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Denver Union Station Update #109

Posted by  on December 2, 2012

Today, for my 100th post on DenverInfill, I am going to update you on Denver’s most extraordinary project: Denver Union Station. As you know, the historic station is now closed and will be renovated over the next two years. But that’s not all the exciting news! Both wing buildings are under construction as well as the enormous, beautiful commuter rail canopy. Let’s take a look!

These two pictures give you an idea of how large this canopy is going to be. It’s only about 25% complete and will span all the way across the historic station.

The North (red crane) and South (yellow crane) wing buildings are fully under construction. As a refresher, these are 5-story buildings not to exceed the cornice line of the historic station.

When traveling north on Wynkoop Street, you can see both tower cranes up for the new wing buildings. It’s quite a sight seeing so much construction going on around Union Station.

Going down the 16th Street Mall towards the Millennium Bridge, both lanes are now open for the mall shuttles.

Over on Wewatta Street, you can see two things: Wewatta Street itself is nearing completion and the structure for the Wewatta Pavilion is in place. Cadence is also beginning to rise above the street as well!

Finally, some additional views of the entire redevelopment. Here you can see the sheer size of the commuter rail canopy. Cadence is also beginning to make a small presence. You can no longer see the north side of Union Station from Millennium Bridge!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the private-sector development planned for this neighborhood. With the station also closed for renovation and construction of the hotel, I am very excited to see what everything will look like in 2014 when the project is scheduled for completion.

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Filed under Hospitality, Infill, Office, Residential, Revitalization, Streets, Transit, Transit-Oriented, Union Station.
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Special Denver Union Station Gathering this Saturday!

Posted by  on November 28, 2012

Denver Union Station’s closure for its long-anticipated makeover is finally here. The station will close to the public after this weekend so that workers can begin the year-and-a-half process of restoring the structure to its former glory and adding new hotel, restaurant, and retail uses to the historic landmark. The “new” Denver Union Station will open, along with the rest of the transit infrastructure under construction nearby, in 2014.

To celebrate the station’s pending transformation and to take one last look at the inside of the “old” station, DenverInfill and Union Station Advocates will be hosting an informal gathering inside Union Station’s Great Hall, this Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 10:00 AM to Noon. This is not our usual DenverInfill walking tour, nor is it an open house per se. It’s just two hours this coming Saturday morning when anyone who’s a fan of Union Station can stop by and check out the Great Hall one last time before it closes for restoration.

Stop in and take a look at the various project renderings posted around the inside of the station. See the dramatic Commuter Rail canopy structure being erected immediately next to the station to the west. Snap a few pictures of what Union Station “used to” look like for posterity’s sake. I will be there, along with many of my fellow Union Station Advocates board members, hanging out to help answer any questions you may have about the project. And around 11:00 AM, Dana Crawford, our city’s most honored historic preservationist and Denver Union Station hotel developer, will say a few words about the upcoming restoration.

Remember, this Saturday morning is your final opportunity to see our beloved historic station before its “reveal” in 2014: the centennial of the 1914 Great Hall and the 133rd anniversary of the two historic wings.

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Filed under Events & Meetings, Historic Preservation, Revitalization, Union Station.
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1801 Arapahoe Revitalization Update

Posted by  on September 13, 2012

There have been a lot of questions about what’s going on at 18th and Arapahoe Streets. After doing a little bit of research this building has been gutted and turned into modern apartments. Originally known as ‘Skyline Park Apartments’, built in 1973 and used for senior housing, it has been renamed to ‘Skyline 1801′ for anybody to rent. Check out a before shot from the original DenverInfill site here.

There’s no boring paint job here. The use of pastel-like colors are very uncommon on this side of Downtown Denver but make the building stand out a lot more.

 

In addition to the paint job, railings have been installed in place of the old balcony barriers. This gives the building a much more open feeling from the outside as well as the inside.

 

With all the new infill happening around downtown, it is also very important to modernize and restore the older properties for a greater looking and functioning urban core.

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Filed under Central Downtown, Residential, Revitalization.
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Cesar Chavez Building Modernization Update #5

Posted by  on July 1, 2012

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Cesar Chavez modernization is going along very well and seems to be almost complete. The facade is pretty much complete and the final touches seem to be coming along on the front of the building. Let’s take a look!

This is looking at the project from the front. You can notice that it is a lot ‘glassier’ than the previous entrance and facade. On the right you can see a couple letters titling the building, but it appears they are being taken down. Perhaps there was a design change.

 

On the left is the competed parking garage. I like how there is a screen and even though it still looks like a parking garage, it’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye. On the right is another upper view of the awesome solar panel structure on top of the garage.

 

I am glad this building is no longer a green eyesore in the community. It’s very pleasant to look at and many people I have spoken with think it’s a brand new development.

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Filed under Golden Triangle, Government & Civic, Revitalization.
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1099 Osage Update #5

Posted by  on January 16, 2012

This may be one of the final updates on this project as it is almost complete. We will take a more detailed look at the building in this update to give you more of an all around view. This is the first project that kicked off the South Lincoln Redevelopment and there are more projects to come in this area.

First off, we will be looking at the front from Osage Street. This building has great street presence and is the tallest in the surrounding area. Given the master plan of the project, more buildings of this scale will add a great urban density feel to the area. The facade also catches the eye as each floor doesn’t line up with the other. It adds a neat effect when looking at it.

 

Looking closer at the building itself, you have a great glass wall at the entrance and some very colorful, ‘urban’ art that crawls up the entire length of the building. This is something I didn’t expect when I went to take pictures. It really makes this building stand out even more, in a positive way.

 

Now to the back of the building. On the left, you’ll see that the artwork continues. This was taken as far back as possible; from the 10th and Osage lightrail station. Nevertheless, I found a way to get to the back so we can take a better look. On the right you see the building in the background of the train tracks. This is clearly dominating the area even being only 8-stories.

 

The back looks a lot like the front. I was able to get a closeup of the art on the back which, in contrast, is very different from the front. As it still catches the eye, it is a lot harder to see because of the tracks behind the building and the limited accessibility to get behind the building.

 

As the South Lincoln Redevelopment continues, I share with you this last picture which I took to show you the density of the area around 1099 Osage. For now it is only one 8-story building but there will be much more going in around it which is very exciting for this downtown neighborhood. On a side note, those slanted rectangles on the top are solar panels which is a huge win for any new development.

 

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Filed under Infill, La Alma Lincoln Park, Residential, Revitalization.
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Cesar Chavez Building Modernization Update #4

Posted by  on November 4, 2011

The rehabilitation of the Cesar Chavez building in the Golden Triangle district is at a unique point where you can see the before and after all in one shot. The new facade is on the North elevation yet the East elevation has yet to be stripped down and the old facade is still in place.

First a couple pictures of the new, much more modern facade.

 

There is quite the difference between the East elevation (left) and the North elevation (right). The new modern look makes this building stand out.

I leave you with this bonus shot. They were working on the solar panel structure on the roof of the parking garage. Another excellent addition to this project.

Hopefully if the weather holds this weekend we will be looking at a few more projects that haven’t had an update for a while.

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Filed under Golden Triangle, Office, Revitalization.
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