Today our Delgany Apartments Update is not a construction photo update from Ryan. That’s not a problem though, as he’s recently posted construction photos in updates #1 and #2 and he’ll continue to keep you updated in the coming months as the project moves forward. Instead, we just have a nice high-resolution rendering of the project’s final design, courtesy of Shears Adkins Rockmore architects, for your enjoyment (don’t forget to click/zoom to embiggen):

The importance of a project like this is, of course, the long-term city-building and densification qualities that it brings to our urban core. I think this is a pretty sharp-looking building. But regardless if you agree or not, it is important to keep the bigger picture in mind: we are repairing—project by project, parcel by parcel—our city’s urban fabric that was at one time complete, but was subsequently (partially) destroyed  due to decades of land speculation and prioritizing automobile parking over our city’s urban legacy.

The comments section of this blog is often a running commentary about the “look” of a particular building. I’m happy to provide a venue for that discussion. In fact, Denver needs more of that type of debate! However, I’d also like DenverInfill readers to remember that great cities are evolving organisms; that they are transformed over decades and centuries; and that a building is just one pixel in the panoramic image of the city. At this stage in the timeline of Denver’s urban core, we’re striving to achieve critical mass: enough people in public spaces to make them vibrant and activated; enough people on sidewalks to make them safer and more engaging; enough people in housing units to demand more and better retail; and enough people using public transportation to maximize the usage of our public rights-of-way. That critical mass is achieved through infill development and densification. That’s my focus, my passion, my objective in running the DenverInfill Blog: to promote the continuation of Denver’s 154-year journey as an exceptional city. Forward!