Thanks to Chris from the Nichols Partnership, this past weekend I had the opportunity to see inside Spire, the 41-story condo tower under construction on Block 131in Downtown Denver.Because the construction lift wasn’t running on Sunday when we went, the highest up we got was only to the twelfth floor. But even from there the views were stunning, and I’m looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks to see more of the building and to get up to the penthouse. Until then, here are some photos of what I saw last weekend:
First, we started out in the Spire sales center, which is almost finished and planning to open soon in the ground floor of the Convention Center right at the corner of 14th and Champa, directly across from Spire. Inside they have an awesome model of the tower:
Here’s looking down at the 9th floor outdoor Club level, where there will be a pool, hot tub, fire pit, and all sorts of other amenities:
Also inside the sales office are two full-scale furnished model units; one of a larger two-bedroom unit, and the other of a studio unit. Here are a couple of shots of the kitchen/great room of the larger model unit:
Here is the fire pit area under construction on the 9th floor Club level overlooking the Performing Arts Complex (left) and part of the swimming pool with the Convention Center beyond (right):
Two key themes that Nichols Partnership has for Spire is attainability and sustainability. About 60% of the units will be priced below $400,000; a great price for such a central Downtown location. Spire will also be a LEED certified building featuring, among many green-friendly elements, a handy “single-stream recycling” chute on every floor:
Finally, a couple of views from the 12th floor:
Spire will open in December. More photos and blogs about Spire coming in the future. For more information, including floorplans, check out the project website: www.SpireDenver.com.
WOW!! I want one.
Wow what an amazing sunset!! Does that cost extra?
Thanks Ken, Nice photos! I really like the model as well. Hope the sales go quickly and someday I hope to visit a friend living there! I think all the glass and the blue line (lighted?) will and a nice distinction to the south facing skyline of downtown. Already makes downtown look better from I-25 driving up from Broadway all the way to Speer! Plus the Four Seasons is poking up above the other buildings on the western edge of downtown. That will be a crown jewel in reshaping the same height-ness of all the highrises in lower downtown! It will be interesting to see what happens eventually with the lot that the 1401 Lawrence was pulled from too.
Very cool. I wonder what the market will be like in December. Despite the beautiful building and very reasonable prices, condos are a tough sell in a major recession.
If anyone wants to see more views, there are photos at the spiredenver.com website that show actual views from each floor.
I think the Spire is one of the most well thought out developments to come along. Many of the new buildings just sell themselves on rough proximity; so in a way they don't add anything to the area except for a place to live for someone and infill. Other places give the people luxury and ammenities just for those who live there.
There aren't too many developers who have thought about (or maybe cared) about their impact of their neighborhood. A good neighbor brings a bottle of wine or a gift when they are new. This new neighbor brings urban ammenities for everyone to share. Ground floor retail including bike share, car share (not exactly car share but close), easy transit options, and a visual interest. Check out the shimmering wall along the blue stripe.
But if you think about dinasaurs and what will survive in the new world order, I don't believe too many more 'gated communities' built as high rises can scale the inertia of credit and stock decline. They have a place, but will become the exception to urban living.
The Spire gets it. For the same reasons why Stapleton is so great, the Spire I believe will become a model for 'modest' luxury living.
The 'it' is mixing incomes. Extending inward luxury to be outward luxury. It's what makes denvers inner cities livable in the first place. It's what makes our great cities great.
So what's with those white strips that go all the way up when you look at it? Is that paper that they'll be removing?
Thanks for the shots Ken!
Most importantly, how does the Sales Center look???
IS there actually going to be a blue glowing light going up and down the building if so that will look very cool!
yea…I hope the glowing light down the building adds a little "miami vice" to downtown Denver because that would be cool, not gonna lie! 😛
When i drove past the building last night, each balcony on the south side had a blue light glowing…I am wondering if that will accompany or replace the previous idea shown in the renderings and models that show the entire south face to have that blue light box inbetween the balconys. Maybe it ended up being to expensive to add the entire light box so they went with individual blue lights over each balcony? Anyone know?
The balcony lights are in addition to the vertical blue light box.
Are they going to add retail to the bottom of the building like they show in the renderings and I hope the parking garage area is not going to be showing…I hope they add some kinda facade. Other than that, the building looks sleak..
The Denver Theater District Sign Plan shows that the parking garage can be covered up with ADs that block the parts of the garage that show. Seeing how valuable these ads can be (just look at L.A.), I don't think Spire will have any trouble selling. They already have ads on it and it's not even done. Sign Plan found here http://www.denvergov.org/Planning_Services/DenverTheatreDistrict/tabid/431713/Default.aspx
Thanks for the info!
Something bothers me about that Spire website. It's all about luxury and exclusivity, and leaves me thinking that this development is simply an urban version of the "gated community."
Don't get me wrong, I've been cheering this development since the beginning, for what added density and population does for Downtown and Denver. But the way it presents itself is weird.
Something bothers me about being in a city that is only 50% white, and building a tower on a location that, a couple decades ago, was a neighborhood belonging exclusively to people of color, then having a bunch of drawn images of an "ideal community" in which everyone depicted is 100% white and rich. It makes me think the developers, or at least the PR people and advertisers, are basing their message on "we keep the rifraff [read:YOU] out."
I see the same problem with the Four Seasons and the Bell Tower. Is this something I just wasn't so aware of before, or are luxury residential towers a new craze?
We all come to Denverinfill to celebrate the enhancement of our city. And I'm assuming most of us reading are from middle-income background, not super rich. So its ironic when we get excited about a website and plan with a basic message of: YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET IN HERE.
I also want to say that I understand the developer is trying to make the units affordable to upper-middle or middle income people, which is great and something to be celebrated.
I just think they missed the message on the website.
Bell Tower is Marketed for Super Millionaires. The condos are 3 to 8 million dollars. So far the buyers are a couple of Asians and a couple of Latin Americans.