The first phase of the new infill development, located at the north corner of Brighton Boulevard and 31st Street, will consist of 66 residential condominium units and approximately 20,000 SF of retail space (restaurant/bar and a specialty grocery store) in a 14-story tower. Two underground and two above-ground parking levels will also be included. The project is being developed by Curt LeRossignol and Neil Boucher of River North Properties LLC. The project architect is Techné Architecture and the general contractor is Tom Martin Construction.
The entire development site owned by River North Properties totals approximately 8 acres and is located between Brighton Boulevard and Arkins Court north of 31st Street. Visible in the GoogleEarth aerial below, the assemblage consists of the property right at the corner of 31st and Brighton and the two large warehouse buildings immediately to the north. Several additional mixed-use buildings are envisioned for the site as future phases.
Here’s a rendering of Beleza’s first phase (images courtesy of Techné Architecture):
One of the interesting aspects of the project is its proximity to the South Platte River. The developers are currently working with the City of Denver’s Parks & Recreation and Public Works departments on the possibility of vacating a portion of Arkins Court north of 31st Street. This would allow for the creation of a new park that would stretch for several blocks along the northwest side of Beleza to the banks of the river.
Currently there’s a temporary sales office for Beleza at 1620 Market Street, with a permanent sales office in development at 1575 California scheduled to open in mid-September. The project website is http://www.live-beleza.com.
I’ll post more about Beleza, the developer’s efforts to create a new park along the river, and other unique aspects of the project in a future blog post.
Wow! Another unique district in Denver is being gentrified to accomodate upper-middle class professionals! Within a few years, the Artists and Bohemians that have made River North interesting, will be pushed out! And this development is outrageous and sooo out of place, it's not even funny! And when did the Platte River suddenly become "Hot and Trendy" South Beach, Florida? That's where this disgrace belongs! Thats what the City wants! To turn the Central Platte Valley, Prospect, and River North into a High-rise, Rich-only area! Don't they even realize that the river floods every once and a while? In that case, it's a huge rip-off anyways! Too bad for them, I guess!
Ok, maybe I judged too quickly with this one. I think that it has a very interesting design. But it is just too out of place for me! Like a said, it screams "South Beach" more than "Industrial", which I think fits better in River North. Can anyone tell me what "Beleza" means? Even the name screams "Miami"!
I like it. I don't care what this other guy says. I like it.
mymilehi do you see anyone living on this particular block right now? I don't and this area looks like crap anyways. Its underdeveloped and sort of an embarrassment. I don't see how you find this unique. Its not like there are a bunch of old cigar factories like in Ybor city that you can turn into a downtown night life. On an another note I suggest you read a book called The Bobos in Paradise which pretty much explains that these bohemian's you speak of are the same force involved in this rapid gentrification.
Now were talkin'. I like this one. Oh ya the 1900 larimar crane is preping to go up soon.
Cos… Denver
Beleza means in english… "just be happy we are geting buildiers to build in Denver and making it a ever more kick ass city" No really my wife is Italian so i'll ask her. Probably means "dude… sweet… what's your tattoo say. "dude!" what's yours "sweet"
Cos… Denver
Wow! This is exactly what this area needs to hopefully spark some improvements. I am glad this portion of the Platte is finally getting some more attention!!
This building isn't pushing anybody out – it's an industrial area filled with shops and gas stations and doggy day care centers.
Bring it on – I use that portion of the Platte River nearly everyday to run and bike and it is filthy and filled with homeless persons. The only way to get it to be a little nicer is to have people living around it.
I agree that it isn't the best design and I like how they photoshoped the RTD Depot across the river and the huge gas station across the street right out though.
I for one would like to see all of Brighton Blvd redeveloped. As a main artery into downtown, especially from the airport, it is currently an embarrassment. Every taxi driver uses Brighton Blvd. and it gives visitors to the city a terrible first impression of downtown. I also think that the whole length of the Platte greenway north of downtown needs to maximized to its full potential. I never want to see Elitch's torn down just so more ultra-expensive condos can be built there. The design of this project is cool, and is somewhat industrial with the metal cladding. Change the name though.
Back to Elitch's: I would love to see the park expanded onto the vacant land across the river, between the Aquarium and the Children's Museum. They could have a pedestrian bridge and a sky ride connecting the two parts of the park. This would make the amusement park even more unique by utilizing its riverfront location. The pedestrian bridge could have a separate section for the bike path that doesn't allow people to enter the park without paying. As the rest of downtown continues to densify, Elitch's will grow as unique attraction treaured by Denverites (like Chicago's Navy Pier). It will eventually be unimaginable to ever remove Elitch's.
Corey
Mymilehi,
A ten-second Google search leads me to believe that Beleza means beauty in Portuguese.
The artists and bohemians you speak of will find another place to hang out, as they have for thousands of years when rents in arty areas go up and people move on. Gentrification is a natural process, and one that is generally good for cities, especially when it happens in responsible ways (i.e. not the gated-community kind of way). Plus, there should be nothing out-of-place about a 14 story building within a mile of downtown Denver. We need more developments like this, not less of them.
This building has a nice sense of scale and variation, has ground-floor retail space, and along with other developments in the River North area, it will contribute to making our city more walkable and bikeable for everyone… not just for yuppies.
Why is that a problem?
Would you prefer that the area remain full of parking lots and underutilized industrial buildings? It's not all that bohemian; mostly, it's just desolate.
You can't even access the river now, and if this development and the associated park become a reality, you could in the future.
I don't know if mymilehi's question has been answered yet (these comments are posted in blocks once Ken approves them I believe), but beleza is Portuguese for beauty.
Dang, they must really be banking on the upside from the additional ground that they purchased. Even though they got into the ground at the corner for relatively cheap, they won't be making any money on what is shown in the renderings. Structured parking and 14 story construction? They've got the ground, I don't see why they don't just podium build it?
Given current financing and the condo market – this project won't be happening any time soon. Although, I hope it does because that first stretch of RiNo is in dire need of momentum.
As adjacent property owners, we have been attending public meetings for the Greenway Foundation to provide input on what the river front improvements can be. One of the "Beleza" developers was there (I will not use name) and shared his "vision" for a huge amount of property they own btw 31st and 38th between Arkins and Brighton. He claims all development will go vertical and average about $600 per sq. ft. He also professed his desire to set up a Metro District for his specific area to fund area infrastructure. In front of 6 adjacent property owners, including myself, he said they would "KILL us" if we didn't join in on their efforts. Not kill "dead," just get us out. And then asked us "don't you want to make a lot of money?" Shocking and very sad. Their developments will not include affordable or rental housing (they will pay the City a fine for that) and if the Metro District happens, there will be large assessments and taxes that will make any residents (several on Delgany) flee. In the long run, these developments could run out the art district as mymilehi says.
With that said, I must say, I do not think this Beleza thing will get built as shown. The view of Brighton across the street is pretty awful-even if the skyline is behind it. So even with their awful demeanor in the public meeting, I am laughing at this a little. their park on the river is a good idea, but that's where it ends for me.
River North is no Riverfront Park, Cherry Creek, the Golden Triangle or even Upper Larimer. It will take substantial time for the existing industrial roots to be developed into this higher end residential vision. The new RTD maintenance facility planned by Taxi will keep the area industrial.
That guy is a very bad egg and I do not care to be in a room with him ever again. This is not good for Denver and if the City promotes their efforts, it's to get the tax revenue and not for the better of the City.
Belleza means Beauty in Spanish. Beleza is probably a play off that, or maybe it's Italian.
Hey Mymile: what Artists and Bohemians are you referring to when you talk about this stretch of River North? I live on the other side of the tracks and bike along the bike trails all the time and there isn't any Bohemian activity in that area, unless you consider the people living under the bridge.
This area badly needs redevelopment because there is only a mish mash of junk yards, dilapidated buildings, meager warehouses, empty lots, and squalor. In fact, try to find one tree in the whole area that is located further than 10ft' from the river.
Although this design might resemble something you might find in Miami, I think you'll find that when Denegro Market is completed and the river is re-established as a scenic beauty, this area could replicate the transformation of RiverFront. Would you not prefer that?
I don't understand the tirade against upper-middle class professionals. A city WANTS these people living within their borders since they pay a lot of taxes with their increased property taxes. Not to mention, more service industries can be supported locally through them, which everyone in the area can access. So, why the resentment?
We are not going to get a 1964 (or whenever it was) flood any more. We now have a big dam on the SW side of town to prevent that. I'm not
really familar with the area, but I like the design of the building.
Beleza=Beauty (Portugese)
The whole issue of gentrification is far more complex than the addition of one up-scale condo building. I lived in San Francisco during the 80s and early 90s, and got a front seat to watch the artists and middle-class get pushed out by multiple forces. First, when efforts to make a city and districts in that city nicer, people with more money and less tolerance for rough edges want to live there. The market responds by giving the buyer what they want, which is usually something nicer than what exists around them. When high-paying tech and office jobs come into that same community, again by the efforts of community development programs, the new professionals can always out-bid the artists and middle class for housing and everything else. So, a city improving on itself becomes the victim of its own success in regard to pushing out the true creative class (I'm excluding the 150k salaried professionals no matter what they do). This is a major problem in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Vancouver, and other cities we planners tend to point to as success stories.
On the other hand, cities like Buffalo, St. Louis, and Detroit remain very affordable.
I say "don't judge a building by its rendering." But I do agree with mymilehi in this: the name is terrible, and very un-Denver. I'm very heartened by the idea of creating a park along here, and by the idea that two or three ugly buildings and some asphalt will be replaced (if there's financing, natch) by something that's more interesting and adds value to the inner city. Brighton Blvd. is a terrible place to have a district of one-story warehouses. I'd like to see it lined with residential buildings from Blake Street all the way to the Colisseum, linked to downtown by a Brighton Blvd./Broadway trolley line.
Beleza is a Brazilian (Portuguese)
word and the rendering looks very much like something you'd see in Brazil or a tropical Country, is there a correlation ?
Anyhow, it's beautiful!!!
GOLDEN TRIANGLE DEVELOPERS, How about tearing down both 1200 Elati
and Piranesi and start over again!…
Ohhh.. forgot to mention:
Beleza is an attribute to something of beauty
so it means: Beautiful, Like: Que Beleza !! (What a Beauty!!)
I might look out of place, but it needs to star somewhere!
Looks very Miami vice for Colorado, but I think Colorado is already drastically changing the scene so I say why the hell not…
Gentrification in New York and Sand Francisco is one thing, but Denver? There are PLENTY of neighborhoods near to the city that would more than welcome bohemian activity (not that there is any in that part of the city anyway, but…).
Anon Prop. owner: Don't worry about this bad egg – Denargo Market is going gang busters with their demo and utility work – if they keep their pace, they will totally deflate the plans of this developer. In addition, they have much more possibility of getting park land adjacent to their project. And $600 psf? Please – this guy obviously doesn't know business (or Denver) very well – The projects in Lodo aren't even getting that and they are much nicer and IN downtown, not a mile FROM downtown AND they aren't surrounded by crap. He (and the folks from Denargo Market) will be lucky if they get anymore than $350 within the next 10 years.
One point: whey does everyone want more parks? Have you all been to a park lately (besides confluence park)? They are almost empty! Great parks need LOTS of people – let's fill the ones we have first. All empty parks are good for is to look at from a car window, or for homeless people to sleep in and use as grand outdoor bathrooms.
Where have all the cowboys gone, Denver?
Did they all become wannabe elitists?
The prairie is soaked with their spit, these days!
The three parks I frequent–Washington, Cheesman, and Alamo Placita–are always full of people. I'm pretty sure City Park is a busy park too. I would argue that your claim that Denver's parks are always empty is not completely accurate.
mililehi, think they all went to the Grizzly Rose off I-25 and 70,
or perhaps at Charlies on Colfax. Good luck !!!
It reminds me of a 24hr fitness club on steroids or a resort hotel in San Diego. I like the building a lot, all its constituent parts are a variation on a theme with just enough variety.
I'm also glad they take advantage of roof space as an outdoor living space, which I think far too few buildings in Denver do. If the top of your building is going to be boring and flat then why not include a deck and picnic tables – you're already spending millions on the tower so it can't be too expensive.
Is this gonna be LEED certified?
@ Mymilehi: I don't see anything elitist about supporting developments which make the city more environmentally sustainable, more walkable, more bikeable, and a more pleasant place to live. The kinds of elitist developments we really should worry about are those that favor private space over public, and single-use buildings over mixed-use ones. Wouldn't you rather have Riverfront Park over Cherry Hills? At least Riverfront Park can be enjoyed by more people than just the ones who have coughed up enough money to actually live there. In a lot of ways, the Denargo Market area is shaping up to be Riverfront Park II, and I think the city will be better off for it in 20 years.
@ Jeff: I think a small park along the river would be great here because this area will have plenty of density to support it 15 years down the road. I agree, however, that the "hey, let's build a park!" mentality does get a little bit ridiculous sometimes, but I think in this case the density will eventually make an effective case for a public park along the river here.
Speaking of River North, what ever happened to the Denagro Market development and the Taxi building? Are those still moving forward?
Elitists? The only elitists are the ones begging for some secondary Northwest American high brow artistic community in Denver. Thats what you get with the artistic community that you're so afraid of losing anyways. The reality is that the urban bourgeoisie are the very bohemians that make up this sort of community. These people are somewhere in between a Jesuit and thsoe portland metaphysical weirdo that talks about energy, but you really don't know what kind of energy they're talking about because they still haven't grasped that energy is not a spiritual entity but simply "the ability to do work"…. I digress but you should explain the correlation between cowboys and coffee shop intellectualists who ride the art bus and overprice their substandard art.
jeff: Anon here. Thanks for your comments. All in agreement! I, too wonder why there is this obsession with more parks! We already have Globeville Landing. I have been suggesting more pocket parks, or places where visitors can engage the river intimately, instead of some huge turf area no one utilizes. Maybe think about connections and opportunites to honor the South Platte.
August 19th is the next Greenway meeting at the Webb building-6PM.
Beleza (or what I call "bleeds-ya")is a complete joke-in this market and in the next decade. Yeah sure, I wanna make money, but honestly at my day job. Not by driving other residents and businesses out for a temporary personal gain.
These developer guys I met are literally like models for some PIXAR animated feature of RATS! One is tall and thin and the other is short and stout-like a teapot with a hideous eye twitch. ACK! If they want to OWN River North, they can have it!
We just desire a community with artists and friends that is integrated-thoughtfully with the rest of Denver.
"If money is all you want, that is what you shall receive!" -Princess Leia. She ROCKS!
Frankly I'm tired of the word bohemia in describing artists… so old school and typical, lets expand our definition here. Artists in today's world are distinctively different. They work hard no doubt about it. Long gone are the days of the "starving artist"; they are more nimble now, aware of their contribution to society – making areas disregarded into approachable special places. They at least have the guts to follow their passion in life rather than fall into a life of regularity and mainstream.
Developers and the City named the area River North, but it was a complete hack of the River North area in Chicago. The local artists that were already in the area made it something interesting. The city cares about tax revenue and developers care about making money plain and simple.
RiNo, River North Art District is far from bohemia, these artists have turned River North into Denver's next 'Natural Cultural District.' There is value in that. What have you done for society lately? Huh?
Have you read what the art district is doing with their new "Feed the RiNo" campaign? It rocks, powerless may be the creative class but RiNo is changing this persona for sure. Developers are scrambling and I wonder if their heart is really in to building community…
Beleza is clumsy and disrespectful to the neighborhood. I'm ashamed that when the DNC will be here – this is what they will see at "Denver's Front Door." Is this how our city speaks of growth and "change?" Thank goodness for the new Denargo it's a great model, follow their lead, they get it.
Speaking of Denargo Market. I hope they will restore at least a small section of the roofed market stalls. They would be ideal for a shade structure and for even a small farmer's market. It would be a shame to demolish all of the market structures when, by retaining at least of small section of them, it will give the large residential development some uniqueness and historical cache.
Corey
I'm a cowgoil dragqueen, and the last one in Denver, does that count? Boyah I can spit too.
My Dear Brother!
Cowboys still exist,
even though the Frontier Era passed long ago.
You will find that the West is alive and well in events such as the National Western Stock Show.
For most, a cowboy herds cattle and lives on a ranch. But today's cowboy is generally less rugged, than in the past.
For most, an elitist is one who see's himself/herself as being at the top of the social ladder.
On a humorous note, Some of them, like the cowboys, live on a ranch known as "Highlands Ranch." Even the name suggests that the Ranch is on "higher" land.
Fitting.
Denver does have a long history of trying to rid itself of the "wildwest", cowtown image it was born with. For example, Mayor Speer transformed Denver, in the early 20th century, from a dusty, brown city, into the "Paris" of the west.
So, in Speer's mind, the opposite of a dusty cowtown was the grandeur of Europe!
For the past hundred years since, Denver has been reinventing itself (urban renewal), and over the next ten years, will become the first global city in the west!(Cali. and the Pacific NW excluded)
A title Denver does not want to pass.
And how can a global city be, without it's elitists or bohemians? A global city is much more than an important business center, but also an important cultural center as well! Is it not?
In my mind, bohemians and cowboys (in the old traditional sense) are the same in that they live unconventional lifestyles. The modern-day Denver bohemian is like the cowboy of Denver's past. And like the cowboys, the bohemians are being pushed away, for the sake of cleaning and greening Denver's image.
Today, Denverites don't look exclusively to Europe for hints as to what a great city should look like. Developers draw inspiration from around the world (Beleza is an example of this), and then lay a little piece of it here, on the elitist-spit-soaked pairie soil, in the hope's that one day, Denver will be seen as a city whose citizens are ready to step onto the world stage.
Development & the RTD Rail Facility should be respectful of the river and existing community foremost. Denver only has so much "river front" property it should be celebrated!
change happens…cities evolve, it's how it always has been and will continue.
if there is anythign work saving in RiNo, it probably will be…but there is very little there (except some very cool, glazed, over-sized masonry buildings)
hilarious that developers get SOO much blame and always have their intentions questioned! why do most people work? duh…to get paid. but very few people take the financial risks that developers do to make things happen. hard, complex, risky work deserves reward – and keep in mind that developers are not always profitable on each job.
Denver has a long way to go before it's a global city… but nevertheless, I agree with Mymilehi's brother – Let's all collectively get over the cowtown thing and accept it. I would much rather live in a city (hopefully eventually a great one) that has cowboys and stinky National Western Stock Shows than to be a city with no history at all. It's called character, and most people like – you know – character.
Anon 7:08,
NOT MY PROBLEM!!!!!
Wow, I like the development and all the fortitude that goes with it's effort to make a buck. A lot of interesting points were brought up in this blog…a bit like a rooster in a hen house and you're assured a bunch of clucking. It will make a difference in the long run with bringing more energy to (River North). Someone please revisit a definiton for bohemian…in the 21st century I think they 'are' the homeless, yet some of them are just actors too. Since on the flipside of homelessness we all kiss the feet of a larger corporate interests whether at minimum wage or top salaries or as self employed sub-contractors. A grocery store? There's a community already! That makes so much sense since people in that area, partially including the Highlands, have to cross through downtown to grocery shop. If there's anything I find questionable about the project is the name, which does remind me of seabreezy something, but even then it's the developers project and he/she can name it. Afterall look at all the other names throughout Denver we've had to live with. What do you think they would call it, River North Villas or Highway View del Rio Norte or Muddy River Vista (my fave) or North Platte Skyline view? Oh no I'm having fun…sorry I'm in Marketing. Does it really matter? People get used to names. They'll probably surprise us all and sell out before groundbreak.
Why must there be another district with a name shortened to four letters? First LoDo, now SoBo, SoCo, LoHi, RiNo… when will people learn that the proliferation of such SoHo wannabe names only leads to a further wannabe image? One LoDo is fine, but do we really need to go on and on? Soon we'll have CaHi, CoRe, SaFe, BaDi… when will it end?!!!
I don't know, these are all good points but I hope the trend of buildings stays fairly consistent from LODO to this particular area, with a few projects like this and the Komberibi(I know thats not the way its spelled but I'm too lazy to go look it up). Its okay to get something a little different as long as there is a general consistency in architectural style. At least in my opinion.
It's not even remotely near construction and the website already has floorplans. Nichols could learn from that with the Spire, which is under construction and last I checked, with a completely useless website.
I remember the days when living by the tracks was considered a bad thing.
If you lived by the tracks, you didn't want any of the other kids at school to know….
Why do the rich desire to live in places so…dingy, nowadays? It's as if they do not want to appear too vain, or something. They like to push the poor out, so that they can look less rich, and less spoiled. Living in a place that has an artistic quality makes you look good, I guess. Something else to boast about at the dinner parties, besides the cash, and your superior lifestyle.
Mymilehi;
You've got it wrong – they aren't moving to areas where poor people live, they are moving to places where NOBODY lives. Look at New York – there are potentially great neighborhoods in northern Manhattan which are slow to gentrify because they are currently home to many poor people and housing projects.
What areas are taking off? The industrial ones on the west side of manhattan (think meatpacking) – the waterfront in Long Island City, and near the wharfs of Williamsburgh. In Denver look at the Central Platte Valley and LoDo, and even Blake Street in Curtis Park.
People with money can move into these areas and not have to worry about confronting poverty everyday, only industry which is much more palatable than living across from housing projects.
Perhaps you're personally effected by River North Projects, but the actual amount of poor people who are effected are relatively minimal.
Mymilehi – it appears that you have a serious ax to grind against the affluent class. Why do you care if they chose to live near rail yards? If I had to define the term "acrimony and resentfulness", I would pick your comments to read. On the other hand, a majority of people want to see quality, mixed-use development occur throughout Denver.
And I hate to add grist for your grinder, but these developments don't even cater to the rich. I'd suggest taking a drive through Cherry Hills if you want to feel even more inferior.
The things to save in River North are as follows…. the art community "RiNo" that has made it an interesting place, hello "Natural Cultural District"… developers wouldn't be so interested in this area if it wasn't for that – the drive train building, cool 1940's warehouse (on the list for demo) – the flagstone structures from the 1800's that mark areas of the river, historic Riverside Cemetery, the Platte River, the wildlife that frequent the river and well then there's MY HOUSE!
I must have the RiNo area all wrong, there are homes off Brighton Blvd? There are nice buildings? There is a cemetery? I thought the area we're talking about runs from I-70 to downtown, from the Platte River to the railroad tracks. No?
lmao
7/26/2008 01:02:00 PM…
u f n rok. :>