Last week while I was in Indiana, the Spire‘s blue tower crane that has dominated the Denver skyline for the past year or so was dismantled, as the tower has reached its full height.
My friend Grant was kind enough to snap a picture of the crane’s dismantling for my benefit so, in case you missed it, I’m happy to share the photo with all of you. In this particular angle, the Four Seasons’ crane is in the background and the Embassy Suites’ crane is in the foreground:
There’s something geekily exciting about tower cranes, and it’s sort of sad when one goes away. However, we get a shiny new skyscraper in exchange so that’s a fair trade!
We got a new red tower crane about two weeks ago near 20th and Lawrence. I suspect its for the Zocolo project on Block 79 that you discussed on 2/14/09. Not as tall a crane as Spire, but a least a partial trade.
Ken, How are sales going at not only the Spire but other large new condo projects such as One Lincoln Park, Pinnacle, 4 Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Park 100, River front park, Welton place etc…?? I think this info would be a great for this site and really give us an insiders view of how Denver's urban core really is fairing during these economic times.
Thanks,
🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 by spire crane hello building
Awesome! I can't wait to see 4 Seasons topped off.
I think because other cranes are not going up, we have this feeling that perhaps our development boom is slowly coming to an end. But as you said Ken a shiny building added to the skyline is more than redeeming.
Now that the Crane has come down!!! Who do we talk to about adjusting the webcam so we can see more of the Pool level/Floor?????
Spire our shiny blue!
Why not point the camera down even further so we can see Embassy Suites rise?
All this negativity about a crane coming down. A finished building is much more attractive than a crane! The Spire looks great – it has a great color, and contrasts with all the brown (too much brown) of Denver's high-rises.
Just wait until residents start coming in to the building. As the Spire and One Lincoln Park fill up with tenants, the population in Denver will increase and bring along all the economic activity those people generate.
Even with no further major construcion we're yet to see a boost in activity downtown. New residents will increase demand for Downtown's retail and maybe the boost will be enough that we'll get something like a grocery store or major department store in LoDo. I often see worries of "overbuild" downtown, but in my opinion growth in one sector leads to demand for other sectors – building completion leads to new construction sites.
Same goes for when 1900 16th Street fills up with tenants and a flood of office workers will take lunch breaks on the 16th Street Mall and hopefully use transit that gets off at Union Station.
That said, I'm interested to know how quickly these new projects are filling up!
To the question up above about how sales are going. I think it is fair to say "not too well" for most if not all of these new high rises that are blooming in the heat of the recession.