DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[CherryCreek]

Originally Posted by Chucolo

Closing its doors, according to Denverite. Wonder if that means that old proposal to renovate the Cable Railway Building and plop a hotel on top of it is back in play?

And on a unrelated note; has anybody heard of any updates to the plan to renovate the 16th Street Mall? Rode my bike down there Sunday. Those pavers are in really bad shape....

Wow, 45 years in that location. Back in the day the Spaghetti Factory was a lonely outpost downtown, one of the few downtown restaurants that anyone would bother to go to. Where there are now hundreds of bars and restaurants today - RiNo, LoDo, LoHI, Union Station, there was virtually nothing through much of the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s.

On the other hand it was always a crappy chain restaurant. Lol.

[DenverPoke]

Kinda random, but it looks like Denver has the 5th most cranes up in the US, with 28 (whenever this count took place). Seattle has the most at 65.

Sydney has 346 and Dubai has 1,182!!!

https://www.constructionjunkie.com/b...e-tower-cranes

[BG918]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Wow, 45 years in that location. Back in the day the Spaghetti Factory was a lonely outpost downtown, one of the few downtown restaurants that anyone would bother to go to. Where there are now hundreds of bars and restaurants today - RiNo, LoDo, LoHI, Union Station, there was virtually nothing through much of the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s.

On the other hand it was always a crappy chain restaurant. Lol.

It’s funny growing up in Tulsa we had Spaghetti Warehouse and for a long time it was one of only a few downtown restaurants, also in an old brick building. Like SF it hung on as lots of new places opened around it and finally closed last year.

I remember walking by SF in Denver about 4 years ago and there was a group of kids all dressed up going there before what-looked-like prom. I imagined they were from some outlying town like Windsor or Limon and that was probably the only downtown restaurant they knew about..

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by BG918

It’s funny growing up in Tulsa we had Spaghetti Warehouse and for a long time it was one of only a few downtown restaurants, also in an old brick building. Like SF it hung on as lots of new places opened around it and finally closed last year.

I remember walking by SF in Denver about 4 years ago and there was a group of kids all dressed up going there before what-looked-like prom. I imagined they were from some outlying town like Windsor or Limon and that was probably the only downtown restaurant they knew about..

Well I never been to Heaven, But I been to Oklahoma
You have any favorite songs about Oklahoma or Tulsa? I'd guess you're too young to care about the Blues song by Jimmy Reed "Crazy about Oklahoma" or Leon Russell's "Home Sweet Oklahoma"? There's been a number of Country songs of course but any that you preferred?

Through the years Casa Bonita and the Spaghetti Factory were the two best restaurants for groups. The Spaghetti Factory appealed for being cool, being downtown and for being moderately priced. Ahh, the good ole days.

[TakeFive]

Molly, you haven't look this good in forever


Photo credit: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The historic Molly Brown House is back to its former glory after three years of renovations
Aug. 21, 2018 by Kevin Beaty/Denverite

The foundation slab “was in danger of falling in a hole,” the front porch’s mosaic tiles were tarnished, its stone exterior covered in a more than century worth of soot.

How did you decide on the exterior color?

The new color, a very dark green that only reveals its emerald aura in the right light, is thought to have been the color when Molly and J.J. Brown arrived as the home’s second owners in 1894. Malcomb said a team of architects, paint experts and historians scoured the building and discovered bits of old pigment that, when analyzed with an electron microscope, provided the right shade for the reboot.

Preserving this historical gem is priceless and well worth the $2 million in costs. Props to Kevin Beaty; this is a fun, interesting read.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by CherryCreek

Wow, 45 years in that location. Back in the day the Spaghetti Factory was a lonely outpost downtown, one of the few downtown restaurants that anyone would bother to go to. Where there are now hundreds of bars and restaurants today - RiNo, LoDo, LoHI, Union Station, there was virtually nothing through much of the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s.

On the other hand it was always a crappy chain restaurant. Lol.

Last time I ate there was in 1995, with my parents. I recall the Mall being very dead.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

Last time I ate there was in 1995, with my parents. I recall the Mall being very dead.

About the same for me. The closing was brought up in my office and barely a tear was shed.... seems like it lost a lot of it's appeal for the DT crowd.

The preferred new use was another food hall.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Well I never been to Heaven, But I been to Oklahoma
You have any favorite songs about Oklahoma or Tulsa? I'd guess you're too young to care about the Blues song by Jimmy Reed "Crazy about Oklahoma" or Leon Russell's "Home Sweet Oklahoma"? There's been a number of Country songs of course but any that you preferred?

Don Williams' Livin' on Tulsa Time

Through the years Casa Bonita and the Spaghetti Factory were the two best restaurants for groups. The Spaghetti Factory appealed for being cool, being downtown and for being moderately priced. Ahh, the good ole days.

Up until 2011 there were two Casa Bonita's in existence: the one in Lakewood and one in...Tulsa.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

About the same for me. The closing was brought up in my office and barely a tear was shed.... seems like it lost a lot of it's appeal for the DT crowd.

The preferred new use was another food hall.

As a post-revival Denver transplant, I will not miss this place. The problem isn't the nature of their Italian food (compared to somewhere like Tavernetta). The problem is it just sucks......

If their food was more like Pasta Jays in Boulder, they would stay in business. But with so many other options now, I never have a desire to go there.

[DenverPoke]

Originally Posted by BG918

Don Williams' Livin' on Tulsa Time



Up until 2011 there were two Casa Bonita's in existence: the one in Lakewood and one in...Tulsa.

I grew up in the Tulsa area as well, did the Tulsa Casa Bonita close??? Casa Bonita and Crystal's Pizza...good times as a kid.

So this got me to researching, looks like Bell's is gone too. And Big Splash is now something called Safari Joe's. Good 'ol T-town.

[ddvmke]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

No more CDOT so why not mixed-use density?


Photo credit: Andrew Kenney/Denverite

Colorado Boulevard could have a new, more urban identity down south
Aug 20 2018 by Andrew Kenney/Denverite

Will the neighbors buy into the vision?

Stay tuned.

Some of the complaints in that article are hilarious. From the satellite view when CDOT was still in operation there, it looks like 350+ parking spots were available on site, the vast majority of them filled. Somehow 150 affordable apartments, including some people who can't afford to have a car, and more retail that residents and neighbors could walk to is going to "make it five times worse" and is part of Denver's conspiracy to "crowd up the streets as much as possible."

It does highlight the unfortunate fact, however, that it's horrendous to get anywhere else in the city from S. Colo Blvd. without a car (3-5x longer for most trips/destinations). So hopefully news like this helps spur the conversation on how to improve that, and if Colfax BRT is successful and residents of this area see that, that could give it the extra bump as well.

Long story short - No, I don't think the neighbors will buy in.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

About the same for me. The closing was brought up in my office and barely a tear was shed.... seems like it lost a lot of it's appeal for the DT crowd.

The preferred new use was another food hall.

Yeah, I'd appreciate a food hall!

I'm guessing that when I ate there, there wasn't much else around. I think we parked, for free, very near the restaurant lol! Nobody wanted to be downtown at night in '95.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

The preferred new use was another food hall.

I'm sure I'm 'dating' myself... when I ate at the Milk Market on my trip it was very cool; little pricey but what I anticipated. Just the same that place gets incredibly noisy when busy. Give me a mom n pop hole-in-the-wall restaurant, especially good Mexican or even better So American food. I realize finding this 'downtown' is not so realistic but that's my preference unless going upscale.

Originally Posted by ddvmke

It does highlight the unfortunate fact, however, that it's horrendous to get anywhere else in the city from S. Colo Blvd. without a car (3-5x longer for most trips/destinations). So hopefully news like this helps spur the conversation on how to improve that, and if Colfax BRT is successful and residents of this area see that, that could give it the extra bump as well.

Long story short - No, I don't think the neighbors will buy in.

Generally these open houses draw the whiny malcontents so the results were fairly predictable.

Colorado Blvd is a corridor that needs light rail. Consider the properties along that stretch up to 1st avenue and there's yuge potential for redevelopment.

Originally Posted by BG918

Don Williams' Livin' on Tulsa Time

Up until 2011 there were two Casa Bonita's in existence: the one in Lakewood and one in...Tulsa.

Good song - understandable.

I did not know that Tulsa also had a Casa Bonita. (Now I do)

[Matt]

5050 S. Syracuse in the Denver Tech Center has some cool exterior illumination going on. Pictures taken in overcast weather with my phone.

[TakeFive]

Matt... Agree; I like their use of lighting on that building; looks sharp.

[PLANSIT]

Of note:

Site Address and Description
2018PM0000454 - Block 162 Hotel

[rds70]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

Of note:

Description:

2018PM0000454 - Block 162 Hotel
Concept - Proposed new 38-story hotel tower on the Block 162 mid-block and an associated rehabilitation of the McClintock building. The hotel tower will be under 420 ft to its highest level with penthouse volume at the top floor of 20 - 30 ft for a total of approx 450 ft in height. Due to the McClintock building being historically designated and a part of the hotel project, the project is being submitted simultaneously to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review.

[DenverInfill]

Originally Posted by rds70

Description:

2018PM0000454 - Block 162 Hotel
Concept - Proposed new 38-story hotel tower on the Block 162 mid-block and an associated rehabilitation of the McClintock building. The hotel tower will be under 420 ft to its highest level with penthouse volume at the top floor of 20 - 30 ft for a total of approx 450 ft in height. Due to the McClintock building being historically designated and a part of the hotel project, the project is being submitted simultaneously to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review.

Oh this is going to be interesting.

[twister244]

Walked by the Modera LoHi site earlier and it's fenced off with Mill Creek's signage on the fence....

Probably safe to assume demo on existing structures is imminent.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by rds70

Description:

2018PM0000454 - Block 162 Hotel
Concept - Proposed new 38-story hotel tower on the Block 162 mid-block and an associated rehabilitation of the McClintock building. The hotel tower will be under 420 ft to its highest level with penthouse volume at the top floor of 20 - 30 ft for a total of approx 450 ft in height. Due to the McClintock building being historically designated and a part of the hotel project, the project is being submitted simultaneously to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for review.

That's the same height at 1670 Broadway. Nice!