COLORADO | Front Range Development Thread #2

[Denver Dweller]

http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-...rticle/1579000

[TakeFive]

Lakewood


Image credit Silver Leaf Apartments

Belmar’s new senior facility taking shape
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 by Clarke Reader - Lakewood Sentinel

From the massive dirt mounds to the concrete foundation to the skeletons of structure, the Village at Belmar senior living facility is rising out of the the once vacant nine-acre site across from Belmar and Lakewood City Commons.

Photo courtesy Lakewood Sentinel/CLARKE READER

“Because it’s a you-can’t-miss-it construction project near one of the metro area’s busiest intersections, we get calls and emails about the project on an almost daily basis,” Nanette Neelan, Lakewood’s economic development director and deputy city manager, wrote in an email interview. “Of course, the three-story building on Alameda attracts a lot of peoples’ attention.”

More affordable housing coming to Lakewood
June 1, 2016 by Clarke Reader - Lakewood Sentinel

New housing project also helps with revitalization of Alameda

Metro West Housing Solutions continues its efforts to improve affordable housing options in Lakewood with its latest project, Fifty Eight Hundred.

The project will be located at the former Martischang property at 5800 W. Alameda Ave. and will build 54 family apartments at the already existing tower and 98 more in a separate four-story building.

..

Courtesy image: An artist’s rendering of the courtyard at Fifty Eight Hundred, a new housing project from Metro West Housing Solutions via Lakewood Sentinel.

[TakeFive]

Image courtesy of Marriott/Gaylord Hotels

"Before it’s built, Gaylord in Aurora ready for reservations"
August 10, 2016 By Brandon Johansson - Aurora Sentinel/Biz

AURORA | The Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center is still two years away from opening, but that hasn’t stopped guests from booking stays at the swank Aurora hotel well in advance of their visits.

Already, the hotel has booked more than 150,000 guest nights, according to Gaylord officials, a figure that tops similar yet-to-be-built projects in Houston and Chicago.

And where is this business coming from (some downtown interests are nervous)?

And of the conferences and businesses booking space at Gaylord, company officials say 88 percent have never visited Colorado for a conference in the past.

Mike Wainwright, vice president of sales for Marriott Americas and Gaylord Hotels, said the company has close to about 2 million potential customers “in the funnel” who they have reached out to about staying at the new Aurora hotel when it opens.

About two thirds of the customers booked so far are part of a Gaylord “rotation,” according to the company, meaning they stay at a different Gaylord property for annual conventions.

Image courtesy of Gaylord Rockies

What do you project for a visitor mix?

The company expects about 75 percent of the business at Gaylord Rockies will be conference and convention business, while the rest will be business travelers and locals.

Stengel said the company has high hopes for that local piece of the business, especially among customers along the Front Range.

“We believe this is an enormous staycation location,” he said.

"Staycation" is a term I see a lot in Phoenix as the many resort hotels appeal to locals to stay and vacation locally especially during their off-season which is families summer vacation time. Denver metro really needed a contemporary, competitive resort hotel.

[mojiferous]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

And where is this business coming from (some downtown interests are nervous)?

If anyone should be nervous, it's anyone concerned about repeat visits from people staying at the Gaylord - since the hotel is out in the literal middle of nowhere, far from shopping, sights, or cultural institutions, people staying there are going to get a really terrible vision of Denver & Colorado. Even getting to the mountains will be painful, since they'll be forced into an hour of traffic and construction, passing by all the interesting things they could have stayed closer to...

Originally Posted by TakeFive

"Staycation" is a term I see a lot in Phoenix as the many resort hotels appeal to locals to stay and vacation locally especially during their off-season which is families summer vacation time. Denver metro really needed a contemporary, competitive resort hotel.

Did we? I would bet people are willing to staycation at any old resort in Phoenix because it isn't really fun to be outside during the summer. It doesn't matter if it's surrounded by parking or natural beauty if all the perks you want are contained within an air-conditioned environment anyway... But here? Why would locals choose C-470 and Peña over anywhere in the mountains?

I think Gaylord is used to putting up hotels in places where people are willing to stay in a nice-ish hotel for the amenities and not in places where the location itself is the amenity. It's almost as if they did minimal local research and based their decision to build solely on what city offered them incentives

I'm sure the hotel will do fine, but I really doubt it's going to make the huge dent in the local market they keep on threatening.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by mojiferous

If anyone should be nervous, it's anyone concerned about repeat visits from people staying at the Gaylord - since the hotel is out in the literal middle of nowhere, far from shopping, sights, or cultural institutions, people staying there are going to get a really terrible vision of Denver & Colorado. Even getting to the mountains will be painful, since they'll be forced into an hour of traffic and construction, passing by all the interesting things they could have stayed closer to...

It may be counterintuitive but virtually all Gaylord Hotels are way off the beaten track, at least when they're built. They're a destination resort unto themselves. Not so much in Colorado but the resort hotel business is Huge and still growing. New resort hotels keep adding more and nicer amenities and features.

As for shopping for Gaylord Rockies guests there will be a couple of options if they want to get out. First DIA is planning on turning the Great Hall of the terminal into a “a stunning new plaza” and “world-class shopping.” The second option will be to hop on the A Line train to downtown.

Lastly, if they want to visit Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park after their conference they can just hop on E-470.

Originally Posted by mojiferous

Did we? I would bet people are willing to staycation at any old resort in Phoenix because it isn't really fun to be outside during the summer. It doesn't matter if it's surrounded by parking or natural beauty if all the perks you want are contained within an air-conditioned environment anyway... But here? Why would locals choose C-470 and Peña over anywhere in the mountains?

I'm sure the hotel will do fine, but I really doubt it's going to make the huge dent in the local market they keep on threatening.

If Gaylord anticipates conference and convention business to make up 75 percent of their business and travelers maybe what, 10-15 percent, then they only need 10-15 percent to come from staycations. I have no idea how much staycation business is being generated or might be here; I only know it's a newer concept that's being heavily promoted.

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/20...-architecture/

[Cirrus]

Gaylord hotels usually have a lot of fun stuff attached to them. They're almost like theme parks. When locals staycation they're not usually sleeping in the hotel rooms; they're just day-tripping to the theme park parts and then driving home to sleep. And a lot of people get married or have other similar big parties there.

Here's the inside of the original Gaylord, the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. It's a totally enclosed fake riverwalk.


from jason like via flickr


from gingerlh via flickr


from codyrnt1 via flickr

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/20...-architecture/

Fitting that the Air Force Academy would spend tens of millions on an architectural masterpiece that will only be highlighted the times that some dumbass cadet rapes another cadet.

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-b...fordable-house

[Cirrus]

Leave it to Boulder to try and address their housing affordability crisis by making commercial development practically impossible. Ugh.

[TakeFive]

More apartment doors


Rendering provided by The Opus Group via The Denver Post

Rendering provided by the Opus Group via 9News Colorado

"Opus begins construction on first project at Centennial's Jones District"
Aug 17, 2016 by Molly Armbrister - Denver Business Journal

The Opus Group... broke ground today on The Glenn, a 306-unit apartment complex that is the first building in The Jones District, a 42-are master-planed development in Centennial.

"We're thrilled to share our plans and kick off work for the first of many projects at The Jones District," said Peter Coakley, senior vice president and general manager at Opus Development Co. "The Glenn is a prime example of what's in store for this community with spectacular mountain views, upscale amenities and convenient access to public transit - it's a terrific project to start the 1.8 million square feet of development to come."

I can remember Glen Jones and this site which was picked for its high ground originally for Jones Cable. It's on the west side of I-25 near Dry Creek Road in Arapahoe County

[pregersthehobo]

My apologies if this has already been discussed but, I was wondering if anyone knows what is going up next to the soccer stadium complex in Commerce City. Last time I was out there in June there was a substantial amount of dirt being moved around just to the east, adjacent to the fields. I know it isn't Gaylord as that is closer to the airport.

Any knowledge is greatly appreciated!

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by pregersthehobo

My apologies if this has already been discussed but, I was wondering if anyone knows what is going up next to the soccer stadium complex in Commerce City. Last time I was out there in June there was a substantial amount of dirt being moved around just to the east, adjacent to the fields. I know it isn't Gaylord as that is closer to the airport.

Any knowledge is greatly appreciated!

The last major phase of Stapleton (Northfield).

[The Dirt]

Those unnecessarily wavy roads are like nails on a chalkboard.

EDIT: Oh and when I said that Stapleton is way over-parked, I was talking about the already built stuff. That northeast section is 3x worse.

[Agent Orange]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

The last major phase of Stapleton (Northfield).

Oh good, more parkland and open space.

[PLANSIT]

I'm not sure what the fuss is about. This has been the plan for over 20 years. As Cirrus has stated, implementation/planning of Stapleton was probably 10 years too soon.

Stapleton Develpment Plan (1995)

[Agent Orange]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

I'm not sure what the fuss is about. This has been the plan for over 20 years. As Cirrus has stated, implementation/planning of Stapleton was probably 10 years too soon.

Stapleton Develpment Plan (1995)

I hadn't looked at the master plan recently, thanks for the link.

Given that the masterplan was published while TLC's "Creep" was at the top of the charts and Friends' Season One was airing on NBC, I would have hoped there may have been time for an update to the plan for Northfield. Especially given the success of the south-of-70 portion of Stapleton, and also the massive shift in consumer preferences toward denser, walkable communities. Instead, IMO this final section of Northfield is far more egregious than what preceded it, and it's all the more redundant given its proximity to the Arsenal.

But you're right, I'm just bitching, not adding anything substantial. Carry on.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

Oh good, more parkland and open space.

It's okay. We don't want your kind over here- a SINK. Stapleton is for DINKs and DIWKs. 😉

Seriously, there's way too much park average in Stapleton and the grid on the south side is pathetic. There's more through connections on the wavy-ass north side versus the right-angle south. It's boggling.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

I hadn't looked at the master plan recently, thanks for the link.

Given that the masterplan was published while TLC's "Creep" was at the top of the charts and Friends' Season One was airing on NBC, I would have hoped there may have been time for an update to the plan for Northfield. Especially given the success of the south-of-70 portion of Stapleton, and also the massive shift in consumer preferences toward denser, walkable communities. Instead, this final section of Northfield is far more egregious than what preceded it, and it's all the more redundant (IMO) given its proximity to the Arsenal.

But you're right, I'm just bitching, not adding anything substantial. Carry on.

I wonder if the larger portion of trunk open space on the north side has anything to do with regional flood control. Thus far the majority of the open space that's gone in is designed as detention ponds first and parkland second.

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

I hadn't looked at the master plan recently, thanks for the link.

Given that the masterplan was published while TLC's "Creep" was at the top of the charts and Friends' Season One was airing on NBC, I would have hoped there may have been time for an update to the plan for Northfield. Especially given the success of the south-of-70 portion of Stapleton, and also the massive shift in consumer preferences toward denser, walkable communities. Instead, IMO this final section of Northfield is far more egregious than what preceded it, and it's all the more redundant given its proximity to the Arsenal.

But you're right, I'm just bitching, not adding anything substantial. Carry on.

I don't mind bitching.

I do think that the original master plan should have been reimagined after most of the south section was coming to completion. There were a lot of lessons learned there that could have been applied to the north.