and serve not only the center but the surrounding Union Blvd
Corridor, which is home to Lakewood's largest office buildings and a substantial retail corridor.
The Simms/Union Corridor is already a high-intensity commercial area today, with numerous midrise office towers, an RTD park 'n' ride
facility, a main entrance to the Denver Federal Center, a large hotel, and retail uses strung out on Union Boulevard where it meets
Simms Street and the 6th Ave freeway. It is car-oriented in nature, where almost every building, large or small, is accessed through
a parking lot.
The city of Lakewood is now using the nearby planned light rail station as a catalyst for transforming the area into a more mixed use,
walkable center featuring mixed use buildings with residential on the ground floor. Near the Denver Federal Center, (and the light rail
station), mixed use retail and residential buildings will dominate, while mixed use office and retail will characterize the area further
down Union Blvd toward Van Gordon, where the largest office buildings are currently located.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/union_vision.jpg
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http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/union_corridor.jpg
Perhaps most interestingly, the Federal Center itself is undergoing its own master planning process to develop its gigantic, 640
campus to allow new public and private uses. The hospital on Union Corridor will be relocated to the Federal Center campus,
allowing more intense development on the old site that conforms with TOD master plans. Residential other mixed-use development is
anticipated near the light rail station on the Federal Center campus, effectively increasing the scope of the union corridor TOD.
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PREFACE
"Trains are shinier than highways, unless it has rained recently."
You've seen the proposed, upcoming, and under-construction projects in downtown Denver and the surrounding neighborhoods.
(If not, there's a thread for it (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=60810) in this section.
Denverinfill.com (www.denverinfill.com) has a synopsis of all that as well.)
This thread is the other part of Denver's story. In some ways, it's even more important. As many of you know by now, in 2004, metro
area voters agreed to add 116 or so miles of rail service to the metro area, supplementing the 3 existing LRT lines championed by
transit advocates as the solution to our traffic woes as the Denver area adds a million-plus people over the next two decades. The bus
system will also be vastly expanded and many lines reconfigured to provide feeder service to the new rail stops.
Opponents of the expansion said that this new rail system would have a negligible impact on traffic. Up to a point, I think they're right.
These new light rail and commuter rail lines aren't going to open up and suddenly make our jammed freeways flow smoothly again. Instead,
they'll work their magic slowly and more subtly by completely transforming the built environment of this city and its suburbs. The real scope
of what Denver is doing is perhaps best expressed by its mayor, John Hickenlooper, who once said that he envisions the metro's
future as being a series of interconnected pedestrian villages.
So are these trains going to take cars off the road? Maybe a good percentage of commuters will park at the stations instead of driving their
cars down the highway. But the real benefit will be that tens of thousands of new metro area residents over the next few decades will
be living in a much more compact, sustainable fashion than they otherwise would be if there was no TOD going up. Isn't traffic
prevention the same thing as taking cars off the road?
(All theoretical traffic prevention talk aside, for anyone who's interested, the Denver Regional Council of Governments estimates that
fastracks, the transit expansion plan, will remove 2.5 million vehicle miles from the roads each work day. Vehicle miles? Yeah, that's a
nice, not-so-abstact measurement to wrap your head around and try to comprehend.)
Amazingly, these rail lines have the ability to begin working that magic of theirs even before they exist. All that anyone needs to
know is their alignment, and what the city's guidelines are for development around the rail stations. (In Denver's case, the guidelines
are a new zoning category called TMU-30 that allows for higher densities and mixed uses near light rail stops.) Now that those two
things are established, ever-speculative developers are proposing, (and in some cases building), the beginnings of these
pedestrian villages, which will rise out of the suburban landscape to realize that future that Hickenlooper and metro area planners
have been longing for.
WHY THIS THREAD?
Denver, RTD, and other regional governments are currently in a planning process to determine development patterns around a large number
of upcoming stations. While the vast majority of these plans are still in early conception stages, a few are more solidified, and we are
already starting to see some of the details surface. This thread is meant to keep track of all the emerging plans that will udoubtedly
plaster the newspapers, internet, and now this forum for years to come.
GET ON WITH IT, THEN.
OK, enough with the prose, let's get to the meat. First, here is a map of the post fastracks system (2016), which I will
keep updated over time with indicators to reflect the new transit developments that are announced. The 'indicators' are the
numerical black circles you can see on various parts of the map. The size of each circle reflects the scale and importance of
the TOD project it refers to. The number is a footnote so you can find each project in the index that follows.
(Map credit: JChurch; this one is far easier to read than anything that RTD has produced.)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/TODmap_rev7.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
And now the index.
(1) Union Station
Last Updated: Nov 21, 2006
This will be the hub of Denver's transit system; many rail lines will terminate here. It's also the transfer point for the free downtown
circulator bus system, (aka Mallride), which connects to the civic center and carries over 80,000 riders per day. Union Station is also
Denver's intercity Amtrak stop, as well as the launching point for the ski train to the mountains. The station has a few surrounding acres
that present the most valuable TOD opportunity in the metropolitan area.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/DUT_graphic.jpg
Status: This November, the two finalists in the running foor the lump contract to develop Union Station were narrowed down to one.
Continuum & East-West Partners beat out Union Station Partners, led by Cherokee Partners, the same company that is involved in the
I-25/Broadway TOD to be elaborated on a little bit further down. The justification for choosing the East-West team is that it provided
a more financially feasible plan for redevelopment.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/DUT_ew.jpg
A rendering of the proposed Union Station redevelopment.
There is an infrastructure component to the project, (see buildout section below), which involves the alignment of all the rail tracks
that will serve the station. Fastracks, the large, multi-line expansion plan for Denver's rail transit system, does not budget quite enough
money to perform all the infrastructure work, just part of it. As a result, city officials decided to award the redevelopment project
contract to a private firm, provided that they could cover the financing gap in exchange for the privilege of developing the prime real
estate surrounding what will be the most important transit hub in the city and far beyond.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/DUT_mode.jpg
The current development plan places the light rail tracks at-grade two blocks to the west, at the end of 17th street. The expanded light
rail system design calls for many of the regional lines to converge on Union Station in downtown, and terminate there rather than simply
making a stop. This means that transit riders whom have a final destination other than downtown will need to transfer at this station,
and in many cases, this transfer will involve a two block walk. Critics are quick to point out that the plan should have involved the
burial of the light rail tracks, or at least an alignment closer to the station (and therefore the buses and commuter rail), since the
proper integration of all the transit modes was the entire purpose of awarding the development contract to a private firm in the first
place. The project managers have pointed out, however, that the vast majority of passengers will be boarding the downtown circulator
shuttles at this stop rather than making a transfer to the commuter rail or bus terminals blocks away. This plan places those circulator
shuttles more central to almost every mode of transportation than the competing Union Station Partners plan, especially in the case of the
bus terminal.
Buildout: The transit infrastructure work must be done by 2011. Final buildout would likely coincide with the opening of Fastracks,
which would be around 2016.
Additonal Info:
East West/Continuum Plan
Cost: Unknown
Transit: $298 Million (of which, $213 Million is public)
Retail: 246,100 sq ft
Office: 732,500 sq ft
Residential: 783,400 sq feet
Other: Grocery Store, Large-Format Retail
Visit the thread in the Mountain West forum (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114496)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(2) I-25/Broadway TOD (Gates Redevelopment)
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2007
This 50 acre parcel of land is about 3 miles south of downtown, is the former site of the Gates rubber plant. The corresponding light
rail station is now a major transfer stop between multiple LRT lines, a role that will only grow with the completion of fastracks.
Status: Undergoing environmental cleanup. Cherokee Denver, one of the developers, must decontaminate some of the property before
constructioncan begin. Construction on the Cherokee portion is slated to begin fall/winter of this year.
Buildout: Cherokee states that the entire project will take 10-15 years to reach fruition.
Additional Info: The project is mixed use, including residential, office, retail, and "entertainment". Cherokee only owns a portion
of the land to be redeveloped. Joseph Freed & Associates, a Chicago development firm, has recently been announced as a developer of a
parcel adjacent to Cherokee's. The Joseph Freed portion alone is expected to yield 1,500 residential units, 565,000 sq feet of retail,
and 200,000 square feet of office. A rendering of its upcoming development is shown in the graphic below. RTD is currently under negiotion
with Cherokee to lease/sell the 20 acres it owns near the station so that it may become part of the redevelopment.
Visit the official project URL (http://www.cherokeedenver.com/)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/I25Broadway_Graphic.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(3) Village Center at Arapahoe Station
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2007
This 45 acre area surrounding the newly-constructed Arapahoe LRT station, (opening November this year), will be Greenwood Village's focal
point for creating a new downtown area, similar to Lakewood's and Arvada's efforts, except seemingly more dense and substantial.
(Lakewood has the most 'evolved' (in advanced construction stages) new downtown, called 'Belmar', but it is not covered in this
thread since it is not at an LRT stop. Arvada's will be covered later.)
Status: According to the Greenwich village website: Over the last few months, a draft Framework Plan was developed for 45 acres that
comprise the area of the Village Center. This draft Plan is currently being reviewed by all of the primary property owners. Their comments
will be collected and integrated into the Plan prior to public presentations in late August and September. Architectural work has begun
on the project, as well as revenue and cost projections.
Buildout: Unknown
Additional Info: Clarion, a development and planning firm in Denver, has already announced plans for a large mixed use hotel and
residence tower to be built as part of the TOD. They hope to name a hotel operator around February, 2007. Likewise, Charlie Biederman,
developer of numerous other hotel ventures around Denver including the JW Marriott in Cherry Creek as well as the Ritz downtown, has
announced a 5 star hotel building near the station as well. See renderings of both proposals in the following graphic.
A preliminary rendering of the TOD is shown below. Treat it as a massing rendering, though, since this project is still in early planning
stages.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/Arapahoe.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(4) Boulder Transit Village
Last Updated: Jan 21, 2007 Contributor: Cirrus
This TOD project is centered around Boulder's upcoming 30th and Pearl St Station. The area is largely suburban today; it's 15 blocks
east of Downtown Boulder, along Pearl St., "one of Boulder's two main original urban avenues".
Status: The plan is currently nearing its final stages of approval. It is a small area plan intended to guide future development,
not a development proposal per se. The City of Boulder owns some of the land shown, however, including the essential two square blocks
immediately north of Pearl Street between the railroad tracks and 30th Street, and intends to develop that land to kick start larger
redevelopment.
Buildout: Unknown. There are various different plans being considered, ranging in residential, commericial, and industrial intensity. They
are roughly as follows:
Option 1: Junction Village
The area will become an exciting new neighborhood at a "village" scale with services primarily to meet the needs of local residents and the
community as a whole. It would contain a mixture of uses with an emphasis on providing a rich diversity of housing types for a variety of
groups, including families, singles and seniors. Housing types would include townhomes/small lot single family units and high density stacked
flats/apartments, either in stand-alone buildings ro in vertically mixed buildings with office and retail uses. Other uses would include service
industrial and service commercial, office, and both neighborhood-serving and regional retail uses. Buildings would range in scale from two
to four stories in this option, with most of the area containing two to three story buildings. The area would accomodate approximately
1,500 - 2,000 new jobs and 1,000 - 1,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
Option 2: Junction Center
The area will become a vibrant new urban center in close proximity to Twenty Ninth Street, expandign the existing regional / citywide
activity center if the Boulder Valley Regional Center. It would provide a mixture of high intensity uses throughout the area, including
a potential entertainment / shopping feature (e.g. events center, arts center, hotel or conference center) in the Pearl Street Center
district. New mixed-use buildings in the area would be primarily four and five stories tall and would line Junction Place, creating a
pedestrian-interest at the street, residences above, and a lively urban fee. Uses would include housing, office, industrial and retail.
Housing would be provided in multi-story apartments and/or stacked flats. This option would accomodate approximately 2,000 - 2,500
new jobs and 2,000 -2,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
Option 3: Junction Place Employment Center
The area will become an important new employment district with a rich mix of business and employment uses to serve the community and
the region. This would include corportate offices in the Wilderness Place district, small to medium-sized businesses in mixed use buildings
with housing the Pearl Street Center and Depot Square, and flexibility for a variety of uses in the Wye district- from industrial to commercial
to mixed-use or live/work spaces. Buildings in the area would range from three to five stories tall, except along Valmont where lower-scale
one and two story buildings would house service commerical uses adjacent residential areas adn the city as a whole. This option would
accomodate approximately 5,500 - 6,000 new jobs and 1,000 - 1,500 new dwelling units at realistic buildout.
The current preferred option, chosen recently after an assessment of the various choices' provisions for the economy, the environment,
housing, transportation, community input, and market analysis, is shown below. It is a compromise plan that combines certain elements
all three options considered above. More specific details will be posted when they become available.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/boulder_preferred.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/bouldervillage.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(5) Belleview Station
Last Updated: Nov 26, 2006 Contributor: rds70
Continuum Partners LLC, the same company that is developing Belmar (http://www.belmarcolorado.com/), Lakewood's new town center, has
purchased 18 acres of
land from the Bansbach family, which, according to a Denver Business
Journal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2005/10/31/daily41.html), is partnering with
Continuum to develop the TOD. This TOD alone is expected to have a completed value larger than Belmar, despite occupying less than a
fifth of the acreage. The land was zoned TMU-30 (Denver's TOD-specific zoning category, see preface) in 2003.
Status: Construction on the first phase is expected to begin Fall 2006, and be in full swing by Spring 2007.
Buildout: The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2008.
Additional Info: This development will be mixed use in the spirit of TOD, and will include 1,900 residential units, 600,000 square
feet of office space, and 200,000 square feet of retail. A full service four or five-star hotel plus comphrehensive parking will be also be
included.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/belleview_vision.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/belleview.jpg
Apparently, some of the stations around the Denver Tech Center are showing the earliest signs of heavy private investment. Village
Center at Arapahoe (#3 in this index) isn't too far from here.
Contributor: Glowrock
Fairfield Properties recently announced plans to invest over $170 million in the area in the form of 3 apartment complexes along Union and
Quincy avenues, near the Continuum project. Renderings and further details will be posted when they are made available. The projects are:
DTC III South Monaco Street/ East Quincy Avenue 398 $70 million
DTC IV East South Monaco Street/ East Union Avenue 240 $51 million
DTC IV West South Monaco Street/ East Union Avenue 270 $50.5 million
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(6) Lincoln Station
Last Updated: Aug 6, 2006 Contributor: rds70
Bradbury Properties, Inc. owns a 53 acre parcel of land on the east side of I-25 that is having a pre-existing master plan revamped
to better reflect TOD design principles. I was able to dig up some photos of the old plan; it's easy to see why it was upgraded.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/lincoln_plan1.jpg
Even though this TOD project is scheduled to be constructed in phases, it is unlikely that the plan above is simply an
earlier phase of the entire project, since the plaza area near the train stop itself has been reorganized quite a bit from
plan to plan. (See graphic below for comparison)
In this next revision, much of the surface parking has been replaced with garages, (there's now two instead of one), and the
resulting free land has been put to better use. In addition, the plan has been physically expanded in terms of acreage.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/lincoln_plan2.jpg
Status: Unknown. Contact information is available
on the official website (http://www.lincolnstation.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=99) for parties interested
in leasing office or retail.
Buildout: Unknown.
Further Info: The following information is available regarding the scale of the plan:
Office: 500,000 RSF
Retail: 50,000 SF
Residential: 1,500 - 2,000 Units
Further elevation renderings and even a marketing
brochure (http://www.lincolnstation.net/images/stories/lincoln_station_pdf/LincolnStationPoster.pdf) can be found on the website.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(7) Olde Town Station (Arvada)
Last Updated: Sept 1, 2006
Remember earler in this thread when I mentioned Arvada's (along with Lakewood's) intentions of developing a new downtown?
Olde Town station will be the principal LRT stop for this redevelopment. (Unlike the other two projects, this is actually the
redevelopment of an existing, albeit dilapidated downtown.)
The station is so named because Arvada's historic downtown, which has been largely preserved, is located nearby.
The downtown hosts various festivals throughout the year and is the recent recipient of a new library, due to open this fall.
Total size? 433 acres, making this a very large project, as far as land area is concerned.
Status: The City of Arvada is currently reviewing various plans for the Olde Town LRT stop near its historic
downtown.
Buildout: Unknown. Currently, these plans are undergoing pubic review/feedback.
Further Info: The three plans are labelled A, B, and C, with respective increases scale, density, and zoning variety.
Concept A
From the city website: The Olde Town Station “A” concept focuses on residential development in the Olde Town area. Within the
historic Olde Town area, north of Grandview, an overlay zone would allow for higher densities of residential development to allow for
diversity in the for sale and market rate housing products. The overlay zone would provide specific design requirements to
maintain the character of Olde Town and also allow for 2 to 3 story buildings if set back from Old Wadsworth and Grandview.
Residential development with the overlay zoning is also proposed between Grandview and 56th Avenue. Mixed-use development is
provided south of the transit station, including the current cinema site that is proposed to be redeveloped into a more intense use
of commercial/retail with residential. Because of topography changes, a parking structure would be located south of the tracks and
west of Wadsworth Bypass, on the existing RTD park and ride site and shooting range property, would have parking on the ground
floors and residential uses above, which would also be at ground level with Grandview.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/olde_town_a.jpg
Concept B
From the city website: The Olde Town Station “B” concept provides for more employment uses throughout the site, including both
mixed-use and commercial/office uses. Leading south from the transit station is a green street that helps create a pedestrian
oriented retail scheme. On both sides of the green street (Vance), commercial/office uses are proposed between the Wadsworth Bypass
and Vance Street. Two parking areas proposed off the Wadsworth Bypass should be structured parking for transit and adjacent retail and
commercial uses. North of Grandview, the majority of the existingland uses remain with selected mixed-use infill along the Wadsworth
Bypass. The only new residential development proposed in this concept is a retirement village east of the Wadsworth Bypass to provide
affordable senior housing. Building height could be up to 4 stories.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/olde_town_b.jpg
Concept C
From the city website: "The Olde Town Station “C” concept includes a revised street pattern in Olde Town to provide for increased
pedestrian connectivity and enhances the retail, office, commercial and residential opportunity in Olde Town. Alternative “C” maintains
the existing historic character of the areathrough an overlay that would allow taller buildings in the area provided that the upper
stories are setback from the street. Building heights on Olde Wadsworth and Grandview would be limited. Vance Street is
relocated one block east in the area south of the station, and extends north, across the railroad crossing to Upham Street. South of the
tracks, this street terminates at a public plaza that is surrounded by four to six story mixed-use. The public plaza serves as the
central focus of the development south of the transit station: all streets south of Grandview lead to the plaza. Designed as a gathering
place for the community, the plaza would be hardscaped to allow for community events, such as a farmers market, art fairs,
exhibits and small group activities. The proposed parking structure, located on the new extension of Upham Street south of
Grandview on the RTD site, would have parking on the lower levels and would include residential, mixed use and a public park
on the roof, with access to Grandview. From the public park on the roof of the parking structure, there would a view of the
mountains and the public plaza. Residential redevelopment south of Grandview includes the underutilized property east of Wadsworth,
as medium density residential. The residential redevelopment off of Olde Wadsworth is higher density residential that mirrors the
existing Water Tower development. The long term vision for the alternative includes a power commercial center similar to what
exists today, south of 55th at the intersection of Olde Wadsworth and Wadsworth Bypass."
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/olde_town_c.jpg
Apart from these TOD plans, the city of Arvada has created the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority (AURA), which is negotiating with
private companies such as Concert American to help facilitate further redevelopment projects. So far, the Water Tower Village project
has resulted, and is already nearing completion. It primarily features rowhomes and lofts, and is entirely residential.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/watertowervillage.jpg
Contributor: InfillJunkie
Landon Enterprises, which has developed many pseudo-urban or urban retail shops across the metro area, is breaking ground on
Grandview Plaza and Reno Place, which will include 38,500 square feet of office and retail space.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/olde_town_grandview.jpg
Look forward to more Olde Town Station updates as the city TOD plans advance and other developments take place.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(8) Oak Street Station (Lakewood)
Last Updated: Sept 24, 2006
Much of West Colfax in Lakewood has unfortunately become dilapidated in over the past half century. The area is now
undergoing urban renewal, and the blocks surrounding the Oak Street Station site in particular are being surveyed for
environmental cleanup. Once the properties are made marketable again, the city is planning to encourage TOD around
the station, and are currently formulating plans and zoning to direct growth in the area.
Buildout: RTD would like to see buildout occur in 2008, (fearing the next chance won't come until fastracks
buildout of the West Corridor in 2015), but such a fast buildout is unlikely.
Further Info: From the city of Lakewood Planning Draft: The City of Lakewood’s overall vision is to transform
the area around the light rail station into a mixed-use center, with an emphasis on research and development, and
retail opportunities. Development that occurs in the station area is to be urban in form, with building entrances
located directly on sidewalks to allow for easy walking access. The station area will be pedestrian-friendly with
wide sidewalks and street trees planted to create a pleasant atmosphere. Multi-story office and residential buildings,
with ground floor retail will be located in the blocks nearest the station and in redevelopment areas north of Colfax
Avenue. The expansion of office, laboratory, and research and development uses south and west of the station will also
help create a strong employment base for the area and the City. New development north of the station will provide for
new pedestrian and vehicular connections to and from Colfax Avenue.
This TOD has been divided into 5 distinct sections, with each section reciving different develop guidelines.
Station Core - 3 to 6 story mixed use structures and parking for the LRT. Minimum densities: 35 units/acre, .65 FAR.
Wide sidewalks and buildings that meet them will be constructed, as well as mandatory open spaces on private property.
(That FAR will produce 3 floors? Let alone 6? Open space requirements? Just put in a public plaza. Anyway, hopefully
final densities achieved will be much higher than the requirements.)
Commercial Areas (2) - These areas will govern what happens on Colfax itself. The streetscape will be redesigned
to 'encourage outdoor activities.' Commercial buildings will be required to be oriented toward Colfax itself, with main
entrances on Colfax and automobile access to the side or rear.
Building heights: 2 to 6 floors. Minimum densities: 25 units/acre on residential. .50 FAR.
High Density Residential - This are will be directly north of the core station area. 3 to 6 story buildings, 30
units per acre. Mixed use will be permitted as long as residential is integrated.
Medium Density Residential - 2 to 4 story buildings, with densities expected between 15 and 25 units per acre.
Integrated office or retail permitted.
Research & Development - 2 to 4 story structures; Designed to encourage exisiting employment to expand in introduce new
employers in the area. .35 FAR required, but only for any new construction, since the area won't be starting from scratch.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/oak_st.jpg
Special Features: The TOD will include on street parking, open space as mentioned, (encouraged near the street so that
it may be publicly available), and a street with a wide, landscaped median between the station and 16th st north of Colfax. This
street will be the TOD's 'civic street' with public amenities and event space. Street furnishings such as pedestrian scale
lighting, benches, trash receptacles, and flower boxes will be located throughout the TOD, as well as bike paths and bike parking.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
(9)Union Corridor (Lakewood)
Last Updated: January 21, 2007
The Federal Center station will be located on Federal Center Land, and serve not only the center but the surrounding Union Blvd
Corridor, which is home to Lakewood's largest office buildings and a substantial retail corridor.
The Simms/Union Corridor is already a high-intensity commercial area today, with numerous midrise office towers, an RTD park 'n' ride
facility, a main entrance to the Denver Federal Center, a large hotel, and retail uses strung out on Union Boulevard where it meets
Simms Street and the 6th Ave freeway. It is car-oriented in nature, where almost every building, large or small, is accessed through
a parking lot.
The city of Lakewood is now using the nearby planned light rail station as a catalyst for transforming the area into a more mixed use,
walkable center featuring mixed use buildings with residential on the ground floor. Near the Denver Federal Center, (and the light rail
station), mixed use retail and residential buildings will dominate, while mixed use office and retail will characterize the area further
down Union Blvd toward Van Gordon, where the largest office buildings are currently located.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/union_vision.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/union_corridor.jpg
Perhaps most interestingly, the Federal Center itself is undergoing its own master planning process to develop its gigantic, 640
campus to allow new public and private uses. The hospital on Union Corridor will be relocated to the Federal Center campus,
allowing more intense development on the old site that conforms with TOD master plans. Residential other mixed-use development is
anticipated near the light rail station on the Federal Center campus, effectively increasing the scope of the union corridor TOD.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/binford/TOD_thread/placeholder.jpg
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