In our first post on the proposed redevelopment of the two parking lots along Cherry Creek between Larimer and Market where tiny “Bell Park” is located, Denver-based Paradise Land Company and international developer Hines were exploring a hotel/residential concept featuring two buildings with a narrow connecting structure spanning across the creek. The project team worked closely with city planning staff to see how that concept might fit with existing zoning and LoDo development standards. The consensus was that an even better design for connecting the two sides of the site would be to have a pedestrian plaza, not the building, span the creek. Consequently, the project team has come up with an exciting new design concept for the site.

The possible uses for the site are also still being evaluated, given the new configuration. While hotel and/or residential uses are still a possibility, office uses are also under consideration. Fortunately, the location works well for any of these uses, so the ultimate mix has yet to be determined. Thus, we’ve changed our name for this project to the more general “Bell Park Mixed-Use” until the developers have finalized their plans.

Thanks to Buzz Geller and the rest of the project team, we are pleased to share the latest renderings of their new concept for the Bell Park site. As before, these are preliminary designs subject to change and further refinement, particularly once the specific use or uses for each building have been determined.

Left: Bird’s-eye view looking northwest. Center: Ground-floor site plan. Right: Street-level view from 14th and Larimer. Renderings are courtesy of HOK.

Thank you again to the project team for sharing their design concepts with DenverInfill as they continue their work to transform a very high-profile LoDo site from surface parking to an exceptional addition to Downtown’s urban fabric.