It’s been almost two years since our last post on the proposed hotel by T2 Hospitality for the corner of 16th and Market in Lower Downtown. At that time, the project’s design was approved by the Lower Downtown Design Review Board. But that’s just an early step in the process. After the LDDRB gives its approval, a project still has to work its way through the regular city review and approval process for zoning, transportation, sewer and drainage, and various other issues. That’s exactly what has been happening with this proposed 11-story, 222-room hotel development during 2017 and 2018.
A new milestone has just been reached, however, which we are excited to report. A building permit application was submitted to the city on September 24, 2018. This is the best sign yet that the project is still a “go” and that construction could begin within the next few months.
To celebrate, here are some renderings of the development we haven’t posted before. These are from the project architect, DLR Group. Here’s a link to this project’s page on their website. As is usually the case, we offer the disclaimer that these may not represent the building’s final design and that its design is subject to change as it goes through the city’s building permit review and approval process.
What an improvement over the surface parking lot currently at this site! There are only three surface parking lots remaining that front the 16th Street Mall, and this is the largest among them. Along with Market Station under construction across the street, the proposed 1600 Market Hotel will dramatically improve this part of Downtown Denver and create a beautiful transition from the Central Business District to Lower Downtown along the Mall.
Hopefully, our next post on this project will be to celebrate the eradication of another surface parking lot from Downtown Denver!
As rendered, that would be a fine-looking building!
This fits in so nicely with the historic buildings down the street and fills in one of the most annoying holes in the urban fabric. I can’t tell if it’s the color or just artistic effect, but it would be really cool if the area where the roof extends past the facade were illuminated at night.
In the close-up rendering we either have a 10+ ft tall door (unlikely) or 3 1/2 ft tall people next to a 7-0 door. It just made me chuckle a little. Photoshop mistakes aside, I do agree that it is an attractive building.
+1 to Sean re: the rendering, funny! You can also see the ‘shopping of adjacent buildings — more streamlined, cleaner, meant to make the whole area look like it’s in tune with the hotel. Don’t get me wrong, the hotel is nice, I’m just commenting on the marketing.
I’m SO excited for this project. For many of us, this stretch of 16th has been a hole our entire lifetimes. Now, with Market Station, it will feel like a whole new city on this corner.
Yes, those are some tiny people. You know…because people shrink at this altitude. Not a photoshop mistake I am sure. Larger, more realistic figures would make the building look less spacious. Also, the hulking Barclay Building has been made to look clean and nice and sort of delicate! And furthermore…shown at dusk because as any renderer knows. Even a crappy ugly building can look good in the dark. Having said that, I think this could be an attractive building. Could be.
I took a look at the plans. It’ll be 17 feet from the sidewalk to the bottom of the window sills on the second floor. I’ll let you all figure out if the people in the rendering are right-sized or not!
Any word as to who the contractor was applying for the building permit?
Layton Construction
Just so you all know, the people in these renderings are a quick and easy feature included in CAD software and there aren’t a lot of adjustment parameters. You mostly get to affect density and that’s it. Rest assured a real designer would never consider doing such cheap and hasty work.
I like how they do a rendering in the winter. I hope this catches on, it looks really nice.
The existing Market Street historic development adjacent to this site recently had it’s sidewalk and streetscape enhanced. New pavers, retaining walls, rails, planters, benches, trees and tree grates are a huge improvement and should become the standard for all future development in LoDo, as well as existing development when it’s conducive to doing so. It would enrich the fabric of the entire neighborhood immensely and the thread that ties LoDo together. It’s an aspect of the built environment that is too often overlooked.
Any word on 1701 Blake, the 2016 Stonebridge proposal for a hotel at 17th and Blake? Another unsightly parking lot that needs to go!
That project, unfortunately, was cancelled.