An exciting future is coming to the area around RTD’s 10th & Osage station!
Since the Central line opened in 1994, the only notable feature at the 10th & Osage light rail stop in Denver’s La Alma – Lincoln Park district has been the historic Buckhorn Exchange restaurant. Weedy lots framed the station to the north and south, and no development next to the station ever managed to get off the drawing board. Until now.
Thanks to the Denver Housing Authority’s ambitious redevelopment plan for their South Lincoln Homes project, the area around the 10th & Osage station will be transformed into a higher-density, mixed-use transit-oriented community. The master plan calls for the replacement of the existing 270 public housing units built in the early 1950s with over 800 new residential units (a mix of rental and for-sale, subsidized and market-rate) and over 70,000 SF of commercial, retail, and community space. All together, the redevelopment will cost $250 million and take a decade or so to complete. Here’s an aerial of the site from GoogleEarth looking west. W. 11th Avenue is on the right, W. 9th Avenue on the left, and Mariposa Street at the bottom. The light rail station is top center.
Here’s the South Lincoln Redevelopment plan and bird’s eye rendering, both from DHA:
It gets even better. The first building in the redevelopment area, 1099 Osage, broke ground in September. The site for 1099 Osage is the brown U-shaped building in the upper right corner of the redevelopment plan map at 11th and Osage. The $21 million project is an 8-story, 100-unit senior apartment building that will achieve LEED-Platinum status. Here’s a rendering of the building, courtesy of project architect Buchanan Yonushewski Group:
The redevelopment of the South Lincoln Homes follows DHA’s successful redevelopment of another large Downtown-area property: the Park Avenue project in Uptown. That project is in the final phases and has dramatically improved the area around Park Avenue, E. 20th Avenue, and Tremont Place. It will be wonderful to watch a similar transformation take place in La Alma – Lincoln Park around the 10th & Osage station.
This looks great and I am hopeful that it will have a positive impact on that area.
I do think, however, that it is too soon to call the DHA project on Park Ave. a success. It still has a long way to go. There are empty lots that were supposedly meant to have for sale units on them. Ownership is a key part to the success of that development. The rest of the apartments on Park Ave look pretty good and if they are well managed will contribute greatly to the upward momentum of Five Points.
True, but so far I like what I see at Park Avenue.
This sounds great! I’m sure the Buckhorn will be very happy to get their neighborhood updated, with better access via the light rail.
Is there any commercial or retail space going in? It seems from the rendering it is more pedestrian friendly, but will there be any space for shops or cafes? (I’d think it would only improve things for the Buckhorn Exchange, theirs being such a specific niche.)
Pretty ambitious. My only concern is that you mentioned there were 270 existing housing units there currently…just how many of the proposed units are going to be rented for approximately the same costs to tenants?
I share Matt’s concern, but I’m looking forward to seeing this. Another question: will freight locomotives still be permitted to idle near the 10th & Osage light rail station? It’s been a while since I’ve waited for a train there, but when I have, the noise has been constant. It’s not above the pain threshold, but enough to prevent having a normal conversation. If it continues, I can’t imagine people lingering in the public spaces shown in the rendering.
Shay: the plan includes 70,000 SF of commercial, retail, and community space.
Matt: I don’t know the answer to your question but DHA has a very detailed program for transitioning the current residents into the new project as it develops. I’d check out the DHA website for more info.
Chris: I don’t know about the trains. Good question.
Very exciting for the lincoln park neighborhood. This will dovetail nicely with the continued developement of the Santa Fe Arts District. The neighborhood is definitely moving in the right direction
Does anyone know what’s going on at West Colfax and Lipan?
There was an old DHA building on the Southwest corner, and it’s been torn down in the last few days. It was an awful building, and I’m really hoping that the space gets put into good use.
From todays Denver Post:
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_16662990
Great article!