While the same three projects are under construction from our previous roundup of Arapahoe Square, a slew of proposals have been filed with the city over recent months. Bordering Central Downtown, Arapahoe Square has always been a bit of a density desert, with a higher mix of industrial buildings and surface parking lots. With these new proposals, which we will cover later in this post, Arapahoe Square will begin to feel more like an urban district adjacent to Central Downtown, with higher density and quality infill.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Legacy Lofts. This nine-story project, developed by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, is very close to completion. With the exterior mostly complete, finishing touches are going in on the ground floor. To read more about what the Legacy Lofts will provide for the community, head over to this link.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Stories | 98 affordable homes | 11 (v) 55 (b) parking | Colorado Coalition For the Homeless | Christopher Carvell | Milender White |
600 Park Avenue. This 12-story project is making steady progress. Since our last update, the primary structure has topped out, with facade work underway. Because of design review guidelines, higher quality materials are encouraged. We will see a good amount of brick on this facade. Currently, the facade on the podium is nearly complete and looks sharp.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Stories | 238 apt homes | 217 (v) 93 (b) parking | Greystar | Kephart | Greystar |
X Denver 2. Currently the tallest building in Arapahoe Square, this 22-story project is looking more complete by the day. The dark facade has topped out, with the ground-floor treatments and glass following just behind. While X Denver 2 looks a bit alone at the moment, this is around the average height of new projects proposed for Arapahoe Square.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Stories | 410 apt homes | 6100 sf retail | 74 (v) 397 (b) parking | X Company | Studio PBA | Milender White |
PROPOSED
2000 Welton. Just over a year ago, DenverInfill mentioned 2000 Welton in our September 2021 Arapahoe Square Roundup. Not much has progressed except for an Urban Design filing last month; this means it will probably go before the Downtown Design Advisory Board in the near future.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Stories | 344 homes | 144 (v) parking |
Hub Development |
Davis Partnership | Urban Design (2022-08-09) |
990 Park Avenue. A surface parking lot at the south corner of Park Avenue West and Curtis Street may see a for-sale condo project in the future. Arapahoe Square currently has a limited stock of for-sale housing, so it would be great to see some condo development gain momentum here.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Stories | 48 condo homes | 39 (v) 26 (b) parking |
RedT Homes |
TBD | Site Development Plan (2022-04-07) |
2000 Broadway. At the north corner of Broadway and California Street sits a Firestone that has been on the edge of downtown for decades. It may get replaced by a 25-story project that will improve the transition between Downtown Denver and Arapahoe Square but will also provide the density this corner deserves. The current building on-site is very suburban in nature and is a disservice at the street level, with sidewalk parking and a surface parking lot fronting the building. According to the Denver Landmark Preservation, the current 1960s building is eligible for preservation for its Googie architecture and retro-futurism designs. The window to file an application to preserve the building closed last month, so it’s only a matter of time to see what the future holds with this site.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Stories | 262 apt homes | 247 (v) parking |
GBT Realty Corporation |
Gresham Smith | Urban Design (2022-05-10) |
2091 Lawrence. A surface parking lot on the west corner of 21st and Lawrence street might get supplanted and replaced by a 37-story building. While still in the concept plan stage, this is currently the tallest proposal for Arapahoe Square.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 Stories | 500 apt homes | 350 (v) parking |
GMK |
Gensler | Urban Design (2022-07-12) |
2215 California. A concept plan was recently filed for a twin 25-story project at the north corner of 22nd and California. Currently, the site is occupied by a surface parking lot and the Limousine Express bus service.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25, 25 Stories | 646 apt homes | 8,500 sf retail | 396 (v) parking |
CMK |
TBD | Urban Design (2022-05-18) |
2201 Stout. A first for Denver: a triple tower proposal. The north corner of 22nd and Stout street may soon be home to three 25-story towers. The project currently has an Urban Design filing however, the city is requiring a resubmittal. In terms of breakdown, there is a residential and retail component, with the three towers situated over a two-story podium. The Salvation Army owns the land, so there is a chance an affordable housing component will get mixed in.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25, 25, 25 Stories | 858 apt homes | 11k sf retail | 623 (v) parking |
CMK |
TBD | Urban Design (2022-07-08) |
2261 Broadway. On the north corner of a complicated intersection at Broadway and Arapahoe stands a small non-descript single-story building. Plans for this corner call for a nine-story residential building which would add a considerable amount of density to this part of Arapahoe Square.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Stories | 178 apt homes | 193 (v) parking |
TBD |
Davis Partnership | Concept Plan (2022-06-29) |
2052 Welton. The Welton corridor towards Downtown Denver is still littered with parking lots making this area seem like an island to your typical passerby. A 32-story building proposed for the south corner of 21st and Welton Street would definitely help create a sense of place for this part of the Welton corridor.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 Stories | 244 apt homes | 183 (v) parking |
Hub Development |
Open Studio Architecture | Concept Plan (2022-06-30) |
Other notable projects proposed in Arapahoe Square, such as Kenect Denver, 2215 California, and Evolve Towers have not moved since our last roundup in March. We are keeping a close on these and will keep you updated if they move along.
That’s it for Arapahoe Square. We hope to see some of the proposals in “Urban Design” status hit the Downtown Design Advisory Board in the near future.
Maps for projects mentioned in this post:
Legacy Lofts
Legacy Lofts
X Denver 2
2000 Welton
990 Park Avenue
2000 California
2091 Lawrence
2215 California
2201 Stout
2261 Broadway
2052 Welton
Okay—I’ll bite: What’s up with the 25-stories thing? Tell me there isn’t a height restriction on these parcels, because that would be a shame. It’s not a coincidence that five proposed towers top out at that height, right?
It all has to do with the Downtown Urban Design Standards and Guidelines. Certain heights have certain requirements and 25 stories seems to be a sweet spot in Arapahoe Square at the moment.
There is also the zoning itself. Arapahoe Square is generally divided into two zone: AS12+ and AS20+. Most of these proposed developments fall into the AS12+ zoning, which has a maximum height, with incentives, of 150 ft , or about 25 stories. The maximum height, with incentives, in the AS20+ zone is 375 ft and both the 2052 Welton and 2091 Lawrence proposals are in that zoning.
Is there any reason why this area isn’t growing as fast as say RINO or Golden triangle? It seems like a much easier area to develop than the other two, considering the endless parking lots and such.
It isn’t as desirable to live in as the other areas mentioned. Will be really incredible to see the neighborhood take off in the next decade as it will be a mixed income area.
RINO is an economic opportunity zone that Trump established. I don’t know all the specifics, but it’s a HUGE tax break for developers.
Only the far NW quadrant of RINO is in that zone, and most of the development in RINO was well underway long before Trump got involved. I’d say the impact of his program was minimal.
Expanding on KJ, but I think it comes down to the order of development. RiNo got a major boost when Source, Denver Central Market, and Ironton/38/Mockery. The final cherry was the 38th/blake station. These places all brought people into the neighborhood and then, as is clearly visible, the development projects centered around these amenities. Unfortunately, Araphoe Square has not had these type of city-wide attractions come to be yet thus the development in reverse, with the large resi projects happening and the hope that the cooler hangouts come next. (note: Welton corridor is extremely cool and will continue to be so, but the areas around it are what I am focusing on)
On top of that, the city infrastructure in this area is not very useable. Sidewalks are unwelcoming and often-times the city from street view in that area can appear dangerous and third-world, without the actual danger. The distance to parks is pretty abysmal in that area with limited sightlines of the mountains. RiNo has these same issues, but has had success in pushing the encampments to areas with lower foot traffic.
All in all, my point is that the land up in Arapahoe square has long been eschewed due to its location in the city. Now that Denver and developers have begun in earnest to connect areas of density in town, the land has newfound value due to scarcity. I wouldn’t expect to see Arapahoe square to be a cool area in the way that RiNo has become and the golden triangle likely will become, but it is a great area to add density and connect the city. I just hope that the city is able to do SOMETHING in this area to add space for dog parks or other green spaces.
Ryan – Any update on the 5280 Loop? I believe it was supposed to run along 21st street in Arapahoe Square. Would love to see the city invest in this portion of the trail first to provide some green space and an incentive for developers and tenants to invest back into this area.
I’m just going to say it………I think that its also because this area is is plagued with a lot of blight, vandalism, crime, open drug use, homelessness, and “tent blocks.” I certainly would not want to live in this part of downtown. There are so many opportunities here for a good, high-density neighborhood. But I think that its going to be hard to attract people to live here with the current state of crime and homelessness here.
I would also note that the Golden Triangle started it’s upswing 25 years ago with smaller lofts and condos that preceded the current boom.
I would say that the first boost to RiNo came before the Source, Denver Central Market, etc. There were still a lot of serviceable, low-rise buildings in that area (unlike Arapahoe Square) and so artists (and galleries) moved there after being priced out of LoDo, followed by the breweries for the same reason. That creates a destination. Retail, residential, and office naturally followed. The 38th/Blake station directly connects to Union Station/LoDo and, with the South Platte on the northwest side, there are two destination poles and an adjacent natural amenity.
Given so much damage to the urban landscape (i.e. parking lots) in Arapahoe Square, and the proximity to office-heavy, residential-light upper downtown, it’s hard to get those early ‘pioneers’ started in AS. However, with the transformation of 21st St. and infilling along Welton St. and in Uptown, pressure will be on AS to transform. Also consider the zoning: much of RiNO was originally zoned industrial or low-rise (≤ 5 stories), which is not true with AS.
Oh no…I reckon it’s only a matter of time ‘til some developer submits a rendering for Two Tabor, bringing about a sudden ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.