DENVER | Main Development Thread #7

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by laniroj

AHAHAHA - and us Denverites think we are getting land barges?! Holy crap!

Borg cube?

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Oh my Stapleton; you've sinned again

https://denverite.com/2019/11/21/a-n...r-east-denver/



I don't subscribe to the conservative talking points about "assimilating" and being able to speak English fluently for first generation immigrants. But most immigrant communities have offspring meaning most households have bilingual kids capable of interpreting things.

Let's see if we can complicate things even more.

Now square that with this statement.

This sounds like anti-gentrification, anti-development aside from more low income housing.

Perhaps (in my best Elizabeth Warren voice) there should be a 25% property tax surcharge for people living in Stapleton so we can keep taxes low for the East Colfax crowd but provide more housing for the poor immigrants. These immigrants may be happy as a lark but some white people believe it's not good enough and the residents of Stapleton should pay up.


I have zero problem with diversity; in fact I totally enjoy it. If the city wants to promote through zoning protection an area for immigrants that's fine. The diversity is likely more interesting than a bunch of shiny new mid-rise apartments anyway.

Pick your poison.

I find the Staple-hate amusing, since I live there. And my household primarily consists of brown people who are happily existing in Stapleton.

I drive through E. Colfax regularly and have seen more murder scenes than I can remember, drug deals going down, men peeing in the street, crack ho's fighting, druggies staggering around. Yeah, that's better than trying to clean it up.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by COtoOC

I find the Staple-hate amusing, since I live there. And my household primarily consists of brown people who are happily existing in Stapleton.

I drive through E. Colfax regularly and have seen more murder scenes than I can remember, drug deals going down, men peeing in the street, crack ho's fighting, druggies staggering around. Yeah, that's better than trying to clean it up.

Stapleton has a pretty big mix of housing diversity. Some areas are decently diverse, some are whiter than the snow that's falling outside right now. A lot of it does correlate with the housing density and associated housing costs. Up here in Beeler Park, where there's very few subsidized townhomes and 0 apartments so far, and the general cost of housing is somewhat higher, it's pretty damn bland.

[DenvertoLA]

Looks like that 'love this city' apartment tower is dead already.

"In June, Eisenstein made headlines for his proposal to construct a unique 40-story, 1,300-unit apartment tower he described as a “kaleidoscope in the sky.” He was under contract for a parking lot at 1901 Arapahoe St. for that project but isn't any longer, saying the lot owner, Paradise Investments, wanted too much for the site. He still wants to pursue that project somewhere in the city, he said."

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

[Robert.hampton]

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

Looks like that 'love this city' apartment tower is dead already.

"In June, Eisenstein made headlines for his proposal to construct a unique 40-story, 1,300-unit apartment tower he described as a “kaleidoscope in the sky.” He was under contract for a parking lot at 1901 Arapahoe St. for that project but isn't any longer, saying the lot owner, Paradise Investments, wanted too much for the site. He still wants to pursue that project somewhere in the city, he said."

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

Oh no, another Buzz Geller property under contract falls through. NEVER saw this coming.

[iNfill]

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Oh no, another Buzz Geller property under contract falls through. NEVER saw this coming.

This guy really sucks.

He has the lot valued at $27.5M. I'm not an expert on real estate, but that seems extremely high. Especially since his lot on 17th, which doesn't have a height limit, sold for $10M less...and this guy use to preach about affordable living.

I bet they could get the greyhound station for less.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Looks like the River Mile is looking to break ground in the next 18 months.

https://www.9news.com/mobile/article...c-0180f189c87c

[coolmandan03]

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

Looks like the River Mile is looking to break ground in the next 8 months.

I think you mean 18 months.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Originally Posted by coolmandan03

I think you mean 18 months.

Thanks! Typo

[twister244]

Originally Posted by coolmandan03

I think you mean 18 months.

I would assume "break ground" probably means more on the infrastructure side of things. The article mentions dredging the river, and there will be other improvements that need to be made first to accommodate any new towers that actually get built. Makes sense. I wonder if that kind of work can occur regardless of macro economic conditions, assuming some kind of recession ensues in the next year or two.

Either way, I am super excited about this project. It's definitely a place I could see myself living in someday if I am still in Denver when the first condo tower completes

[TakeFive]

Nice to see much needed urban density coming along


Credit: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Need all the help we can find to finish on time.


Thanks Deke

By the end of 2020?


Credit: Workshop8

[BG918]

Originally Posted by twister244

I would assume "break ground" probably means more on the infrastructure side of things. The article mentions dredging the river, and there will be other improvements that need to be made first to accommodate any new towers that actually get built. Makes sense. I wonder if that kind of work can occur regardless of macro economic conditions, assuming some kind of recession ensues in the next year or two.

Either way, I am super excited about this project. It's definitely a place I could see myself living in someday if I am still in Denver when the first condo tower completes

I saw a presentation about this project. You are correct there is a LOT of infrastructure/enabling work that has to be done before they actually build anything. Dredging the river and lowering it by as much as 8 ft is no simple task and involves close coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. Not sure how this affects the dam/whitewater flume by Confluence Park.

[TakeFive]

Bespoke Uptown goes from topless to topped off


Photo courtesy Southern Land Co via Mile High CRE

https://milehighcre.com/residential-...nver-tops-out/

November 1, Southern Land Company (SLC), a national real estate developer of award-winning mixed-use developments and master planned communities, held a Topping Off celebration for its new residential development in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood. Bespoke Uptown, located at 17th Avenue and Pearl Street, will feature 316 apartments and more than 10,000 square feet of restaurant space. Leasing is scheduled to begin next spring, with the first apartments due to open in the summer of 2020.

How novel.

and a resident-only parking garage.

Props and fond memories.

Southern Land Company worked with Historic Denver to preserve two historic early-20th-century commercial structures that anchor the development on 17th Avenue. Maintaining these structures lends pedestrian scale to the project on 17th Avenue.

“We are grateful to Southern Land for working with our organization and the community to find a way to save these buildings, which are well over 100 years old,” said Annie Levinsky, Executive Director of Historic Denver Inc. “Southern Land was incredibly responsive from the first call we made to express concern about the historic buildings, and clearly recognized that a project that respected and honored its context would be more successful in the long run.”

[TakeFive]

Courtesy of Bryan Construction

Bryan Construction Completes All Copy Products’ Headquarters in Denver
November 19, 2019

Bryan Construction, Inc. (BCI) recently completed construction of All Copy Products‘ new Denver headquarters. All Copy Products is a top office solutions provider that offers office technology services from copiers, document management & managed IT Services. Bryan Construction was contracted as the design-builder to construct the 136,877-square-foot, 5-story building at 1635 W. 13th Ave., in Denver’s Lincoln Park.

No need for window coverings? Does this mean I could stand naked in front of the windows?

The All Copy Products headquarters is one of the first buildings in Denver to use electrochromic glazing. Electrochromic glass removes the need for interior window coverings by tinting the window based on the time of day and sun exposure.

C'mon over Metro State University.

The on-site Bryan Construction team at the project also enjoyed using the building as a learning opportunity for the Civil Engineering Technology students from Metro State University’s nearby Auraria Campus. The team toured with the students and taught them about the post-tension cabling being used in the parking structure and the importance of proper installation.

And when it's time to party...

The 5th floor boasts an entertaining kitchen, which overlooks Mile High Stadium, for daily use and special events.

[TakeFive]

Off-topic Suburban-urban synergies and mixed-use

I happen to notice that Vestar Development bought Bowles Crossing in 2016. Vestar specializes in what's called either "open air" or lifestyle shopping centers or lifestyle centers which are mixed-use areas but often separated into specific uses. Examples in Denver would include the redeveloped Belmar or Streets of Southglenn.

Vestar's crown jewel is Desert Ridge Marketplace in NE Phoenix. To the immediate west is medical, office and smaller hotels. To the immediate north are apartments and condos. To the north of these lies the 950-room JW Marriott Resort-Hotel which does a ton of conference business. This area is a hot spot for ride-share. To the east is 100 acres of vacant land which spent 5 years in bankruptcy following the recession. In January it was bought by Crown Realty & Development out of Irvine CA and best known for developing Century City. A true mixed-use development is now under construction.

I also see where Allied Res will build Broadstone apartments at Bowles Crossing which is not surprising given their offices are in the same building as Vestar. It's one example of a nice urban/suburban office investment in an area very comparable to Cherry Creek.

[TakeFive]

QUICK: Somebody wake-up The Dirt

https://businessden.com/2019/11/25/d...loses-on-land/

The residential units would be in two narrow towers, which would extend an additional 18 stories above the podium. The goal is for 80 percent of the units in the building to list for no more than $565,000.

And they now own the land - which is a good place to start and promising.

The new development firm planning a 23-story condo project in Arapahoe Square has closed on the land. Denver-based Ubuntu Partners purchased 838 Park Avenue West and 2250 Champa St. on Friday for $5.53 million, according to Newmark Knight Frank, which represented the sellers.

Originally Posted by Robert.hampton

Oh no, another Buzz Geller property under contract falls through. NEVER saw this coming.

Dude... this one never had a chance from the get-go. Either Buzz was reserving a future deposit forfeiture or he was giving a friendly 6-month free look to enable a nascent developer to create some buzz for himself. There was never anything to see here; there was no there, there.

[SirLucasTheGreat]

Arapahoe Square is heating up. Can anyone provide any examples of successful developments attached to Buzz's name?

[twister244]

With regards to the "Evolve Towers", I like this part from the article:

"The residential units would be in two narrow towers, which would extend an additional 18 stories above the podium. The goal is for 80 percent of the units in the building to list for no more than $565,000."

Granted, $565k is still a ton for a condo, if 80% of the building is below this price, that's actually not bad considering how nice some of the renderings look. It's much better than the McGregor Square condos which start around $500k for a piddly studio.....

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by SirLucasTheGreat

Arapahoe Square is heating up. Can anyone provide any examples of successful developments attached to Buzz's name?

As wong likes to repeat, Buzz has never developed anything because he's not a developer; he's a land banker.

One of Buzz'a sites has now been sold but if and what the new owner, Harbinger Development, succeeds in building is tbd.

My hunch is that this site on Santa Fe has a reasonable good chance.

I'm reminded I forgot to mention I enjoyed your drive-by photos. That Element Hotel looks fine - given I didn't have high expectations to begin with. And as EngiNerd pointed out the high cost of the Art Museum Entrance - it was worth every penny.

[laniroj]

Originally Posted by iNfill

This guy really sucks.

He has the lot valued at $27.5M. I'm not an expert on real estate, but that seems extremely high. Especially since his lot on 17th, which doesn't have a height limit, sold for $10M less...and this guy use to preach about affordable living.

I bet they could get the greyhound station for less.

$27.5mm for a site with that density isn't crazy. On 1,300 units, that's only $21k per unit, super cheap for downtown Denver. The problem in this instance wasn't Buzz Geller, it was a joke of a developer (not because they can't develop, but because not just anybody can build skyscrapers). Townhome entitlements in Louisville are just a tad different than wind sheer, vortex, and pressurized building systems for high rises. Comical that dude thought he could build a skyscraper. Comical Buzz gave him a contract.