Denver-based RedPeak Properties is planning a major new infill project in Downtown Denver’s Uptown district.
The Residences at 19th & Logan is a market-rate rental apartment project that will occupy the entire block bounded by E. 19th Avenue on the north, Pennsylvania Street on the east, E. 18th Avenue on the south, and Logan Street on the west. Currently a surface parking lot, the site was the home of the Machebeuf High School gymnasium when that institution was located in Uptown. In 2005, RedPeak purchased the property and began making plans to develop the site into a mixed-use retail and apartment project, but the financial crash hit before the project could get underway. Now, with the improving economy and the hot rental market in Denver, RedPeak is ready to develop the property. You can see the full-block parking lot site here on the Uptown page aerial photo at the original DenverInfill website.
The project will include approximately 300 apartment units in four buildings, named after four of Denver’s urban parks (Washington, Benedict, Congress, and Commons). The buildings will range from four to five stories in height and sit above two levels of underground parking containing approximately 400 parking spaces. About 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail will face 19th Avenue. Landscaped plazas and common areas will fill the gaps between the buildings.
Here’s a rendering, courtesy of Davis Partnership Architects, of the center of the 19th Avenue side with The Congress (left) and The Benedict (right) and the plaza entrance in between (click and expand to embiggen):
This is a view of The Congress at the project’s northeast corner, with Pennsylvania Street on the left and 19th Avenue on the right:
Finally, here’s a view of the southeast corner showing The Commons, with 18th Avenue on the left and Pennsylvania Street on the right:
The good folks at RedPeak and Davis Partnership tell me they are finalizing the project’s site plan and building designs, so I’ll probably have some additional project images and details to share with you in another month or two. Construction will begin Spring 2012. The two buildings along 19th Avenue (Benedict and Congress) will be completed first, opening Summer/Fall 2013, followed by The Commons and The Washington a few months later. The project team is aiming for LEED-Silver certification.
This project is fantastic news for Downtown Denver. East 19th Avenue will become an even more viable local retail street and a full city block of ugly surface parking goes away. In fact, given this project’s proximity to Uptown Square, Park Avenue Lofts, Tower on the Park, and the many other recent infill projects nearby, it wouldn’t surprise me if this RedPeak development pushes Uptown past the tipping point, causing a rush to develop the nearby vacant parcels and elevating Uptown into one of Denver’s most desirable, walkable, and livable urban districts.
Can you imagine a parking-lot-free Uptown? I can, and this project is getting us there.
Some architecture. Finally, that’s more like it! Getting tired of the all too similar modern apartment complexes springing up around town. I really like the mixed look of these in the renderings and it’ll be good to expand the density a bit Uptown. Should bode well culturally, too, for places like Avenue Theater down the street!
I agree – very exiting project. I especially like the appealing building design. Red Peak seems to be a quality developer with good taste and intentions. They have a smaller project pending in my neighborhood near Highlands Square if they can get past some rather vicious neighborhood resistance. They should see this design – maybe they would realize that Red Peak will install a neighborhood asset, not a neighborhood liability.
Dan,
I totally agree. As a West Highland resident I stand in full support of the Red Peak development there. They have taken a pro-active approach to the project. I recognize there are some legitimate concerns but nothing that is insurmountable. Thanks for all the infill news, keep it up!
I agree Mike. I’m in full support of the West Highland project as well, and have written an op/ed to that effect in North Denver Tribune. I agree all concerns can be resolved. It is great how the market has driven NW Denver to success – a hot place to live. Glad I came 17 years ago.
I agree too. I think this is a great project and they are doing it with quality urban design and architecture. i would even say the architecture here is superior to some of the proposed buildings going up in the Union Station neighborhood which is unfortunate since that is such a high profile location. I drove through this area last weekend and I think this area is quickly becoming an new “hot spot”. I also know Benedict Park will be getting a face-lift in the near future too, which will only help. Good job!
I like it!
Although I would support virtually any development that replaces that huge ugly parking lot, I am getting a bit tired of some of those recent, massive projects in uptown that seek to fit in to their urban surroundings, but end up feeling a bit like a separate, self-contained “apartment complex” due to the way the whole development is a bit homogenous in it’s design, colors, and building materials. The trick where they break up the facade of a building into sections with different designs to make one building look like separate buildings that create an uninterrupted street wall, often doesn’t work. In many cases, it doesn’t fool anyone for an instant and can end up looking tacky – especially when the development as a whole sticks out like a sore thumb.
Based on these pics, I love the look of this Red Peak project. The design of each building is tasteful. And I like the way each building is separate – not just physically but also in design and color. It doesn’t look at all like a big suburban “complex”.
Very nice… Hopefully Red Peak could build a few of these in Arapahoe Square some day. Things like this are better than big office towers in my opinion..
Before a parking lot it was my HS gym. Damn I’m getting old. It will be good to see something good replace it.
I also like this development – a lot. Check out this link on the Denver Skyscraper forum for an excellent aerial view of the project and a few additional renderings.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=168017&page=481
Now if only, the rest of uptown could follow this model. My opinion is that the most critical ingredient in the success of this design is the underground parking. Above ground parking really weakens the relatively recent Post Properties (I think) development in that area. It replaces courtyards with parking structures and makes for some unpleasant street frontage. Another important design variable that seems to be under control in this new project is the use of quality materials. No more stucco and fake parapets – I hope.
FYI, the site plan and several of the other renderings at that link are no longer current as the project has gone from 5 to 4 buildings. I’ll be getting the new site plan from the developer when it’s available.
Ken – I really hope they can pull off the same building and open space interplay with four buildings rather than five. The 5 building design shown on skyscraperpage is very, very cool. It seems to emulate yet improve the neighborhood design of old, hiding cars, and creating great outdoor spaces.
YEA, NO MORE STUCCO AND FAKE PARAPETS!
Awesome news, and about time! Looks great.
Exciting news for the neighborhood! One correction, “In fact, given this project’s proximity to Uptown Square, Park Avenue Lofts, Tower on the Park, and the many other recent infill projects nearby…”
It’s no longer Park Avenue Lofts; the community is now AMLI Park Avenue.
This is indeed a great way for Red Peak to continue their positive legacy in Denver. Eliminating an entire block of surface parking is nothing less than heroic, just as finding a new use for the old Security Life Building on Sixteenth Street was.
However, in answer to my gung-ho neighbors above (who for some mysterious reason characterize perfectly civilized opponents as “vicious”): as good as this is, and as good as their other projects have been, they need to pull the plug on their inappropriately-scaled plan for the three inappropriately-zoned residential sites in West Highland. Five story buildings are great when the existing context is five story buildings–but not so great when they want to build them on narrow residential streets (Meade Street, Moncrieff Place) that are currently lined with one- and two-story single family dwellings and duplexes, and that were mysteriously given “Main Street” zoning when, in fact, they’re not main streets at all, against the strongly stated opposition of the zoning committee of the West Highland Neighborhood Association. Those of us who have lived in West Highland for some time appreciate our neighborhood for its existing scale and strong historic vibe. We don’t want to become Capitol Hill, where the historic fabric was basically destroyed by greedy developers in the 1950s and 1960s. Let the five-story buildings be built on sites where they’re more appropriate.
My fervent hope is that Red Peak will now concentrate their money and energies on this Uptown project, and abandon their plans for West Highland.