Arapahoe Square is seeing an increase in residential development particularly along the Welton Corridor. With over 1,100 residential units currently under-construction along the corridor, an additional 238 units may soon be underway.
Last year, the Arapahoe Square Design Advisory Board was formed by the city and they are busy reviewing new projects, such as the one we are featuring today. This board will make sure that projects in Arapahoe Square meet zoning and design guidelines. Head on over to their website for more details about the board and design guidelines. 600 Park Avenue, a 13-story, 238-unit apartment building, is one of the first projects reviewed by the board.
Below is a map of the outlined project site and an aerial view with the building drawn in, courtesy of the submittal documents. 600 Park Avenue will take up an entire surface parking lot, requiring minimal demolition. For reference, this project will be going up across the street from Alexan Arapahoe Squrare.
Designed by Kephart Architecture, here are three preliminary renderings of 600 Park Avenue. This rendition currently does not meet the Arapahoe Square Design Standards and Guidelines in multiple categories including building scale and mass, and enhanced setbacks. For the full report, check out the documents submitted to the advisory board.
600 Park Avenue will also have a total of 230 parking units, a ratio of 0.96. According to the design guidelines, the structured parking must not be visible along the primary street this project resides on, in this case Welton Street.
600 Park Avenue still has at least one more round of design review before it breaks ground. We will keep you up to date as this project makes its way through the advisory board.
Exciting to consider all the new density, but does this mean zero new retail in all these big projects? I see none here and I believe there isn’t any in the Alexan projects. What about the other one? If not, I just worry we’d miss an opportunity to make this a new complete neighborhood.
Many of the lots in Arapahoe Square aren’t full-blocks or even half-blocks. Much of the land is still partitioned turn-of-the-century style, the way it was before the DURA parking nightmare (Source: http://www.downtowndenver.com/uncategorized/arapahoe-square-property-owner-map)
Within the next couple years, developers are going to run out of spaces where the “land barge” form is economical for them because of historic structures/the way lots are partitioned.
I think the x-factor here is parking. Clearly, the parking lots that dominate this area still generate revenue for their owners. Depending on how these developments turn out, and whether or not we see some of the lots closer to downtown get their skyscrapers, I’m guessing one of two things will happen. Either:
A. Developers work on a smaller scale, buying out 1/4 or 1/5 blocks and developing smaller retail/mixed use structures on them. Real infill! Maybe wishful thinking.
OR
B. A developer pays a huge premium to land owners to aggregate an entire block, and builds one large retail/parking complex.
Remember, there are two headwinds to retail development in this area at this moment:
1. Arapahoe Square is still stigmatized as a hostile environment at street level because of all the social services headquartered there.
2. Physical retail in general in this country is overbuilt right now. There’s 7.3 sq. ft. of retail space per capita. Once Sears and Penney finally tank, we’ll start seeing those buildings become apartments. No developer in their right mind is going to install large retail because all the “millennials” slated to live in these buildings will have Amazon hook them up.
Your comments on the lot size characteristics of Arapahoe Square are interesting. I hadn’t thought of it from that perspective. I’m not well-versed on zoning issues, review boards or a developer’s outlook or needs (other than making a profit), but it seems clear that new structures will be taller as developers maximize their investment on land that’s more scarce or harder to come by due to lot size.
As for the characteristics of the many new developments in Arapahoe Square and elsewhere, I remember reading a comment from Frank Lloyd Wright where he observed (even way back when…) that Denver’s built environment was “…all blocks and squares” or something to that effect. So, it appears to be nothing new for Denver–even though I, too, would like to see some new, true towers piercing the sky. I’ve always liked the feel of downtown Seattle, for instance: tall and slender, on elegant, finely sculpted hills. But Denver isn’t elegant, and I don’t think it should try to be. Denver’s setting, a flat plain racing boldly up to a massive wall of mountains, suggests to me a “city of broad shoulders”–even if Chicago already claims that moniker. In some ways the architecture reflects that idea. While I’m not in love with stucco or other cheap materials or finishes, I’m ok with “blocks and squares” or land barges for now. Other shapes will come along when the market is influenced by different factors than are present today.
The one thing I truly wish is that someone with more money than sense would rebuild the Tabor Grand Opera House.
For all intents and purposes, it’s pretty much the same building as the Alexan across the street.
Welton is just going to be lined with these behemoths.
… A little investigation indicates that’s becuase they’re both by the same architect. HMM…
Good to fewer surface parking lots.
Bad to more fugly architecture.
This entire neighborhood is being developed in the wrong way. Ugly buildings, very little ground-level retail. The Arapahoe Square Design Advisory Board needs to do its job.
absolutely. High density but not at all pleasant to walk through. Those people will hop in their cars to drive to dinner and then complain about parking/traffic.
I had a lot of hope for Arapahoe Square. Not looking like the vision I thought it would be with higher density.
I agree that while it is great to see the density and another parking lot gone, the architecture is sub-par and the lack of retail is a huge missed opportunity. I’m saddened that some developers and architects are still making the same mistakes over and over. There are a few good ones but this does seem to be a trend we will look back on and say we blew it.
All, please remember that these are preliminary designs. This project can significantly change as it goes through design review.
if past kephart project are any indication, the over mass/form/concept will change very little through the design process. mostly they’ll be hashing out construction details.
All aboard!
Ryan, are you aware of any pending projects hoping to utilize the new zoning in regards to thinner but taller (20+ story) projects? As much as I would like to hope that the smaller existing structures would prevent more land barge-style buildings, it seems as though corporate/developer greed is unparalleled here and variety is quickly being left behind in favor of maximizing leasable surface area.
Nothing pending right now, but we do know of a couple developers that want to utilize the new zoning. So, we can hope that a proposal or two will come up with the ‘point tower’ design.
Nice! Fingers crossed. As for complaints on the design, overall I actually think it’s improved vs the Alexan across the street…that said I’m definitely seeing a lack of true variety. It’s tough but I’m still hopeful for thoughtful changes moving forward. While it seems bad currently, improvements are a long term, slow process and I suppose all we can do is be patient and continue to voice our concerns and feedback.
For some reason I was under the impression the new zoning would prevent future land barges. I thought it was sort of a rule along the lines of, “If you want to go tall and try to maximize the square footage you can get out of this parcel, it has to be set back into towers that are taller and skinnier.” Admittedly I’m about as ignorant as can be about zoning and design guidelines etc. One day I’ll have to take the time to learn how this stuff works. It seems overly complicated.
For those complaining about this design, please refer to 2300 Welton. That building should be a crime!
Kyle, while I agree with you, simply finding an even worse example isn’t that useful!
It would be nice if the developers aimed higher.
Could have been a great neighborhood. Maybe we can get east Colfax and south Broadway right…but I’m seriously starting to doubt it.
I think it would be useful that, if people have not already done so, than they should read both the Arapahoe Square Neighborhood Plan and the Design Guidelines to get a better understanding on how this building is being proposed with this preliminary design. Specifically, the ‘Point Tower’ form would allow a developer to build up to 20 stories on a 5-story base, whereas hiding all the parking behind other uses (street facing) is what allows this developer to build above 8 stories. Reviewing the actual proposal that was presented to the review board would also be helpful.
I’m not all that fond of using two different metal panel systems (lighter grey horizontally striped and darker grey vertically stripped areas), but it is allowed under the design guidelines. I am also really tired of developers using white stucco for large portions of the exteriors, which I think will starting looking dingy very quickly. I think the lower portion (5th floor and below) should have taken more inspiration from the 1800 Market development. With that said, this development covers the parking on all street facing exteriors, unlike the 21st&Welton apartments. There is much more variation in the 5-story base than in both the 21st&Welton and Alexan 20th St developments. The Alexan Arapahoe Sq project has some variation in the base, but it creates more of a massive wall feel than this project. The top portion and the base also seems more connected than what the Alexan 20th St project shows. While this is still a land barge, I think it is much improved relative to the others that are going up in the neighborhood. Besides, this only takes up 2/3 of the block so there is hope for the remainder. This project, though, should have had retail/commercial space at the corner of Welton and Park Avenue.
There’s no foot traffic on Welton and these buildings will not encourage that to develop. No trees, no streetscape. There’s no human scale to it. Denver is blowing it big time.