While I thought my idea of putting the new museum on state-owned land at Speer and Larimer on the Auraria campus was a good one, this proposed site isn’t too bad. It does keep the museum in the Civic Center area and it will certainly densify a block sorely in need of urban development. The site’s proximity to the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Public Library will also further reinforce the Civic Center as the epicenter of Downtown Denver’s arts and culture scene. On the downside, this location is unlikely to directly help the revitalization and activation of Civic Center Park itself. I am glad, however, that the issue appears to have been finally resolved, and now the state legislature can move forward with approving the funding for the museum and the other important projects linked to finding a new home for the musuem—the new Colorado Justice Center and the new State Office Building—both proposed to border Civic Center Park.
What’s also interesting and definitely welcome news is the proposed office building/parking garage co-development that will eliminate all surface parking and nicely densify the block. You may recall that back on October 1, 2007, I blogged about a possible new office building project at this location after an old auto repair shop on the site was demolished and a sign promoting a “New 170,000 SF Office for Lease” was erected at the corner of 12th and Lincoln. It looks like the two projects have come together in a mutually beneficial way.
Overall, I’m happy a site finally has been selected and we can get on with building the museum and the other State projects. Let’s hope this new mixed-use development will spur additional infill projects along Broadway and Lincoln and into the heart of the Golden Triangle. Meanwhile, the struggle to find a solution to revitalizing Civic Center Park continues.
buildings are good times.
From one side of the ING building, to the other!!! Works for me, much better than putting the thing outside of DT, or worse (Kansas).
Well done on getting this issue reolved quickly and with an excellent location.
I am very glad to see the history museum remain in the Civic Center area. The site between Broadway and Lincoln is extremely visible and close to the art museum and library. By having the history museum at this site it continues to strengthen this area as the "museum district." I can't wait to see the new museum and Judicial branch building designs! As for Civic Center Park, I think the McNichols building should house a Denver history museum with a beautiful, multi-use pavillion mirroring it and completing the symmetry of the park.
Building looks great. With more office space, I hope they change some of the parking in the Capitol Hill area to residential only or the residents will never find a spot!
the other day, someone asked about the lack of activity at 1800 Larimer. Yesterday I was by there and they were correct, seems dead.
Does anyone have any idea as to what may (or may not) be happening there.
Of course so many of us were worried about the possible demise of the spire, but that is rising as we speak, but it would be good to know what might be happening here
Thanks
Anon 6:58, they just received permit sign offs on Architectural and Structural on February 4, 2008. So unless something has happened in this past week…it still appears that they are working on the project.
I just hope the Colorado History Museum is a good visit. The current one is small and fairly lame – though I'm sure they're trying. In contrast, oddly, the North Dakota history museum was really well done. It seems since we have better history, our museum can be so much better.
Anon: 6:58. The response received about 1800 Larimer was the following, on Feb. 7.
The developers of 1800 larimer are still working on their permits. The last sign off was on 2/4/2008. If you want to track it's progress through the permitting system go to: http://www.denvergov.com/bid
Click on commercial and enter
2007M00203
On the Museum, happy to see that backers moved so quickly. Think it's a good site. Now what can be done about the ugly parking garage (for the Art Museum) on west side of Broadway? Not a pretty neighbor, that's for sure….
What will happen the current site of the museum once it relocates?
^ The state plans to build a 600,000 sf new Justice Center covering the entire block. There are numerous blog entries about it in the blog archives (pre-Blogger) from 2005 and 2006.
^^^ I *think* the plans for the current museum parking garage were to add an additional hotel tower that would cover that concrete face. Or maybe it's some sort of post-modern statement by Liebeskind…
^ Correct.
https://denverinfill.com/block_pages/civic_center/block_043e.htm
See renderings at bottom. The Phase 2 of the Museum Residences project has been moving slowly but there's a decent chance it will get underway in 2008.
Westword was right that the judicial building and not the museum should have been the one to relocate. But, this is a good second best solution.
Wow.. whenever I think that Denver has too many parking lots – I look at the over-view pictures taken awhile back and it's amazing how much worse it had been. When were the pictures taken exactly? Sometime in the late 90's? Anyway, this neighborhood, along with most others, are definitely on the upswing.
On a different topic – is anyone planning on renting out their property to incoming visitors duirng the DNC? I plan to take a week vacation and will be renting out my one bedroom Loft for $1500 per night. cha-ching.. Apparently Denver should be receiving over 30K visitors that week and there aren't neary enough hotel rooms.
Libeskind's website does not have anything on Phase 2 of the Museum Residences or the Hotel that were planned for the east wall of the parking garage. I think the new CHM needs a more exciting design.
people are drawn to the DAM for the wild, and exciting architecture. I think one of the reasons the big fish tank failed was the boring design.
I disagree that the judicial building should relocate. The new judicial building will have the appellate courts, the Attorney General's office, the State Court Adminstrator's office, and part of the State Public Defender program. Locating all of these near the Denver courts and the State Capitol makes a whole of sense. The AG, for example, interacts with the state capitol and the Denver courts very frequently.
The Colorado History Museum has no particular need to be where it is. But I'm happy it's staying downtown.
I'm amazed at how apparently quickly this has come about. I disagree with Westword, only because the current building has so many problems–they've had roof leakage problems since the building opened, and there's something unsettling about having the main exhibition spaces below street level. I hope this new building has all of its public spaces at ground level or above. Also, I've never liked that plaza in front, the primary purpose of which has always been to serve as a staging area for school buses.
I'm old enough to remember their original location on 14th and Sherman (field trip in the 3rd grade). The current building was an improvement for its time, but now they'll have a chance to get it right.
And while this won't contribute to the revitalization of Civic Center, it may energize the few blocks of Broadway to the new site's south.
Lets hope the facade of the proposed new museum along the east side of Broadway gets more design consideration than the rendering shows . . . . its not very friendly, and looks like it could house any big box retail facility
superblock after superblock. what will these sites be like at night, denver? how can we guarantee 24 hour use?