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The long-anticipated arrival of kidney-care company
DaVita Inc.
into the Denver market was confirmed with the official
announcement by the company of its plans to build its
offices downtown on a lot near the Millennium Bridge and
Denver Union Station that was purchased by the company
for $11 million. To begin construction in the coming
year, the 207,000 SF facility will open during the
second half of 2012. The company currently employs
roughly 200 persons n the Denver metro area.
The award of grants by the U.S. Department of
Transportation will benefit the 16th Street Mall
with 8 new shuttles. As part of an overall transit
improvement program totaling $293 million, the grants
total $5.2 million.
The 135,500 SF Quad at Lowry office building at 7901
East Lowry Boulevard in Denver has been purchased for
$22.7 million, or $167/SF. Kaiser Permanente expanded
its lease by 45,892 SF to bring their total leased space
at the building to 97,603 SF.
Glendale will be the home of a new King Soopers
grocery store in the fall of this year. To
total 78,100 SF at the SEC of Leetsdale Drive and South
Cherry Street, the redevelopment of the former Cub Foods
store will include an auto fuel facility on Leetsdale
Drive and 10,000 SF for the only liquor store in a King
Soopers statewide. The store is anticipated to benefit
the local economy with more than $500,000 in tax revenue
annually. The redevelopment was delayed since Cub Foods
closed in 2003 by a dispute between King Soopers and the
City of Glendale over zoning of the property.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that
the Denver Union Station project will
receive just over $300 million in federal loans through
an unprecedented and historic innovative financing
arrangement using the Department of Transportation's
(DOT) Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing
(RRIF) Program and the Transportation Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program. The project
is funded with a unique financing structure and for the
first time combines credit assistance from both
programs. The loans are being awarded to the Denver
Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA), a non-profit,
public benefit entity formed by the city in July 2008,
through a partnership with the Regional Transportation
District (RTD), City and County of Denver, Colorado
Department of Transportation, Denver Regional Council of
Governments and Denver Union Station Metropolitan
District.
Habitat for Humanity is nearing completion of
construction the Bails Townhome Community
at East Bails Place and South Bellaire Street adjacent
to I-25. The 24 "green" townhomes are being built for
sale at a cost of some $150,000/unit to low income
families using an Enterprise Community Partners Green
Communities Grant and zero interest mortgages. The
project is Habitat's first transit oriented development
anticipating construction of a pedestrian bridge across
I-25 to Colorado Center and its light rail station.
At the Cherry Creek Steering Committee, Bush Development
representative, Phil Workman updated on progress at the
southeast corner of First and Steel.
Bush continues the zoning process, raising money,
acquiring property, meeting with architects and
neighborhood groups. Workman also mentioned that they
are starting to have discussions with the Handler family
that owns several parcels of land at First and
Colorado, and First and Bayaud.
Trish Palamera of the Cherry Creek East Neighborhood
Association reports anticipating a zoning change request
as the Handler family investigates the possibility of
selling their holdings along the west side of Colorado
Boulevard at First Avenue and Bayaud Street. Michael
Henry reports that at a recent meeting of the Colorado
Boulevard Health District, Shea properties reported that
because of current economic conditions the proposed
redevelopment of the former CU Health Sciences
Center may not be economically feasible for
years, and that they will have to adopt a phased
approach to the closing of the campus and eventual
redevelopment.
Denver Community Planning and Development held a Public
Workshop with some 70 people at the JW Marriott Hotel to
obtain vision update of the Cherry Creek
Neighborhood Plan. Barbara Frommell, Chris
Gleissner and Cindy Patton encourage others to provide
input at an Online Visioning Exercise that should only
take you about 10 minutes to fill out. The survey and
the presentation from Public Workshop are posted at:
www.denvergov.org/cherrycreek
In case you missed it in Sunday's Denver Post, the
status of the Cherry Creek North retail
district is described at:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_15592166
and Penny Parker reports the potential demise of
Tamarac Square as a shopping center at:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_15592165
Denver Council Member Jeanne Robb reports that the proposal for
a hybrid plaza on Fillmore
Plaza between First and Second Avenues has
merit and "moves us close to a win-win situation for business
and neighborhoods in the Cherry Creek Area." The key design
elements:
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Special pavement treatment from building face to building
face, sidewalk and street.
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While ADA requirements prevent curblessness, this design
proposes 3/12" rolled curbs (regular curbs are 6")
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While businesses in Cherry Creek say that on-street parking,
high pedestrian traffic and visibility are the three factors
most important to their success, parking in this plan is
reduced from 22 spaces to 14, with only six on the north end.
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Additionally the north end, near Second Avenue, is designed to
feel more open, with trees but no planters and more space for
movable chairs and tables or for restaurant spill-out.
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Planters remain on the south end near First Avenue for lusher
landscaping.
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There is no parking with no curbs in the center of the plaza.
The center is also raised slightly, only 20' wide, and can
accommodate a semi-permanent high tent.
The key programming elements:
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An 11 member Event Advisory Group will be formed with 4
neighborhood reps, 6, merchant/business constituents, and CCN
BID staff
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The BID is installing $600,000 of event infrastructure on the
Plaza (sound, lighting, mechanical)
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The BID has committed to 35 days of closures and events -
including Sundays from May to September, 4
neighborhood/community days or evenings, 5 3rd party requests,
etc.
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The BID has committed to budgeting for events. This past
year their budget was $49,000. Parking revenue of
approximately $2000 per meter could also be allocated to
events. Revenue and closures will be noted in the BID's
annual operating plan and budget that must be approved by City
Council.
A small group of neighborhood leaders (representing the Cherry
Creek North Neighborhood, Country Club Historic Neighborhood,
Cherry Creek East Neighborhood and CHUN) and business district
leaders has been meeting since the conclusion of an extensive
round of public meetings in April and May. Robb reports near
consensus from those participants that this proposal is a good
one. CHUN rep Michael Henry said it's time to continue the
positive work of businesses and neighborhoods that has been the
hallmark of the Cherry Creek Steering Committee. The Cherry
Creek North Neighborhood Association remained uncertain, citing
continued concern about any parking on the plaza.
Robb says, "I am encouraged by this progress. I've asked that
the neighborhood reps talk with their boards and that the
business district talk with its board." Council will still
need to vote on the mechanism (either a street vacation or an
intergovernmental agreement to create this unique hybrid of a
plaza and a street.
Council Member Robb also reports that after five years of
meetings, working sessions, listening sessions, drafting and
mapping, Denver's New Zoning Code and Map were
unanimously approved by City Council. The City Council vote caps
one of the largest and most significant legislative processes in
Denver history - a process that engaged nearly 36,000
participants, including individual residents and neighborhood
organizations, business owners, development interests, the
historic preservation community and City Council. The New Code
fixes Denver's antiquated 53-year-old zoning code.
http://www.denvergov.com/cpd/Zoning/ZoningCodeMapWhatsMyZoning/tabid/432507/Default.aspx
Robb also reports that the new Denver Justice Center
has opened on the site of the old Rocky Mountain News
building. The new detention center was designed by the combined
team of Hartman Cox, Washington, D.C., Richie Green, New York
City and local architect OZ. The 438,000 SF Indiana limestone
exterior contains 1500 beds in 27 housing units for
pre-sentenced inmates as well as pre-arraignment and preliminary
hearing courtrooms, inmate video visitation, a full medical
facility, heat and serve food service and a laundry. The project
is tracking for LEED Silver certification. The Van Cise Simonet
Detention Center opened last month.
Across the plaza and connected by a tunnel is the Lindsey
Flanagan Courthouse. Designed by Klipp Architecture, the
building is wrapped in Alabama limestone with a curtain wall
façade on the east side, it contains 35 courtrooms, 6 shelled,
the Cisneros jury assembly room as well as space for the
District Attorney, City Attorney, Clerk of the Courts, Public
Defender, Probation Offices. This project is also tracking for
LEED Silver certification. This campus configuration
successfully addresses the issues regarding the daily
transporting of detainees as well as the separation of the
public, judiciary and detainees while adding an attractive new
civic space to the downtown area.
The Biennial of the Americas is a month-long
cultural celebration of innovation, imagination and artistic
achievement of the Western Hemisphere. Beginning this year, and
every even-numbered year to follow, the City of Denver will host
this event. Denver will welcome national and international
visitors for a cross-cultural experience bridging and unifying
the artistic, intellectual and political progress
of the hemisphere's 35 nations. Through the comprehensive
coordination of art exhibitions, cultural programming and
conversational roundtables, the Biennial of the Americas will
bring together established and emerging leaders in the the arts,
culture, sciences, politics, economics and
technology communities, facilitating the development of a
unified vision for the future of the Western Hemisphere. The
newly renovated McNichols Building, located in Civic Center, is
the Biennial's main stage and community gathering place. There
are Biennial events and exhibitions being held throughout the
city as well. For more information about this event, visit the
Biennial of the Americas website.
As a result of the Harrison Substation fire,
the starting date of some previously scheduled Xcel work has
been pushed up. Xcel is installing a new electrical feeder which
will give Xcel greater system reliability which will reduce
system interruptions for customers. Xcel anticipates the work
on Capitol Hill and the Golden Triangle to be completed by
August.
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