The Projects

What Is the Timeframe for Included Projects?  The many infill projects profiled here at DenverInfill.com are those which have completed construction, have begun construction, or have been proposed since April 2000, the date of the black and white aerial photos used throughout the site.  If the infill project was completed prior to April 2000, it is not identified on this site as an infill project, and is not included as such on any map or in any table.  In a few cases, the completion date for a project was determined as only "Spring 2000" or "early 2000."  In those situations, the aerial photographs were used to determine if a project "looked complete" or not, and either included as an infill project or not accordingly. 

What About Renovations or Conversions?  DenverInfill.com does not track or list as an official infill project any project consisting of the renovation or conversion of an existing building into a different or higher use.  This decision was made for two reasons. First, there are so many new construction infill projects that are tracked by this site to begin with, that to also attempt to include all renovation or conversion projects in the Downtown area as well made the whole DenverInfill.com effort just a bit too ambitious... at least for now.  Second, this site focuses on the fact that vacant or undeveloped parcels destroy the physical cohesiveness of the city, and how the construction of a new building where one does not exist currently helps repair our city's built environment and intensifies its urban character.  Thus, while renovation and conversion projects are certainly significant contributors to the vitality and physical quality of the Downtown area, they are nevertheless not included on any map or in any table on this site as an official infill project.  This does not mean that they are entirely ignored though.  Throughout the site, several renovation or conversion projects are mentioned, but only as part of a general discussion about the character of a particular area.

What About "Scrape Offs" or Building Additions?  Generally, an addition to an existing building is not included as an official infill project unless the addition consumes a relatively significant area of adjacent land that was previously vacant.  New construction infill projects located on a site where an existing building was "scraped" or demolished to make way for the new building are regarded as official infill projects on this site.  Usually, the new building has a much greater scale and density than the building or buildings removed and, with typically larger building footprints too, consumes some vacant land as well. 

What Size Projects Are Included?  The minimum size for a residential project to be considered as an official infill projects on this site is 4 units.  New triplexes, duplexes, or detached single-family homes in the Downtown area are not tracked by DenverInfill.com, with the exception of a couple of 3-unit "stacked flats" projects that, given their vertical form, add to the urban character of the area much like a larger project.  For commercial or other non-residential projects, the general minimum size is approximately 6,000 square feet, or roughly the size of a standard 50' x 125' Denver lot.

What Are the Sources for Project Information?  The vast majority of the information about the many infill projects presented on this site has been obtained from sources found on the Internet.  In some cases, bits of information from several different Internet sources have been combined to ultimately craft the profile of an infill project.  The assumption made is that information that can be found on the Internet is essentially "public" information, and not privileged or confidential in nature.  Some project information has been developed through personal conversations or correspondence.  In those cases, information about those projects is presented on DenverInfill.com only when it is understood that the information is not privileged or confidential.    

What Information Is Necessary for a Project to be Considered an "Official" Project?  The criterion for when sufficient information is known about a project for it to be posted on DenverInfill.com as an official infill project has evolved over the course of the development of this website.  Consequently, one will find on this site a few exceptions to the rule here and there.  But in general, the criterion involves knowing the exact project location plus details about at least two other attributes of the project.  Examples include: location/project name/number of units, or location/developer name/number of stories, or location/number of units/project type (rental vs. for-sale), etc.  This allows for the differentiation between a "rumor" and a project that appears to be far enough along in the design process for it to be considered a relatively serious infill proposal.