CONNECT
More construction update photos coming over the next couple of weeks.
The design by Denver-based JG Johnson Architects has been evolving over the past several months, but here’s the latest rendering for part of the project: the E. 19th Avenue (north side) elevation:
Many thanks to the folks at JG Johnson for sending me the above image. As we get closer to the start of construction, I hope to be able to share with you additional images of the project.
Back in November 2006, I blogged about a new hotel proposed by Barrons Development for the corner of 18th and Sherman on Block 034-B. The project, now being developed by Sherman Properties, is slated to be residential. The developers are seeking a variance from the City Park view plane to allow the project to penetrate the view plane height restriction by approximately 90 feet. For the whole story, here’s an article, 18th & Sherman Developers Seek View-Plane Variance, by Vanessa Martin of Life on Capitol Hill (which is now available online!). Here’s a slightly larger version of the image from the article (courtesy of Cahen Architectural Group) showing the conceptual view plane variance:
Personally, I am in favor of the requested view plane variance. I certainly would be if I lived in the Portofino! Anyway, while I am generally in favor of view planes, I think this one from City Park need to be rethought. If a new building that would violate the City Park view plane height limit, such as the proposed 18th & Sherman project, does not block any view of the mountains but blocks, instead, only the view of taller buildings behind it, then I think it should not be considered to be a violation of the view plane.
The argument used in support of enforcing the City Park mountain view plane for a building that would block only a taller building behind it is that if, someday, those taller buildings to the west, like Republic Plaza or the Qwest tower, were removed, then the shorter buildings that were exempted from the view plane would then block the views of the mountains. While that may be true, I think we’ve got bigger things to worry about than mountain views if our Downtown skyline’s tallest buildings are going away and not being replaced. Besides, if you extend that logic, we should ultimately eliminate the entire Downtown skyline so that none of the view of the mountains is blocked from City Park.
To me, it is the view of the skyline (with a mountain backdrop) that makes the City Park view so special. The growth and evolution of our Downtown skyline should not be held hostage to a mountain view restriction from one particular site, when there are dozens of places all around the city where one can get an unobstructed view of the mountains. We must allow our Downtown skyline (and the view of it from City Park) to evolve over time, including every so often the construction of a “new tallest” that would perhaps block a bit more of the view of the mountains from City Park, but make our Downtown more dense, engaging, and dynamic as the premier urban center in the Rocky Mountain West.
The project will consist of 325 rental apartments, structured parking, and 10,000 SF of ground-floor retail on the two blocks on both sides of E. 19th Avenue between Ogden and Emerson. The 3.64-acre site was zoned “H-2″ (hospital) until this past week’s City Council meeting, at which Council approved a rezoning of the site to “R-4X.”
Here’s an aerial photo showing the project’s location on the two blocks:
All of the structures inside the site boundary will be razed. In fact, demolition is already underway on some of the structures on the northern block. Demolition of the small building on the southern block is planned for March. The two small triangles on the southern block excluded from the development are owned by the City and County of Denver and are designated as Park Avenue green space. As part of the development agreement, the developer will install an underground irrigation system on the two triangular plots, landscape them, and maintain them on behalf of the city.
The development program for the site includes several buildings ranging from 3 to 5 stories in height. The proposed architectural design of the project will complement the historic buildings of the adjacent San Rafael Historic District. The project’s retail component will face E. 19th Avenue to extend the existing neighborhood-scale retail found along E. 19th Avenue to the west in the Uptown Square project.
Construction should get underway later in 2008.
A new infill project is proposed for the Uptown district: Fluent Lofts. The development will occur on the east side of Clarkson just south of E. 18th Avenue. At this point in time, I don’t know the number of units, but from the rendering below, the structure looks to be four floors on top of a partial subgrade parking deck. The project is being developed by Residential Niche. Here’s a rendering of Fluent Lofts from their website:
Thanks to Dan W., here are a couple of site photos:
Residential Niche is also doing a couple of renovation/conversion projects, including the conversion of an office building at 770 Grant into the Sleek Lofts and converting an old industrial property at 34th and Brighton Boulevard into the Iron Lofts.
Fluent Lofts has already been added to the Uptown district page.
Also, the Emerson Uptown Lofts project at 17th and Emerson is now finished. Here’s a final picture of the project:
Thank you to Vicki and Nathan for the above photos.
Finally, I’ve just uploaded the new Uptown page too.
