The Union Station district in Downtown Denver is poised for another project to begin.

16 Chestnut is an office tower first proposed by East West Partners back in April 2012. The tower’s design was advanced in 2013, which was when we last reported on the project. At that time, however, the Triangle Building was EWP’s priority so there hasn’t been much to say about 16 Chestnut. Until now.

East West Partners and Starwood Capital Group just announced that 16 Chestnut is moving forward with construction set to begin in July 2016. The tower will rise 19 stories or 250 feet and contain a total of 410,000 square feet.

Perhaps even bigger news than the tower’s planned start is the fact that DaVita Healthcare Partners, which has their world headquarters across 16th Street from the 16 Chestnut site, has agreed to lease 265,000 square feet in the new tower as they plan a significant expansion of their Denver headquarters by adding an estimated 800 job positions. What a huge win for Downtown Denver!

East West Partners has released some new renderings of 16 Chestnut that we’re happy to share with you. The tower will consist of two modules: the DaVita space facing 16th Street, and the 17th Street side that will be marketed to other firms, with ground-floor retail and parking occupying the base. Here’s the view from the Pivot/Whole Foods site looking across the 17th and Chestnut intersection. On the right edge of the rendering is RTD’s Chestnut Pavilion.

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Next we see the view looking at the corner of 16th and Chestnut. On the left is DaVita’s current building and the Millennium Bridge. On the right edge of the rendering is the recently completed 1601 Wewatta. Note how the RTD 16th Street Mall shuttle lanes cut under the back corner of 16 Chestnut. Also, you’ll note that the once-proposed pedestrian bridge spanning across the shuttle lanes from the upper deck of the Millennium Bridge into the mezzanine level of the new tower is no longer planned. That’s probably a good thing as it could have made the Millennium Bridge feel less of a true public space and more like an elevated corporate plaza.

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Finally, here’s a close-up of the base of the building along Chestnut Place:

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Our thanks to VOCA Public Relations and East West Partners for the renderings! Gensler is the architect.

16 Chestnut is seeking LEED Platinum and is planned to be finished by August 2018.