A bold condo proposal in Arapahoe Square is making its way through the Downtown Design Advisory Board. This project, named Evolve Towers, is exciting on many levels which we will explore throughout this post. The first exciting element is the eradication of one of the worst parking lots along Park Avenue West in Arapahoe Square.
Below is a map with the project site outlined to better orient you; the official address for Evolve Towers is 838 Park Avenue West. You may recall back in 2017 we announced a project, Champa Flats, that would have resided on this lot. Given the developer, Ubuntu Partners, has closed on the land, we can assume that Champa Flats will not be built.
In the above aerial, you can see that this area of Arapahoe Square is littered with surface parking lots so it’s great to see another one hopefully bite the dust. Currently, a single-story boarded up building, surrounded by a sea of surface parking, resides on this lot.
Now for the exciting renderings and details of this project! Evolve Towers will provide Downtown Denver with 314 for-sale condo units contained in a twin 22-story tower. A four-story parking podium will provide 278 parking spaces which calculates to a ratio of 0.88 parking spaces per unit.
Since this project is located in Arapahoe Square, it has to follow the Arapahoe Square Design Standards and Guidelines and go through design review. Thanks to this process, we are able to get a beautiful point tower design like you see below. Even though these renderings are preliminary, any changes that are to be made will have to go back through design review.
The renderings are courtesy of the project developer’s website, with OZ as the architect on record.
From the permitting side, Evolve Towers is still in its early stages with only a concept plan filed with the city. However, with the recent news of the land purchase, we should hope to see more activity come through on the permitting side. We will keep you updated as more information about this project comes through.
Wow, this project does look incredible and if built, would be quite transformative. A century ago, during the time that Broadway was pushed through this area, another transformation was taking place. Residences were coming down at a fast clip as the residential flavor of this area changed. The Wolfe Londoner House (former mayor of Denver), stood at 2222 Champa–which is where the current mechanic shop is located. It came down in 1940 and was memorialized in the paper for once having been a “show place” 60 years prior. It looks like its replacement–the mechanic shop–will remain. Glad to see the old Muddy’s Coffee House(Moratto Block) staying–for now–at the corner of 22nd and Champa. I wonder if the rare residences located on the adjacent block of Stout St. will get a chance for new life in the coming years. Those remnant houses are a window into the past when Denver was changing again–as ever–so long ago.
Interesting sunscreen treatment. I like how the sunscreen helps integrate the towers with the sky. It shows a sensitivity to both the strong sun glare into the units and the visual connection to the resulting deep color of the sky. Also glad some one can think beyond the boxy stuff called architecture.
Who is going to buy those condos exactly? That neighborhood is absolutely screwed right now. Even once promising Larimer is mostly shuttered storefronts at this point (until it crosses Broadway). I don’t think there is any way this gets out of the ground unless the city plans to actually do something about our very own developing skid row.
Gotta start somewhere, and this would be a great start!
That’s just a false statement about Larimer St. A quick look at street view shows that there are more open storefronts in 2018 than there were in 2007. Not to mention an entire block of apartments added on that stretch.
Agreed. In a Google Streetview survey of Larimer between Park and 20th (Nov. 2018 imagery), I counted 4 storefronts vacant out of about 40 in all.
I have the lust if names you like. Mist of them are people that want to own homes in an amazing neighborhood.
Larimer “once promising?” Give me a break. Going to call out a lame comment.
Ewh nice, this would do some lifting.
They should take out the parking garage levels and turn them into office space instead. Perhaps add a grocery store, a daycare, and whatnot. We don’t need to accommodate more cars in downtown Denver in 2020.
That won’t happen until people stop being so obsessed with driving everywhere. Until then, people will throw a temper tantrum if they don’t have a parking space to cram their totally-necessary-for-some-imaginary-circumstance-but-only-ever-actually-used-for-grocieries-once-every-blue-moon F-350 Super Duty Extended Cab into.
I think people will ultimately drive less when they’re in the city, but this is still colorado. It’s not New York City or Chicago. There are times when you will need access to a car. It might mean you drive far less than you would in the suburbs, but try getting groceries when living at this site. Sure, you can bike it once in awhile. You can probably walk to a local bar. But on days like today, good luck without a car.
It’s just not feasible.
‘Drive much less’ is more realistic than ‘don’t drive at all’.
“It’s just not feasible.”
With that kind of attitude, it’s not feasible! Stop building parking and people will stop driving!
.88 spaces per unit is quite low. Should this developer propose a building with no parking, they might not even be able to get it financed. It would make for a much riskier investment as condos without parking are much more difficult to sell.
This isn’t SimCity; it’s the real world.
Stop making alcohol and people will stop drinking. Stop selling weed and people won’t smoke it. Yeah.. no.
Rather; provide incentives for people to drive less or not at all and some will decide to do so, but rarely does forcing people to do anything achieve the desired results..
Agreed.
This will be a great addition to Denver downtown.
So far looks like a serious project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=74&v=C_Tx0VnQGD4&feature=emb_logo
https://www.ubuntupartnersllc.com
What a great project. After all the repeated criticism of the “land barges” common in the area (yep, I was one of the critics), great to see such sexy and futuristic design that makes the most of this space.
Five stars in my book! Sure hope its gets built!
Very cool project. With so many developers offering bare bones design in the name of cost efficiency, its great to see a project that goes well past minimum requirements and contributes the art of architecture we all share in as residents of the city. I expect this will pay off well for them in the long run.
A good first impression. However, many detail questions remain. what is floor to floor height? very tired of Americano 8 ft. ceilings.
Forever disappointing. More unaffordable housing in an area that desperately NEEDS affordable housing.
This building shows no respect to the adjacient historic neighborhood. These buildings are twice as tall as the ones at park and Welton. The developer should be respectful of adjacent heights and contest. Also what about traffic, yu can’t cross park Ave now.
The design is nice but it doesn’t need to be so high, max 12 story.
The zoning for this property is D-AS-12+ which allow for building up to 375 feet in height, depending on the building form. This zoning was approved by Denver City Council in 2010 and is consistent with the recommendation in the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan. Additionally, the city adopted Design Standards and Guidelines for the Arapahoe Square area that adds an additional layer of design review. This developer is proposing a project that is fully entitled as a use-by-right under the Denver Zoning Code.