The Alexan Prospect residential project planned by Trammell Crow Residential is currently in development review with the city planning office. The project is slated for the area surrounding the Ajax Lofts, where the other six buildings of the Prospect Place project were once proposed. Here’s a rendering giving us an idea of what the project will look like:
Alexan Prospect will include 400 rental units with structured parking. I’m not sure if the project is to include any retail space or not. In my opinion, it should have some small retail focus, like a coffee shop or a neighborhood restaurant or something as a community gathering place.
They look similar to the Alexan project out in Belmar
http://www.alexanbelmar.com/
The Prospect area suffers from some isolation. I agree that some retail is long overdue. This little enclave is interesting and perhaps residents like their privacy under the viaducts, but someplace to call their own and gather would help this area have a better sense of place. Perhaps a destination restaurant would help other people want to check out this unique micro urban village.
Just gotta weigh in on the retail comment here. . .There's always lots of advocacy and drum-banging for street level retail especially in new construction apartment projects. And there's always lots of assumed market demand by the prospective residents for the ubiquitous "coffee shop". . .but people should know that in nearly every instance, these new apartment communities HAVE 24-hour coffee service in the common areas for their residents. It has become an expectation in the amenities package (with exercise facilities, reading rooms, party rooms, business center, media rooms) that residents compare from community to community, especially when they are paying $1.25/s.f. and up in rent.
Yes it will include a small amount of retail
Not sure how much retail will truly survive here. There was a small coffee/sandwich shop called Downtown Browns that didn't make it and now I believe its been rented by an insurance agent.
To Todd, I'm sure this Alexan Prospect and Alexan Belmar will also look like the Alexan project down at Mississippi and Broadway. Seems like this developer enjoys using the same tired design over in over with their Colorado complexes.
Downtown Browns had some pretty decent BBQ. Sad to hear they're gone.
Even if they are "tired" they are a step up from what is there now and agin more density. Other people aren't putting up money to build there. They are.
^ there service was atrocious (even when empty), the atmosphere was bad, and food was marginal at best…i'm not sure how sad it is that they failed in business.
Guess I caught them on a good day. ::shrug::
I think it's sad what has happened to the Prospect neighborhood, particularly for the owners in the area, especially those at Ajax lofts. The original plan to have the Italian Piazza and retail would have given the area a better neighborhood feel, one that it desperately needs, and lowered that sense of an isolated community. That was one of the reasons many people invested in the area. While it maybe true that it's good that at least something is finally moving forward, just anything isn't good enough. I'm afraid what could have been a great neighborhood with a vibrant retail district is going to end up as an island of nice lofts and brownstones surrounded by a sea of architecturally inferior apartment dwellings, and heavily based on rental rather owners who care about the direction of the neighborhood, thus furthering the lack cohesiveness and ultimately damaging the community. Trammell Crow has the ability avoid this by their design, quality, and use in a project of this size since it will ultimately change the face of the neighborhood. However, with their reputation of cutting corners (coming directly from managers I've talked to at the Belmar project), I'm not holding my breath. What respect I had for Dana Crawford and her efforts for revitalizing Larimer Square has been all but lost by what her group has done in pulling the plug and selling out Prospect, it's residents, and in particular those who bought into her planned development.
I agree that the addition of another large apartment complex will indeed ruin this neighborhood. 400 units! This is not urban sprawl but it is certainly not great urban planning. What about permits for the proposed grocery store across 20th street vs the permit for this megaplex? I agree that the land owners should be able to develop and use the land within the legal confines. However, with limited external landscaping and wall to wall concrete and bricks, the rendition of this new construction is very similar to the cheap "Metro complex" which I refer to as "The Dorms". Another “Metro” megacomplex that looks like subsidized housing or a post graduate frat house is less than an ideal design for this area.
The Ajax lofts will be surrounded on all sides by blight. The Water Tower Loft building that has been here since 1889 and tastefully renovated will have its light blocked on the west side as will as some of the new brownstones. All this for the sake of some shoddy dorm like compound. There seems to have been no consideration for keeping this area more unique. The strip mall of architecture and lack of creativity and environmental consciousness is soon to be here. Perhaps they received their construction loan from Bear Stearns. That being said, I would rather see apartments being built than some night club to supply further garbage, drunk drivers and late night noise to our neighborhood.
Each of you opposing the new Megaplex should demand to see the following:
Environmental impact studies that have taken place.
Diesel fuel fumes being enclosed in soon to be built canon walls that block the sun.
In addition, the with 400 units, the traffic flow and impact of probably greater than 600 cars for the “roommates” and friends sleeping on the couch you should demand to see how the city has truly taken into account the increased vehicles before granting the building permit.
Why did they not allow for the rezoning for the grocery store but have allowed for this unneeded megaplex?
Traffic flow, air quality and noise mitigation.
Parking requirements. This will not be a one car per unit situation! A competition for parking from those new residents who do not wish to walk a block to their abode from the minimally designed and accommodating new parking structure will occur.
Also, were taxes newly assessed due to the future consideration of this complex for the sake providing the infrastructure to the developers? Does the city plan to reassess again after the Megaplex goes in?
All of the effort and ingenuity that Ms. Crawford brought to revitalizing the Flower Mills to the point where it is on the national historic registry are to be lost and this designation should be removed. It appears the designation was added for the purpose of commercialization and not in the true sprit of its meaning.