This is the worst one-block stretch of any street in downtown Denver:

The 1800 block of Market is an ugly hole in the urban fabric that features nothing but the open storage of cars and a pedestrian environment that is depressing and unpleasant. It is the only street segment in downtown Denver with no buildings on either side.

As of yesterday, the half-block of land on the right in the Google image above ceased to be a parking lot. Urbanists rejoice!

In its place will be a new 11-story brick building with 302 homes for people, ground-floor commercial spaces, and 15-foot wide streetscaped sidewalks. As we reported in our previous post on this project in early August, Greystar purchased the property along with the development plans from the previous owner and was hoping to break ground this fall. Check! Building permits have already been approved by the city.

Let’s celebrate another parking lot eradication with some photos I took this afternoon as workers were installing concrete construction barriers around the property.

Parking lot closure for construction of 18th & Market Apartments
Parking lot closure for construction of 18th & Market Apartments
Parking lot closure for construction of 18th & Market Apartments
Parking lot closure for construction of 18th & Market Apartments

Why is this change important? Why is this development a good thing? Because all great cities are organized around the pedestrian and designed to prioritize walking—the most affordable and equitable form of transportation. When we replace a lifeless empty space like a parking lot with a building full of people and ground-floor activities that are interesting and engaging, that makes Denver a more walkable place and a better city.

Hopefully in the coming days we will see the 18th and Market site go full-construction!