Since our last update in November, the residential portion of 999 17th Street, also referred to as 1776 Curtis Street, is making great progress. This tower will eventually reach 28 stories, contributing 360 apartment units to Central Downtown Denver.
Let’s start out with two views of the project from farther out vantage points. Even though this project is tucked away in the most urban area of Downtown Denver, it still makes an impact on the skyline.
1776 Curtis Street is currently up 19 stories with nine more to go. The facade is also climbing quickly catching up to the concrete structure. Here are three street- level views of the project.
Now that the residential tower is further along, we should hopefully see the office portion kick off soon. We will swing back around when work begins on the office building.
That facade makes it look like the entire building is a parking garage.
Unfortunate.
Probably the most upsetting this about this project is we saw what “could have been”, i.e. the light cascades covering the parking, the proposed brick facade… while I’m still excited for the office portion, I think overall this project is disappointing considering the residential component (clearly the more significant portion) was so dumbed-down compared to what was originally fleshed out.
At the very least this will hopefully help to activate this area after business hours with the addition of so many residents along with enough retail space for 4 businesses / restaurants / etc.
Yeah, I walk by this building every day. I remember seeing the rendering and thinking this looks cool, but seeing it person is very disappointing. Especially in what I think is such a good location for something much better than this. The beige color just looks cheep and dated.
second newest building in the skyline looks ten years old….
Not sure what your position is on the aesthetics of the Block 162 office tower, but this news snippet makes me personally excited for our skyline moving forward, at the very least…
http://www.businessden.com/2017/01/24/32-story-downtown-office-tower-soon-to-rise/
That block 162 was like the ‘last chance’ to build a new tallest to inhance the skyline. Something to push the tired old mid eighties skyline boundaries finally but nope. Should have been a mixed use single tower like it’s done in other major cities.
Are the empty lots on 17th at both California and Welton not viable spots for a New Tallest? Or the sea of asphalt from Lincoln to California north of Trinity Church?
The northeast side along 15th between Arapahoe and Curtis is PRIME for at least 2 potential new-tallests. (and here’s to hoping they eventually replace that gaudy cement building between these two streets along 16th)
The 17th St. lots could work but the Trinity Church area (if I remember correctly) is limited to 400 feet.
In terms of “height”, I’m not sure (much to everyone’s chagrin, I’m sure) that we need a new “tallest”… It would be nice to see more variety (lots of proposals around the same height, both on the “short” and “tall” end of the spectrum) and more importantly I would like to see more thoughtful architecture. The proposal for 1776 Curtis was FANTASTIC until they got it approved and then randomly released an “updated” rendering which took all the fun out of it. Brick facade and some thoughtful covering of the parking podium… so simple, probably not a detriment to the developer’s/manager’s bottom line………. I’ll stop now before I get myself disappointed.
Anyway, I think if we continue to add quality retail/restaurant space outside of just the 16th St Mall – which this development suggests it will with 4 retail spaces between 17th and 18th – then that’s a start at the very least.
I’m hoping 1144 Fifteenth and Block 162 signal the end of the super rickety, earth tone phenomenon which is plaguing Denver.
Are they still planning on the office building section next to the Monaco? Why would they not build it all at once?
Yes. They are using the office building site for construction staging. Once the residential tower gets finished enough, they can start on the office portion. At least that’s the latest I have heard.
I’m wondering if they’ll ever remove the 1-story glass building next to the gray tower across the street (not pictured here) in favor of something with more substance to really complete the block on Curtis between 17th and 18th. Considering that property never seems to have much if any action going on (granted I don’t work downtown during business hours so I’m ultimately unsure) I don’t see much long-term value in it, both to the land owner and the residents of Denver in general.
I work security for that block. They’re not going to do anything with that property anytime soon. That small glass building just got leased to a new restaurant, too. And yes, I agree it’s a waste of space. Most of the office building is vacant as well. But it’s not my place to complain…
Some time ago we saw some pretty snazzy pictures for what this development was supposed to become. Was it that design that got approved for construction, only to be later changed into something much more bland? Is that how the design-approval-building process works in Denver?
I walked around this building for the first time today for the first time and concur with the other commentators. What an enormous disappointment. Its precast concrete skin looks cheap, nothing like the original graphics. I think it is an embarrassment that something like this would be build in 2017.
I certainly agree with some of the other posts on here. It’s such a disappointment that this section of downtown will be marred with such an ugly and unattractive building. It’s really dated; it looks like it was built in the 1980’s. The office portion better be stunning but I’m afraid nothing can save the apartment portion of it now. What a waste of space in a great section of downtown.