DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[bulldurhamer]

Originally Posted by twister244

Guys..... city councilmen have limits to what kind of rules they can enforce on developers. We have zoning laws to try to mitigate unruly development, etc. But.... you can't force a developer to choose a specific business for their project. If Sprouts sees there's demand for their products in that part of town and there's money to be made, then they are going to put a store there.

did you miss the part where the councilman is making this deal happen? the developer is taking our streets for their own. it's pretty safe to say that sprouts or whole foods or whoever absolutely does not have the ability to exist on this plot without approval.

180 super expensive apartments, 20 units saved for families making 49K, and a big white sprouts.
albus is certainly catering to his district. his gentrifying white big money neighbors taking over.

albus brooks should just go ahead and hold his next reelection meeting at the ink coffee shop if this big thing they're putting into historically minority dominated Cole does turn out to be high end white man's store.

[Ich]

Originally Posted by bulldurhamer

did you miss the part where the councilman is making this deal happen? the developer is taking our streets for their own. it's pretty safe to say that sprouts or whole foods or whoever absolutely does not have the ability to exist on this plot without approval.

180 super expensive apartments, 20 units saved for families making 49K, and a big white sprouts.
albus is certainly catering to his district. his gentrifying white big money neighbors taking over.

albus brooks should just go ahead and hold his next reelection meeting at the ink coffee shop if this big thing they're putting into historically minority dominated Cole does turn out to be high end white man's store.

I don’t understand the need to make it about race. Nor do I understand what you’d rather have happen here? That’s 20 more affordable homes than were there in the first place. They’ll get to live in a nice building and within walking distance to a grocery store and transit. Just because you are uncomfortable shopping in a “white” Whole Foods or Sprouts doesn’t make it a bad plan. It would be nice to hear opponents come up with VIABLE solutions rather than just complain about everything.

[Ich]

In other news. Looks like they are demolishing a building on 10th and Bannock st. Is this for the Lennar building?

[The Dirt]

Is that the office building that was fenced off for the last few months?

[Ich]

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Is that the office building that was fenced off for the last few months?

I’d assume so as it was an office building fenced off. Not over in that area much

They had construction equipment on site and covered sidewalks.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Ich

and covered sidewalks.

Now that's class.

Originally Posted by Ich

I don’t understand the need to make it about race.

I often get the opportunity (which I take advantage of) to chat with people with varying colors of skin. Don't recall talking about skin color; it's usually sports, their kids, etc.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Has the demolition actually started? They have had equipment on site for a while.

[Agent Orange]

Originally Posted by Ich

They had construction equipment on site and covered sidewalks.

Thought I had read that the city would require sidewalk access for construction projects beginning January this year, like you see in New York. I'm assuming projects already underway are exempt and can continue to make us cross the street. I can't find a source though; anyone know what I'm talking about?

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by RyanD

All y'all complaining about which new Moxy is better and how Denver's is SO ugly. Let me introduce you to this beaut I just walked by. It can be worse folks. 5 moderator points to who guesses the location.

You should read the history of the abandoned building at the end of the block in that photo you took....the, um, phallic looking one (Plaza Tower). It's a pretty wild story, a 45 story abandoned tower, in America!

https://www.nola.com/business/index....r_years_s.html

[ejwill04]

The 10th and Bannock building has a covered pedestrian walkway on bannock but not 10th.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by Ich

I’d assume so as it was an office building fenced off. Not over in that area much

They had construction equipment on site and covered sidewalks.

Lennar/Weitz will use the 10th & Bannock office building site for its laydown/construction staging area while building the 17 story tower along Acoma (between 9th & 10th).

If the Alta Sports Castle ends up getting built that will be two new high rises going up along 10th Ave in the Golden Triangle. Parq on Speer finishes up later this year and there is an 8 story office tower also planned for 10th & Bannock (West side of the street).

[DenvertoLA]

GT is really getting it. Does anyone have the number of new and under construction apartment units in RINO and GT? That would be an interesting comparison.

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Your New Orleans Moxy is about 5 years away from being considered a preservation-worthy example of classic Mid-Century Modern design.

For a second I thought the NO Moxy was the new Denver Downtown Staybridge

[DenvertoLA]

The Denver Business Journal put out a piece about the future of the Denver Preforming Arts complex, specifically about the Colorado Symphony becoming ambitions in its drive for a new concert hall.

It seems the City wants the new concert hall to be a component of the DPA's 'Next State plan', but the Colorado Symphony doesn't want to wait.

Here is an excerpt about the DPA's plan for redeveloping the complex

" Next Stage calls for selling the air rights above the complex to private developers that would build up to three high-rise towers for possible residential, retail and commercial uses. It includes new parking, a possible new concert hall and an outdoor performance space, but would leave the The Ellie Caulkins opera house, The Temple Buell Theatre and the Bonfils theater buildings alone."

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/n..._news_headline


Having spent a lot of time from middle school though high school taking classes at the DCPA, I'm excited to see this space activated with the city. It has the potential to become a mini district of itself. The complex also has a fair about of park land that is under used because there is no strong connection to the city.

[Curtis Park]

Originally Posted by bulldurhamer

the developer is taking our streets for their own.

I hesitate to debate since I tend to use facts and you appear to use opinion. However, the developer is not taking the street, they legally purchased it. They are also improving the streets, making them safer for pedestrians (white and black if you're concerned). The current layout is designed to get as many people through the neighborhood in cars. The new layout will slow traffic and make it better for people IN the neighborhood.

Originally Posted by bulldurhamer

albus brooks should just go ahead and hold his next reelection meeting at the ink coffee shop if this big thing they're putting into historically minority dominated Cole does turn out to be high end white man's store.

Construction of homes and grocery stores should not be decided based on the people who used to live in a community, rather those that live and will live there. The fact is that Cole is a predominately white neighborhood. And that has nothing to do with a grocery store. Economics, not race are what's driving this project.

You sound a lot like Lisa Calderon. We know what you hate, but tell us what you're for.

[Denvergotback]

No reason to argue with him, he apparently speaks for the entire neighborhood community and his neighbors seem to want absolutely nothing to do with new jobs, nicer affordable homes, improved streets. Its awful if you think about it, why would anyone want their neighborhood improved.

I suppose less fortunate neighborhoods aren't suppose to have improvements to their neighborhood. I mean why would they want it? It will add value to their personal equity and wealth, their homes that they bought as an investment would sore higher like a positive stock market- making the investment a success, give them more diversity in options of shopping within their neighborhood. Sounds pretty shi**y to me.

Lets all rally around and make sure everyone is fired for letting a sprouts come in, I mean, its only going to provided jobs for a neighborhood that could use it.

And to top it all off, they are even going to allow a project that will add an additional 20 more units of affordable housing in a brand new development!

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Denvergotback

I suppose less fortunate neighborhoods aren't suppose to have improvements to their neighborhood.

It isn't like gentrification isn't a legitimate issue.

But isn't that Feinstein's project? He's a solid community guy and supportive of diversity. His long-time partner has been a long-time supporter of the Gay community... just to make sure we cover all the bases.

But there is one thing that y'all are missing: the 'little picture' and it concerns me greatly. Has anybody heard whether they are setting aside any units for Little People. Trying living in a standard unit when you're only four feet tall.

[mr1138]

Just this morning, a statistic came up in a class of mine that I remember seeing last fall. A study from UCLA showed that many NIMBYs simply don't like development when they think about the developers making profit.

As a born and bred Boulderite, I consider myself to be pretty far on the left end of the political spectrum. But when I hear this kind of rhetoric coming from the anti-development crowd, I can't help but wonder what kind of cloud their head is in. I'm sure that developers occasionally net more profit than they need to, but short of opening their financial books, who are we to say whether 180 market-rate units is "too much"? Is the expectation that all real estate development in historically lower-income areas should be 100% non profit? That sounds ridiculous, but it's an honest question - a lot of people act as if this is how they feel (preaching to the choir a bit on this forum of course).

The last time I checked, grocery stores are complicated to accommodate and are not always the most profitable use of real estate. Considering that this developer is also adding 10% affordable units, I'd say they are going above and beyond what is required.

Now that said, we density advocates should probably also open our blinders just a LITTLE BIT. It is perfectly relevant to discuss race here, because this neighborhood was historically subject to racially based redlining. As a society, we DO have a responsibly to not simply brush this away and deny that fact. And gentrification is as much about the kinds of places where people gather - the loss of certain churches, schools, community centers, or even places as unassuming as a food bank - as it is about housing. It is about the loss of COMMUNITY.

But with that reality on the table, the question (in my mind) becomes about how this should be addressed. Should the city put forth money and effort as a government, or do we expect private developers to address all of these issues when developing? Or just let these historically segregated neighborhoods continue to stagnate? And back to my original point - do social justice advocates think that development should simply always be a non-profit endeavor? That all new housing should be social? That's a pretty extreme position to take, but if so, then that discussion needs to be had in the political sphere and outside of snarky comments on social media.

[Denvergotback]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

It isn't like gentrification isn't a legitimate issue.

But isn't that Feinstein's project? He's a solid community guy and supportive of diversity. His long-time partner has been a long-time supporter of the Gay community... just to make sure we cover all the bases.

But there is one thing that y'all are missing: the 'little picture' and it concerns me greatly. Has anybody heard whether they are setting aside any units for Little People. Trying living in a standard unit when you're only four feet tall.

I completely agree that gentrification is a legitimate issue, but the thing with this development is, is that it seems like the developer is trying to address the issues that come along with gentrifying. He is adding jobs to the local area that really need it, and hes adding affordable housing. Its not like the developer is saying "screw you" and trying to push people out. It seems like the developer is trying to help a struggling community.

[Curtis Park]

Originally Posted by Denvergotback

He is adding jobs to the local area that really need it, and hes adding affordable housing. Its not like the developer is saying "screw you" and trying to push people out. It seems like the developer is trying to help a struggling community.

Exactly. He can't stop it or fix the wrongs of others. But he's helping. And in this particular case he is building on a lot that used mostly for car storage, movement or repair. IMHO that's not a bad thing to get rid of in a city that is trying to become more dense. Another property, a home boys, is actually being given a new home in the neighborhood. Feinstein's family has been in the neighborhood for generations going back to the 19th century and he always tries to do right by the neighborhood.