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Denver Justice Center Public Art

Posted by Ken on March 8, 2010

Construction is nearly finished at the new Denver Justice Center. The Detention Facility is supposed to open in April, and the Courthouse in July. Thanks to Vicki H. for the tip, here’s a link to a video slideshow tour from inside those new buildings. From within the video, I captured this rendering of Dennis Oppenheim’s Light Chamber, the major piece of public art that will be located in the Center’s broad public plaza (click for full size):

2010-03-08_djc_art

According to the DJC project website, Light Chamber will be installed this summer at the north end of the plaza at Colfax and Tremont.  That looks pretty cool to me, and with appropriate lighting, should be quite dramatic at night. Light Chamber, with the impressive glass wall of the Courthouse behind it, will be directly in the line of view down Tremont Place where it terminates at Colfax. Nice.

Filed under Civic Center, Government & Civic, Public Spaces.
7 Comments

Colorado Justice Center Design

Posted by Ken on February 2, 2010

This morning’s Denver Post has an article about the design of the state’s new justice center, to be officially called the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Complex. Click here for a PDF of the article.

The project will occupy the entire block bounded by 14th, Broadway, 13th, and Lincoln and contain two buildings linked together: a 4-story, 150,000 sf courthouse for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and a 12-story, 450,000 sf office tower for the Department of Law including the State Attorney General’s office. The project will seek LEED-Gold certification.

Here’s the photograph from the Post article of a model of the new complex (photo by Jason Knowles, Fentress Architects):

Photograph of model of new Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Complex

The courthouse will include a 4-story glass-walled atrium and rotunda at 14th and Lincoln facing the State Capitol. Demolition of the existing Judicial Building and Colorado History Museum is scheduled for May, with construction beginning on the new judicial complex in September. The project will be complete in 2013. I’ll see if I can get some additional images of the project to share with you.

By the way, Ralph L. Carr was Colorado’s governor from 1939-1949 and was one of the few public leaders in the country who openly opposed the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and bravely fought to protect their citizenship and rights as Americans—not a popular thing to do during the war.

It is really exciting to see this project becoming a reality. With construction of the new Colorado History Center underway a block  to the south of the Judicial Complex site, and with all the new things planned at Union Station, the two ends of Downtown Denver will be busy with construction for the next several years.

Filed under Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill.
13 Comments

#9: Convention Center Expansion and Hotel

Posted by Ken on January 17, 2010

Next in line at #9 in our countdown of “Denver’s Top 10 Urbanism Achievements of the Aughts” is the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center and the construction of the Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel next door.

First, a quick history of Denver’s convention centers. The city’s first convention center was the Denver Auditorium at 14th between Curtis and Champa, which opened just in time to host the 1908 Democratic National Convention. That handsome facility today has been incorporated into the Denver Performing Arts Complex and is the home of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Eventually, the Auditorium became insufficient for a city Denver’s size, so in 1964 Denver voters approved a bond issue to build a new convention center. Currigan Hall was completed in 1969 at a cost of $13 million. It covered two full city blocks between Champa and Stout and from 14th to 12th Streets and was connected to the Auditorium with a skybridge. Currigan Hall featured a 100,000 sf exhibit hall on the ground floor, 40,000 sf of exhibit space in the basement, and another 30,000 sf of meeting space in the mezzanine.

By the 1980s, Denver again desired a bigger and better convention center. Finally, in June 1990, Phase 1 of the Colorado Convention Center opened to great fanfare. The new $126 million convention center was 940,000 square feet in total size and featured a 300,000 sf main exhibit hall, 65,000 sf of meeting rooms, and a 35,000 sf ballroom. Phase 1 covered the blocks between Welton and Stout and from 14th Street past 12th Street to almost Speer Boulevard.

As soon as the new Colorado Convention Center opened, city leaders began discussing the need for a convention headquarters hotel, as well as the future Phase 2 expansion of the new center. Planning for the Phase 2 expansion occurred throughout the late 1990s, and in November 1999, Denver voters approved a $310 million bond issue to pay for the center’s expansion. Construction began in January 2001 and opened in December 2004. The expansion added another 300,000 square feet to the main exhibit hall, another 35,000 sf of meeting rooms, an additional 50,000 sf ballroom, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 1,000-space parking garage, taking the entire facility up to 2.4 million sf in total size. To accommodate the expansion, Currigan Hall, as well as TerraCenter, an office tower at Speer and Stout, were demolished, and Stout Street and the Light Rail tracks were rerouted to curve through the facility. Here’s an animation I’ve created using GoogleEarth archive images, starting with a black and white 1999 image before construction began, and ending with a 2006 image after the hotel was completed:

2010-01-17_ccc_animation2

Meanwhile, several convention center hotel proposals were advanced by the private sector, but none could get off the ground. Finally, with expansion of the convention center underway, the Webb Administration, fed up with the lack of progress on the hotel project, decided that the city should build the hotel itself. Construction on the new Hyatt Denver Convention Center hotel began in June 2003 and opened in December 2005, one year after the expanded convention center opened. The new hotel covers the entire block bounded by 14th, 15th, Welton, and California, and includes 1,100 rooms in a 37-story tower.

The combination of the expanded convention center and the Hyatt hotel has allowed Denver to stay competitive in the convention-hosting business by keeping the city in the top tier of convention cities and able to host all but the biggest conventions. Together, the Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel projects have spurred substantial private-sector investment in the area and, along with the investments made next door at the Performing Arts Complex, have greatly contributed to the overall revitalization of Downtown Denver.

Filed under Central Downtown, Government & Civic, Hospitality, Urbanism.
6 Comments

Inside the Colorado State Judicial Building

Posted by Ken on November 26, 2009

The Colorado State Judicial Building at 14th and Broadway, home to the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, is part of the diverse collection of prominent buildings that constitute Denver’s historic Civic Center. The Judicial Building’s block also includes the wedge-shaped Colorado History Museum at 13th and Broadway.

As you probably know, the state is currently building a new history museum a block to the south at 12th and Broadway. This coming spring, the history museum will relocate to a temporary site and the state courts will move into the former Rocky Mountain News offices in the DNA Building across Civic Center Park. Once those moves are complete, the existing judicial building and history museum will be razed to make way for the construction of a new Colorado Justice Center that will occupy the entire block. The new justice center will include room for not only the state’s highest courts, but significant office space to accommodate the entire Attorney General’s office and all other Department of Law agencies. The new Colorado Justice Center will be finished in 2013.

The design of the new justice center is still in progress. While I have not seen any preliminary renderings yet, I can report that the new complex will likely consist of two components: a shorter structure facing the park for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals courtrooms, law library, and court staff offices that will have a more dignified, formal presence worthy of one of the three branches of government; and a taller structure on the 13th Avenue side of the block for the Attorney General’s offices and other users that will have a more office-building look to it. How those two structures will be integrated (physically and/or architecturally) is still being worked out.

Anyway, since the existing judicial building will be demolished less than a year from now, I thought it would be appropriate to document some of the building’s more notable features and share those images with you. I have the good fortune to be friends with Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex Martinez, who kindly provided an insider’s tour of the building for me and architect friend, Chris Shears.

The Colorado State Judicial Building, designed by RNL, was completed in 1977. The modernist structure features an inverted “U” design, with offices on floors two through four, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals courtrooms on the fifth floor, and a law library in the basement.

Certainly one of the building’s most intriguing features is the space under the “U” which contains a skylight for the underground law library and a large mural by Angelo diBenedetto installed on the underside of the building above featuring representations of 60 persons who made outstanding contributions to the growth of justice and human rights.

Inside the law library, the space receives not only plenty of diffused sunlight, but also the occasional stares from onlookers through the skylight above.

On the fifth floor are the courtrooms for the state’s top two courts. The hallway between the two courtrooms feels like a corridor on the USS Enterprise. On the other hand, the grand doorway to the Supreme Court chamber evokes a warmer but still serious tone that, through its wood-carved sunburst motif, is reminiscent of something from a pre-Columbian civilization.

Inside the Supreme Court chamber, the modernist sunburst theme continues, with the courtroom’s amazing wood floor stealing the show. Standing at the podium is said to induce a dizzying effect. I immediately felt it when I stood in the spotlight for my imaginary address to the state’s highest court; the floor’s radiating pattern gave me a slight sensation like I was getting sucked into a vortex. Chris Shears and Justice Martinez seem unfazed.

The sunburst theme is also reflected in the beams in the ceiling as well as through the repeated use of the main door’s carved circular design in the decorative trim throughout the chamber. The courtroom also features two stained-glass windows honoring former Supreme Court justices.

Some of the more exceptional modernist elements from the Colorado State Judicial Building may hopefully survive and find their way into the new judicial center or into some other public place where they can be appreciated by future generations for the architectural era they represent.

I’ll be sad in a way to see the Colorado State Judicial Building go. It lasted barely 30 years. But Colorado has grown substantially in those 30 years and spatial, security, and technological needs require significantly more than the current building can provide. Hopefully, the new Colorado Justice Center will not only functionally serve our state for many decades to come, but also positively contribute to Denver’s architectural heritage.

Filed under Architecture, Civic Center, Government & Civic.
15 Comments

Denver Justice Center Update

Posted by Ken on August 25, 2009

Denver’s $350 million new Justice Center is now in its final year of construction. The Detention Facility is supposed to open Spring 2010, and the Courthouse later that summer. With most of the exterior now complete, one can finally start to get a sense for how well the buildings fit in their place in the city and how they engage the emotions (or not).

First, some photos (thanks again to Vicki), starting with the Detention Facility. From left to right: northeast corner, northwest corner, southwest corner, southeast corner.

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I’m picking up a slight Art Deco vibe from this building. Maybe it’s the exterior color and materials or something, but it sort of reminds me of an oversized modern second cousin to the Boulder County Courthouse. For a jail, and considering it’s not finished yet, I’m thinking this building may be OK.

Next, the Courthouse. From left to right: northeast corner, northwest corner, southwest corner, southeast corner.

2009-08-25_courthouse1 2009-08-25_courthouse2 2009-08-25_courthouse3 2009-08-25_courthouse4

To me, this building gives off little hints of International Style. I see similarities between this building and the base of the Wellington Webb building (both Tryba’s addition and the historic Annex portion along Colfax). I’m still not particularly fond of the glassy Jury Assembly Room that juts out into the plaza, but I do like overall the dramatic glass curtain wall on the main structure. I think both buildings will look quite nice in the evening, assuming the city plans to install appropriate accent lighting on each structure.

The plaza planned for in between these two buildings hasn’t been installed yet so it’s too early to pass judgement, but it seems to me that the buildings are too far apart from each other and that the plaza will feel a little too exposed, but we’ll see.

Filed under Architecture, Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill, Urban Design.
35 Comments

New Colorado History Museum, Justice Center Projects Complete Funding

Posted by Ken on July 17, 2009

Good news on two big civic projects in Downtown Denver! The state’s proposed new History Museum and Justice Center projects were funded through the sale of bonds on Wednesday. Here’s the complete press release from the state Treasurer’s office:

History Center-Justice Complex Project Financing a Success
Project will create close to 2,000 jobs in next four years

Denver- The successful financing of over $338 million in Certificates of Participation earlier today to build the new Colorado History Center and the Ralph L. Carr Justice Complex completed one of the largest sales of Build America Bonds to date, announced State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, and will directly create nearly 2,000 jobs.

“Colorado’s strong credit rating and sound financial policies allowed us to finance this project in what remain extremely difficult markets,” said Kennedy. “Investors continue to find Colorado an attractive place to invest their funds.”

“These projects will help energize our economy and create jobs,” Gov. Bill Ritter said.

“The Recovery Act provided us with financing tools like Build America Bonds, and these tools will be critical to leading our economy forward and putting Coloradans back to work.”

Build America Bonds, or BABs, lower costs to public entities on financing because the federal government subsidizes 35% of the interest paid on the project. BABs will cut the costs of these projects for Colorado’s taxpayers nearly $77 million from traditional tax-exempt financing.

The Build America Bonds program is one of several financing programs created by the Recovery Act to help government agencies move capital construction projects forward while saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Other major sales are planned for coming weeks.

The financing will pay for the costs of two new buildings, the Ralph L. Carr Justice Complex, which will consolidate the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Attorney General’s Office, the administrative offices of the court, the public defender, and other justice related entities into one location. The current building housing the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals has significant maintenance, ADA, security and life-safety issues.

The second building will house a new Colorado History Center to replace the existing Colorado History Museum. The current museum serves nearly 1 million people annually through a variety of programs, but has extensive maintenance issues and limited space.

The new Justice Complex is being funded with Judicial Court user fees and rental payments from building occupants. The History Center will be funded with allocations from state gaming revenues.

Rep. Don Marostica, a member of the Joint Budget Committee, said that the COP sale would be greatfor the local economy. “Our timing getting into the market was ideal,” said Marostica. “We are able to get a great interest rate for the state, save the citizens’ money, and keep people working.”

“We are very excited to begin construction on the new History Center, which will serve as an important statewide hub and educational resource for residents and visitors,” said Ed Nichols, the President of the Colorado Historical Society.

The Center should break ground before the end of August, with the Justice Complex to follow next year. The History Center is scheduled to open in Fall 2011 at 12th and Broadway, one block south of its current location. The Judicial Complex will start construction in 2010, with completion in 2013.

Jerry Maroney, State Court Administrator for the Colorado Department of Justice, noted the longterm savings of the project. “Ultimately, we’ll save an estimated $60 million in rent payments and efficiencies over the next 30 years as we consolidate offices into one location.”

The underwriting firms of George K. Baum & Co., Piper Jaffrey, and RBC Capital Markets managed the sale of the Certificates of Participation. The firm of Trammell Crow is the project construction manager.

The certificates were sold over two days (Tuesday and today) at an “all-in” interest rate of 4.24 percent. A COP offering is similar to that of a bond, with the most significant difference being that repayment is dependent on an annual appropriation.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer, Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll and Rep. Marostica sponsored Senate Bill 08-206 which authorized the sale of COPs and the construction of the History Center and Justice Complex projects.

Kennedy worked with Speaker Carroll and Senate President Shaffer to pass House Bill 09-1346 this past legislative session. The bill allowed Colorado to take advantage of specific financing mechanisms within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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Hopefully, we’ll see a final design of the History Museum and a preliminary design for the Justice Center soon. I noticed the other day there’s construction equipment already on new Museum site.

In February, 2008, the site for the new Museum was selected after a somewhat controversial proposal to locate the new museum inside Civic Center Park.

Filed under Arts & Culture, Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill.
13 Comments

Project Construction Photos

Posted by Ken on March 22, 2009
Thanks to Vicki H., here are some photos of a few infill projects underway in Downtown Denver.

First, there’s the Denver Justice Center:

South/east side (left) and east/north side of the Detention Facility:

East/north side (left) and west (right) side of the Courthouse:

Hmmm… I think I’ll reserve judgement on this project until it’s finished.

In Capitol Hill, the 1127 Sherman project is mostly done and seems to fit nicely on its small infill site:

Finally, Westfield Development’s 1800 Larimer tower, the future home for Xcel Energy’s Denver offices, is coming along quickly. The elevator shaft is already up to about the 10th floor:

Filed under Capitol Hill, Central Downtown, Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill, Office.
4 Comments

Denver Justice Center Update

Posted by Ken on October 29, 2008

Steady progress is being made on the $380 million Denver Justice Center project on Blocks 011-W, 012-W, and 020-W in the Civic Center district. Work began on the complex in Fall 2006 with the construction of the Parking Garage on Block 020-W, which was completed in July 2007. Meanwhile, demolition of the former Rocky Mountain News building on Block 011-W began in March 2007 and was mostly complete by May 2007. Excavation work and construction of the new courthouse and jail buildings began soon thereafter. The jail is scheduled to be complete in April 2010 and the courthouse in August 2010.

Here’s the Courthouse component on Block 012-W, which will contain 35 new courtrooms, a jury assembly area, judges offices, and more in a 320,000 SF building:

On Block 011-W is the Pre-Arraignment Detention Center component. It will house 1,500 jail cells in a 508,000 SF building:

In between is a large public space. Elati Street (Gene Amole Way) will cut across the plaza, but will function more as a drop-off/pick-up drive than an actual through street:

Here’s the site plan and courthouse rendering:

My friend Jeff and I were talking about this project just the other day, and we were both struck by how big this public space will be. I can see this space being relatively busy during the weekdays, with jurors, justice center employees, and escaped prisoners enjoying lunch out on the plaza. But the rest of the time? I’m afraid it will become another empty windswept space that will draw only a few homeless people and the occasional skateboarding teen. It’s hard to imagine this is a place that Denverites or tourists will intentionally go to, just to hang out.

What we need in Downtown Denver are more successful public spaces, the kind that are buzzing with people weekdays and weekends—morning, noon, and night. That’s my hope for the public spaces at Union Station, which is why I’m involved with Union Station Advocates.

Filed under Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill.
9 Comments

Governor Approves Justice Center, History Museum Funding

Posted by Ken on June 4, 2008

After many years of being in the works, the new Colorado Justice Center and Colorado History Museum projects have been officially authorized by Governor Ritter. There’s two more significant projects for Denver’s Civic Center district!

Here’s the full press release issued just minutes ago:

“Gov. Bill Ritter today signed legislation that green-lights a new state judicial complex, to be named after former Gov. Ralph L. Carr, and creates a new home for the aging Colorado History Museum in downtown Denver.

Senate Bill 206 (Shaffer & Penry/T. Carroll & Marostica) authorizes the financing to construct the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center on the block currently occupied by the Colorado Supreme Court and Colorado History Museum. The 615,000-square-foot complex will consolidate into one location the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Attorney General’s Office and several other judicial and legal offices now located across multiple sites. The History Museum will be relocated to a new 200,000-square-foot facility one block south.

“The existing Supreme Court and History Museum buildings opened more than 30 years ago,” Gov. Ritter said. “They were outdated and obsolete from the day they opened, and they have not aged well since. Senate Bill 206 will allow us to create a state-of-the-art, dignified home for the judicial branch of state government and a modern facility to protect and showcase Colorado’s historical treasures. These two projects speak to the past and the future of Colorado.

“I am particularly pleased we are naming the new justice center after one of my heroes and one of the truly great Coloradans,” Gov. Ritter added. “More than 60 years after standing up for the rights of Japanese-Americans, and by extension the rights of us all, Ralph Carr is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”

“We very much appreciate the legislature’s hard work and bipartisan efforts in developing this bill and the governor’s approval of it,” Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey said. “This new facility will provide greater safety for the court, efficiency in our operations and significant long-term cost savings to the people of Colorado.”

“The Colorado Historical Society has an incredible opportunity to reinvent how it showcases Colorado’s treasures and teaches Colorado’s rich history,” said Edward C. Nichols, Colorado Historical Society President & CEO. “This new facility will allow us to provide an even better platform and resource for statewide programs, projects and initiatives that will be of benefit to our state’s visitors and residents alike.”

Gov. Ritter also today named Nichols the new State Historic Preservation Officer, replacing Georgianna Contiguglia, who retired last year.

Senate Bill 206 authorizes the state to enter into lease-purchase agreements, increase court fees and utilize the state historical fund to pay for the project. Total project costs for the new museum are $113 million, and $295 million for the judicial center, both spread out over 35 years. The new museum will open in late 2011 and the judicial center in 2014.

By consolidating the state’s judicial and legal offices under one roof, the state will save at least $60 million in rent, lease and other expenses over the next 30 years. The state will also avoid having to spend $17 million in maintenance costs needed to bring the current Supreme Court and History Museum buildings up to code. The buildings are located on the block bounded by Broadway, Lincoln and 13th and 14th avenues.

The roof of the museum has leaked since it opened, and employees regularly use buckets and trash cans to collect rainwater and prevent damage to historical artifacts. The museum also lacks proper climate controls for storing and displaying its collection. The collection includes more than 10 million documents, 800,000 photographs and 250,000 artifacts.

The new museum site will be a public-private partnership, jointly developed with a private office tower.”

Filed under Arts & Culture, Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill.
7 Comments

Denver Bond Issue Brings Infill Project

Posted by Ken on February 7, 2008

Last November, Denver voters passed Bond Issues “A” through “I” which will raise over $500 million for dozens of civic projects ranging from new libraries to repaved streets to park irrigation system upgrades to a new symphony hall. One of the bond projects is a new $39 million Crime Lab for the Denver Police Department. Our current DPD forensic crime and DNA lab is outdated, overcrowded, and must be replaced to maintain its accreditation.

Did you know that the new DPD Crime Lab is a new DenverInfill project too? From the city’s website, here’s the project description (emphasis added): “Replace the existing Crime Lab with a new facility. The new lab will be constructed on the existing surface parking lot adjacent to the Pre-Arraignment Detention Facility (PADF) and the Police Administration Building.” That’s right, the new Crime Lab facility will be constructed on the surface parking lot facing W. 14th Avenue on Block 021-E.

That stretch of 14th Avenue is becoming greatly improved. The new Denver Justice Center parking garage, already complete, was built on a former surface parking lot. Across 14th from the garage, the Courthouse and the Detention Facility components of the justice center, currently under construction, also replaced surface lots that faced 14th Avenue. With the new Crime Lab, yet another surface parking lot along 14th will be removed and the street wall reinforced.

It gets better: one of the bond improvements under the Transportation category is the installation of pedestrian improvements along W. Colfax Avenue and W. 14th Avenue between Speer and Bannock to provide a green link between Civic Center and Speer. Nice.

Filed under Civic Center, Government & Civic, Infill.
6 Comments
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