DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[DenvertoLA]

Has anyone seen if One Platte has broken ground? I think I was supposed to start in October.

[RyanD]

Ooh la la!


https://denverinfill.com/blog/2019/1...t-centric.html

[twister244]

Always nice to see projects sneak under the radar and go straight to a ground breaking.....

The DP posted a really nice article giving a bit of an update on the McGregor Square project. Our very own Ken is quoted multiple times....

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/11/1...s-coors-field/

I also did a quick search and found this site with mostly the same renderings, but there are some now showing what the residences will look like:
https://www.mlb.com/rockies/fans/mcgregor-square

Everytime I go by this site, and the Market Station, I get super excited! By far my favorite projects am excited to see being completed since moving here in 2015. I think the combination of the two will really elevate LoDo / US to a new level.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Thanks for the update, Ryan! I really appreciate your work. I spent some time around downtown and made a few observations:

1. Glass is starting to go up on Block 162

2. Nothing happening on One Platte

3. Construction trailers at 10th and Acoma. This area is starting to become very urban feeling. I just hope more food options open up inside Golden Triangle.

4. I drove through Market Street. 14th through 20th on Market is going to be very exciting 1 to 2 years from now.

5. I got a haircut around Union Station. I see a few more restaurants opening up on Chestnut. Seems like there's much more foot traffic in this part of Union Station.

All in all, I'm really excited for LoDo. Many great projects taking form.

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by CONative

How is it that folks don't see the many mixed use components that Stapleton already DOES have? There are live/work units a block from me, several townhomes and small condo/apartment buildings all around me, a 3 story office building with ground floor retail/restaurants 2 blocks from me (and no, I am not near the 29th Ave Town Center or Northfield Center...which has even more of all of that), and I do live in a SF house. Why is it that folks expected more density from a very large 8 square mile development that is 7 miles from downtown? Fact is...Stapleton has a lot more walkable shops, amenities, retail than many think. A lot of SF home dwellers and multifamily folks can walk to shops within a 5-10 minute walk in Stapleton. Not all folks, but a slight majority can now, and more will as time passes. Fact also is...Stapleton has a lot more multi-family than most realize and is denser than most neighborhoods in the city of Denver....and that is now....before the large vacant parcels that are slated for multi-family/mixed use are finally developed and will bring more of that "urbanism". The developers and city of Denver never expected Stapleton to be fully developed for 30 years. Around 2030 is when it was expected to be fully developed with all the residential and commercial aspects....even when it had higher aspirations for more multi-family in certain spots. We are at less than 20 years and have a lot of large vacant parcels still slated for those things, but people expect it all to be there now and are judging it before completion. Many commercial businesses and investors are literally waiting until all the residents are in place before setting up shop. I feel like some people aren't seeing what is actually in Stapleton already, and focus on all the SF homes. They miss that small retail strip that is not on Quebec or Northfield or off the highway, but they do notice the SF homes. They miss the 3 story office building with retail as they see another street of SF houses or townhomes in the distance. They miss the many 3-5 story apartments and condos, or even the many condo buildings that are often mistaken for large houses. They miss the live-work units. When I point out all the retail and commercial spots in Stapleton (which I have on this forum before), the majority of density and mixed-use lovers are surprised. Weird.

The beginning stages of the the Central Park TOD has started with Sprouts, a bank, and a few other retail components being constructed now...and a mixed use apartment/retail building planned to start in late 2020.

I'm not saying Stapleton is some urban paradise. It's not... but it is also NOT some suburban development with a wall of fences along collector streets...with parking lot oriented retail strips that folks have to walk 30 minutes through a maze of curved streets and cul-de-sacs to get to. I also think Stapleton doesn't get the respect for what it does have while it still has NOT been finished over 8 square miles of land...and when folks focus on the SF homes and the power retail centers that are on the arterial edges of Stapleton. That's not what I'm referring to when I talk about the mixed-uses and decent density throughout, and are definitely still to come in more than a few areas of Stapleton.

I agree, as a 15 year Stapleton resident. I walk to the Eastbridge town center and the Stanley, so something like 15 local restaurants, the grocery store, a rec center.... I'm pleased with how it's turned out so far.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by CONative

What? A Sprouts, bank, and a few other retail components are being built at Central Park station right now. One office/residential/mixed-use building is supposed to start in 2020.

I don't think that's a resounding amount of development given that Forest City (now Brookfield) has been working the TOD site for nearly a decade. They've been marketing the hell out of the area and just cannot get commercial office tenants to bite. Now compare that lack of success with Lone Tree's wins and that's my beef with the TOD in Stapleton.

Oh, and who do I have to knife to get a Costco out here?

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

I don't think that's a resounding amount of development given that Forest City (now Brookfield) has been working the TOD site for nearly a decade. They've been marketing the hell out of the area and just cannot get commercial office tenants to bite. Now compare that lack of success with Lone Tree's wins and that's my beef with the TOD in Stapleton.

Oh, and who do I have to knife to get a Costco out here?

And whatever happened to the proposal for the SE corner of MKL and CP Blvds? I remember some high density condos or apartments were proposed, neighbors screamed, then nothing happened.

That really pissed me off. You bought a new house next to a lot at a busy intersection with a sign that says, "High Density Development Coming" and then complain when it's proposed. But then people bitched about the Eastbridge town center, claiming "traffic"

[The Dirt]

People that move to Denver: "I bought a house in the middle of the largest city in a 500 mile radius. Why isn't my house the last thing to be built ever?! Waaaah!"

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Oh, and who do I have to knife to get a Costco out here?

Hell, I just want a dry cleaner north of 70...

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by jbssfelix

Hell, I just want a dry cleaner north of 70...

I heard we're getting another taco joint instead. That makes four in the area I believe.

[twister244]

I honestly can't remember if this is a proposed office building in RiNo that we have discussed already.... My apologies if it has already....

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/n...tml#g/463803/1

[SnyderBock]

Stapleton was master planned to eventually have 30,000 residents and 30,000 jobs. Last I heard from this forum, Stapleton is on pace now for a full build out of only 15,000 people and is falling well short of 10,000 jobs, not to mention 30,000 jobs. It's close to being a complete failure in the since that the entire master plan was for a new urbanist medium density, mix use community.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

Stapleton was master planned to eventually have 30,000 residents and 30,000 jobs. Last I heard from this forum, Stapleton is on pace now for a full build out of only 15,000 people and is falling well short of 10,000 jobs, not to mention 30,000 jobs. It's close to being a complete failure in the since that the entire master plan was for a new urbanist medium density, mix use community.

Yeah. No. The neighborhood has about 29,000 residents at last estimate and the last ~1,000 SFH/duplex/townhomes have still to break ground. This doesn't include a couple thousand more residential units slated for the TOD site, multi-family sites, and affordable housing sites throughout the neighborhood. Place is packed with wealthy folks with a sprinkling of affordable homes as well. Now if we can just get the auditorium and indoor pool for the high school....

Not sure about the job number, but it's certainly above 10,000.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

I heard we're getting another taco joint instead. That makes four in the area I believe.

Future Taco Bell up in Beeler Park to join:

1. Torchy's
2. Fuzzy's
3. Del Taco
4. Wahoo's Fish Taco
5. Qdoba
6. La Sandia
7. Costa Vida

And that's just Northfield. Throw in the rest of Stapleton and add:

1. Chipotle
2. Comida
3. Los Chingones

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Now if we can just get the auditorium and indoor pool for the high school....

Pay to build your own dang indoor pool, New Denver. Or make Aurora pay for it!

[Denver Dweller]

https://denverite.com/2019/11/18/den...2RqRmsojrYWF-s

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Pay to build your own dang indoor pool, New Denver. Or make Aurora pay for it!

Quiet, blue blood, as least we have more than SFH's on our streets and welcome developers with open arms. Isn't there a DCC gala for you to attend?

Rumor is that the master community association is looking at ways to fund it so that the community could use it too. Excluding the rest of Denver of course.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

The parking lot at 10th and Acoma is closed and concrete barriers are being placed. In addition, I saw some fencing and activity around 955 Bannock. Not sure if they are ready to demolish that building.

[CONative]

Whoops. See below...

[CONative]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Yeah. No. The neighborhood has about 29,000 residents at last estimate and the last ~1,000 SFH/duplex/townhomes have still to break ground. This doesn't include a couple thousand more residential units slated for the TOD site, multi-family sites, and affordable housing sites throughout the neighborhood. Place is packed with wealthy folks with a sprinkling of affordable homes as well. Now if we can just get the auditorium and indoor pool for the high school....

Not sure about the job number, but it's certainly above 10,000.

Yeah, my latest knowledge is that Stapleton is over 27,000 and counting. Should definitely be over the original estimate of 30,000 by full build-out...so that would exceed the "new-urbanism" expectation from the original plans.

As far as the developments in those large vacant parcels for multi-family (i.e. MLK and CPB), the developers need to come and fully commit, and the land isn't cheap...but the low-income slated spots also often gets subsidies. They will eventually, and they HAVE filled those multi-family (including low-income) spots in many of what was previously vacant parcels forever. A lot of building with SF and multi-family homes have been built in Stapleton over the years ...and pretty quickly. Give it time to fill in the holes.

The jobs and office/hotel/retail components still have a lot of land and potential as well. This is also still certainly not at build-out yet. Jobs are definitely over 10,000 -- maybe over 15,000. More to come for sure.