There’s yet another construction crane now towering over LoDo! After digging a mighty big hole at the corner of Wynkoop and 15th, Hines is getting ready to go vertical with its 1515 Wynkoop project on Block 013. Here’s the evidence:
While we’re at it, how about a quickie update on the other two LoDo projects (I did SugarCube last week). Here’s 1400 Wewatta (this is the Wynkoop side of the project):
And here’s 1755 Blake which, you’ll note in the picture, is getting ready to put their own tower crane up soon:
Isn’t all this Downtown construction exciting?!
From my 19th floor condo in Glass House, I can see 11 construction cranes. They are testimony to the impressive level of investment in our city.
1755 Blake will be the finest office building in LoDo, and probably all of Denver. I attended a design presentation by the developer and the level of finish going into this project is unmatched in Denver. Plus the facade is very unique- a perfect fit for its location.
Smile everyone! 🙂
p.s. please visit my page, unless Colfax scares you-
Indeed it is exciting Kenneth. However, I'm disappointed that Callahan hasn't gotten the ball rolling on the Tabor II. Also, I hate walking down lodo to El Chepultepec and seeing that discusting patch of grass and asphalt on 1800 Market. Any updates on that? Anyways, thanks for the update. I'm out of town all the time so I always like to see was going down at home.
There will likely be more cranes in the near future as well. 1800 Larimer, 1900 16th Street and the 4 Seasons all have the dirt flying right now.
Does anyone have connections with an arial photographer? It would be great for someone to do a flyover during the hight of the construction and post it on Denverinfill.
Ken – Any insight into how long the building trend will continue? You mentioned that there would be 18 cranes up during the DNC. Any thoughts/educated guesses on 2009-2010?
Jesse
Ok let me do a quick comparison of that horriffic company ALPINE DEMOLTION, to whichever company demolished the 15th St Tavern and Republic hotel buildings for Evan M. behind the Fontius…
First of all, Alpine Demolition put their sign up on the Old Motor Garage nearly 5 months before starting to do anythings. Then, once they actually did start working, it took them about 3-4 months to completely raze the dump. Lastly, after demoltion was complete, they left the parking lot a hideous space of chunky uneven assphalt and rocky debris, with a sloppy cheap fence plastered around the outside…Now it just sits there, looking MUCH worse than the Motor Garage did 9 months ago…
Now, whoever Evan hired to demlolish the buildings behing the Fontius and the other building next to it, did ALL of their work in under a month, and followed it with a very impressive job of carefully flattening the whole lot with steamrollers, and then putting some relatively attractive black gravel over the whole space….which makes it looks about as nice as an empty lot in a city can look..
This just goes to show the difference in productivity/efficiency between various delelopers, demoltion companyies. Perhaps I am a little more upset about this issue than the rest of you because I live on a high floor in 1600 Glenarm, and have to look directly at these lots EVERY DAY, even from my bedroom… but still, the lackluster work by Alpine Demolition really annoys me..
ok im done
An interview with Ken will air soon on Colorado Public Radio, during the program "Colorado Matters." His interview will air on Monday, Nov. 12, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., and may also air in the Colorado Matters segment of Morning Edition, at 8:50 a.m. That's on KCFR at 1340 AM, or online at http://www.kcfr.org. If you can't catch the radio segments, you will be able to hear the interview via streaming recording on the website after Monday.
"to whichever company demolished the 15th St Tavern and Republic hotel buildings for Evan M. behind the Fontius…"
Speaking of bones to pick… Why were so many people on here in such favor of this demolition? We used to at least have buildings there… whether they were amazing and active is a different thing… but now we just have black top. For how long? 20 years… Why does it on one hand seem like there is a great effort to be rid of all the parking lots downtown and on the other we are still tearing down buildings and creating more parking lots. I simply don't get it. Why not wait to demolish until there are plans to build! The surrounding blocks of the convention center now have more vacant lots than ever before. Depressing.
^ Evan Makovsky, the new owner of all that vacant land on Block 162, does have plans. In fact, the ULI was in town this week to help him develop those plans. Within a year or two, not 20, expect to see construction get underway.
Anon 2:10 I have to agree with you. I'd rather see a crappy bulding than a bunch of dirt or a parking lot. I don't quite understand why they don't hold off on demolition until they're ready for construction.
Ken, what do you think Mokvsky is going to do? Will this be a medium sized mix use or perhaps a fairly tall building?
I understand that he does have plans. But, I still don't see that he needs to demolish two years before he starts construction… and how many plans were created 20 years ago that never happened.
Also – what is the status with the pile of rubble across the street from the convention center? Will construction start there soon?
I too have to agree that the former Hotel buildings were demolished way too prematurely. Many empty downtown lots were "paved with good intentions." Need I bring up the Cosmopolitan and Metropole Hotels?
How is Denver going to establish an amateur porn industry if there are no old sleazy hotels? Guys we gotta think about these things!!!
Lets not forget about 1800 larimer… For the past 4 months i have been witnessing them quickly and efficently demolish the crappy old 1980's buildings that stood there. I was under the impression that following demolition they would immediately begin digging the hole and building 1800 larimer…But as of about 2-3 weeks ago, the demolition has ended, and I have not seen ANY activity in that lot. It remains a HUGE empty lot of rubble in garbage in the heart of LODO. I know the plan is to start building soon, but I wouldn't be all too suprised if that lot sits there for quite some time.
Anon 12:07, I certainly wish that buildings got started quicker for not only you but for so many who post comments here. However, it isn't all that simple. Currently, the 1800 Larimer project is still awaiting approvals from the city on it's permits. Unless you guys have a way to contact the city and "move" those permits along, you just have to wait. Sawwy!
The Motor Hotel should have stayed as far as I'm concerned. I see no activity to bother starting, and now from my bedroom window I've got both an inactive construction site (the Spire) and a pile of rubble! Not the prettiest site to wake up to.
Anon 1207: Westfield just recently petitioned the city for a revocable permit to encroach into the right of way for 1800 Larimer. So, looks like this one is still a go! YAY