Today, let’s visit the North quadrant of River North, where a sizeable amount of construction is taking place, and multiple projects are making their way through the development process with the city. Since our visit last summer, this quadrant has seen an increase in overall building height due to more projects going vertical over the past ten months.
Last Roundup: River North (North) Roundup SEP 2022
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Current. Finishing touches are being made on The Current, with the streetscape at the ground floor of the building recently opening up to the public. In addition to the ground floor, the facade is mostly complete, including a new building logo on the northeast corner, with finishing touches being made on the glass and interior of the building. The Current should be complete and open for tenants in the coming weeks.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Stories | 238,000 sf office | 388 (v) parking | Schnitzer West | Davis Partnership | Swinerton |
Flora. Work on Flora has progressed nicely, and we can now see how it will look in its final form. The rounded edges give a unique look to the building and fit in well at the heels of the RiNo Art Park. The dark brick facade is underway and can be seen on the north and eastern portions of the building. The grey on the upper floors is not part of the final facade.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Stories | 92 apt homes | 7,500 sf office | 7,900 sf retail | 102 (v) parking | Belay Development | Studio Completiva | Swinerton |
The Burrell. Previously identified as Chestnut Lofts, The Burrell is progressing significantly, with the building topped out and the facade underway. The Burrell features a use we don’t see very often: affordable condos. These condos start in the $200,000s and provide much-needed affordable home ownership in a neighborhood dominated by market-rate rental housing. Check out their website for additional information.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Stories | 49 affordable homes | 0 (v) parking | Shanahan Development | Studio Completiva | Brinkmann |
Wynkoop Street. The tallest residential project under construction in this quadrant is making steady progress. The 16-story structure is topped out, with facade work beginning to climb the structure. Due to its height, it is seen from various vantage points around this quadrant, as evidenced in the photos below.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Stories | 175 apt homes | 149 (v) parking | RiNo Vertical Development | Studio 646 | I-Kota |
Cambria Hotel RiNo. The Cambria Hotel RiNo has gone from demolition to topping out in just over a year. The seven-story building is wrapped in scaffolding, with exterior and facade work underway.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Stories | 153 rooms | 29 (v) parking | HighSide Development | Baskervill | Brinkmann |
3901 Wynkoop. This seven-story project has topped out, with facade work underway. 3901 Wynkoop adds a significant street wall to this area of Brighton Boulevard, which has never seen a continuous urban presence.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Stories | 408 apt homes | 13,000 sf retail | 428 (v) 213 (b) parking | Carmel Partners | Stantec | Carmel Partners |
PROPOSED
3800 Brighton. Next door to 3901 Wynkoop, a construction permit for this 17-story project was filed in April. While construction activities are not yet taking place, construction is assumed to start soon. In addition to this progress update, we can share a rendering obtained from the construction documents filed with the city.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Stories | 366 apt homes | 2,000 sf retail | 338 (v) parking | Carmel Partners | Stantec | Building Permit (2023-04-14) |
Return to Form. Colorado’s tallest mass timber structure is progressing with the city, with a building permit filed last month. Given the unique nature of mass timber projects, seeing a project in high-rise form utilizing this technology would be exciting to see. In addition, a new rendering of the project is provided below.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Stories | 84 apt homes | 51 (v) parking | Katz Development | Tres Birds | Building Permit (2023-06-06) |
DriveTrain II. Another project with a building permit filed should be close to construction. DriveTrain II, next to DriveTrain in the West quadrant, is a taller rendition of its six-story neighbor. While DriveTrain features a dark, industrial facade, DriveTrain II will contrast its neighbor with a more modern, glassy look.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Stories | 230 apt homes | 4,200 sf retail | 266 (v) parking | CP VI Rino, LLC |
Solomon Cordwell Buenz | Building Permit (2023-02-15) |
3660 Brighton. The hotel proposed on the east side of Brighton Boulevard between 36th and 37th Street is making its way through the city, with a site development plan filed in April. If this project moves forward, it will rise mid-block, replacing a single-story industrial building.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Stories | 129 hotel rooms | 14 (v) parking | TBD |
Beck Group | Site Development Plan (2023-04-03) |
3650 Delgany. Kitty-corner from The Current, a new 13-story residential project, is going through the development process. A site development plan, the second major step in the development process, is currently under review with the city.
| Project Description | Developer | Architect | Most Recent Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Stories | 189 apt homes | 27 (v) parking |
TBD |
OZ Architecture | Site Development Plan (2023-05-05) |
While this may seem like a significant drop in project count from our last roundup of this area, this was to be expected. As we mentioned in the previous post:
There are so many proposals because developers were rushing to get their projects submitted before the city’s new Expanded Housing Affordability program that took effect on July 1. On our next North quadrant roundup, will we have 22 projects to cover? It’s highly unlikely.
Regardless, it is still great to see all of the vertical progress and a sizeable amount of proposals making their way through the city permitting process.
Maps for projects mentioned in this post:
The Current
Flora
The Burrell
Wynkoop Street
Cambria Hotel RiNo
3901 Wynkoop
3800 Brighton
Return to Form
DriveTrain II
3660 Brighton
3650 Delgany
Thanks Ryan!
I’m very excited for 3901 Wynkoop in particular. Brighton desperately needs more street activation.
The best photo is perhaps the first, showing the reconstruction of the South Platte River Trail. Rerouting the streets away from our small river’s edge provides opportunities for creative water enhanced designs that simply are not possible with the roads immediately adjacent to the Platte. The next uses should include putting more retail service restaurants and pubs on the river’s edge – perhaps in the River Mile project, but elsewhere too. Ideally, nearly every mile of the South Platte in Denver could be redeveloped as bikeways, running paths and parks.
I hope that they add another footpath connection down to the Platte trail from grade, there isn’t any access between the 31st and 38th bridges and that section of the trail can get sketchy after dark. The underused RiNo art park would be a good spot for it!
This section of the city is rather cut off from the rest of it – pedestrian and bike access is very limited traveling to and from downtown or RiNo. The city desperately needs to open up the Coors field lot B up to development, and build another half dozen pedestrian bridges crossing the train tracks. Hopefully the flood of new residents to that area helps cement the tax base and spur those improvements happening. Does anyone know to what extent pedestrian bridges are fully directed & funded by the city vs the surrounding land owners asking for & funding those sorts of improvements?
For Wynkoop Street (the tallest residential one), is this the final exterior? They originally had a pretty dynamic looking design, but these plain drywall looking prefab pieces kinda look like a final product. Please tell me that’s not the final look.
Looking at the new rendering, it looks like this might be the final facade design.
Agree with JT. All the apartment/condo development is great but that area is seriously lacking in retail and restaurants. The tracks also really isolate them from a lot of services that exist by Union Station or even the southern parts of RiNo/Ballpark.
Thanks for the update! Great to see all these excellent projects active in Denver. What’s up with One River North? I see it in the background in one of those Wynkoop shots, but it looks like something’s amiss.
What happened to Hurley Place? That seemed like a fairly significant project for the Promenade area
There hasn’t been any activity since our last roundup so it appears to be inactive at the moment.
Thanks for the updates, Ryan!
Anything new with the Exdo Cole Market or Denver Rock Drill developments?
3901 Brighton appears to be named “Forge”.
I really enjoy your site, but why use the description, apt homes? That’s a description used by developers to market their product. In reality, they’re apartments.