The River Mile
Today we are introducing not a new infill building, but the next great Downtown Denver neighborhood: The River Mile.
The River Mile is envisioned by Revesco Properties, owners of Elitch Gardens, as a new downtown neighborhood to be built along a nearly one-mile stretch of the South Platte River between Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway. Adjacent to two transit stations and featuring a bike/ped-oriented design, an inclusive mix of family-friendly and affordable housing options, new waterfront parks and public spaces, retail and restaurants, workplaces, schools and daycare centers, and continued restoration of the South Platte, The River Mile represents the next generation urban neighborhood in Downtown Denver.
For an overview of the exciting long-term vision for The River Mile, please check out the project website and definitely watch the excellent video on the home page.
Covering over 60 acres, it will take several decades for the entire River Mile neighborhood to be complete, so phasing is necessary. The first phase will be built on Elitch’s surface parking lots, which occupy about 18 acres—not an insignificant amount of land. That’s about the same size as the part of the Riverfront Park neighborhood between the Millennium Bridge and 19th Street. The first phase would include structured parking for visitors to Elitch’s, allowing the amusement park to remain open throughout the development of the first phase. The image below, courtesy of Revesco Properties, shows the conceptual site plan for The River Mile’s first phase.
Upon the completion of the first phase, the development of future phases would follow after the amusement park has moved to a new location. The images below, courtesy of Revesco and their design team of Shears Adkins Rockmore, Wenk Associates, and DIALOG, give us a glimpse of the exciting potential for a new downtown neighborhood along the river’s edge.
A Brief History of the Central Platte Valley’s Redevelopment
As we like to do here at DenverInfill, let’s provide some historical context to The River Mile project by highlighting some of the planning milestones for this area, as the vision behind The River Mile actually stretches back to the 1980s.
The Central Platte Valley is generally divided into two sides separated by Cherry Creek: the western, or Auraria side and the eastern, or Downtown side. Over the past few decades, several waves of redevelopment have occurred on these two different sides of the valley.
The aerial image below from 1992 shows the largely-empty Central Platte Valley before any redevelopment had occurred, although the 20th Street Viaduct reconstruction was underway and site work was starting for Coors Field (lower right corner).
The First Wave – Elitch Gardens and the Pepsi Center
By the 1980s, Denver’s Central Platte Valley, the large swatch of land spanning along the northwestern side of downtown, was ripe for redevelopment. The rail yards and industrial uses that had once covered the area were mostly gone, and the city was eager to see the valley—a huge physical and psychological barrier separating northwest Denver from downtown—transformed into new dense mixed-use districts along a string of riverside parks. This vision was vividly illustrated in this exhibit from the 1986 Downtown Area Plan:
By the late 1980s, however, the vision for redeveloping both sides of the valley into high-density, mixed-use urban districts began to change. While plans for the Downtown side of the valley continued to envision high-density redevelopment, the plans for the Auraria side were shifting.
When Elitch Gardens announced their intent to relocate the park from their cramped original site at 38th and Tennyson to a more expansive property elsewhere in the metro area, Denver saw an opportunity: move Elitch’s to the Central Platte Valley. Doing so would not only give Elitch’s the larger site they needed, but the new park would also occupy a good chunk of the valley’s 400 vacant acres with a new exciting use and help kick-start the redevelopment of the area.
In November 1989, Denver voters approved 67% to 33% the sale of $14 million in general obligation bonds “to construct and install public improvements in the Central Platte Valley designed to encourage and facilitate the location of businesses and amusement facilities, such as Elitch Gardens, in the area, which may include but shall not be limited to streets, storm drainage facilities, river channel and flood plain improvements and water and sewer utilities.” In 1995, the new Elitch Gardens opened. Here’s a photo I took of Elitch’s from the Jefferson Park neighborhood in 1996, about a year after the amusement park opened:
Meanwhile, the owners of the Denver Nuggets and the then new-to-Denver Colorado Avalanche determined that the city’s 1970s-era McNichols Arena was outdated and a new modern facility was needed to keep the two teams financially viable. The remaining undeveloped portion of the Auraria side of the Central Platte Valley across the tracks from the new Elitch’s proved to be an attractive site for a new arena. In 1997, ground was broken on the Pepsi Center and the arena opened in 1999. Just as the 20th Century was coming to a close, the first wave of the valley’s redevelopment was complete. Two major entertainment facilities with a sea of surface parking consumed a lot of land, but they got the valley’s redevelopment off to a good start.
The Second Wave – Riverfront Park
Across Cherry Creek on the Downtown side of the valley, a more urban redevelopment plan consistent with the vision from the 1986 Downtown Area Plan was taking shape. The 1991 Central Platte Valley Comprehensive Plan Amendment provided the organizing framework for what would become the Riverfront Park and Union Station areas, as seen below in the “full buildout” diagram from that plan. While parts of this plan were modified in subsequent updates and refinements, this 1991 CPV plan set the stage for the urban-scale development we see today on the eastern side of the valley.
By 1999, work got started on the initial development on the Downtown side of the valley with East West Partners’ Riverfront Park neighborhood. In the aerial image below (courtesy USGS EROS Center) taken on October 4, 1999, grading is underway for Commons Park, and the s-curve path of Little Raven Street is taking shape. Across the creek, the Pepsi Center was just three days past its October 1, 1999 opening day when this aerial photo was taken. On the left edge of the image, the new Mile High Stadium is under construction next to the original. Comparing this image to the 1992 aerial above (both cropped to the same extent), we can see the progress made in just seven years.
The development of Riverfront Park proceeded at a quick pace into the 2000s. By 2004, five buildings had been completed and three more were under construction, as can be seen in this bird’s-eye photo (courtesy City & County of Denver) taken in May 2004. On the image, I’ve outlined the boundary of the Riverfront Park development area.
For more on Riverfront Park’s growth, check out this post from 2010. With the Parkside Apartments and Riverfront Green projects wrapping up construction—the last remaining major parcels of the Riverfront Park neighborhood—the second wave of the Central Platte Valley’s development is almost complete.
The Third Wave – Union Station District
Several planning documents in the early 2000s continued to refine the layout for future development of the area behind Union Station. The 2004 Union Station Master Plan (PDF) had a big impact on establishing the future vision for the area, but in the years that followed, the layout for the transit infrastructure was in a state of flux. Ultimately, it was the 2008 Denver Union Station Master Plan Update (PDF) that finalized the configuration of the transit and street infrastructure for the area.
The first new building in the area behind Denver Union Station was the Gates Headquarters building at 15th and Wewatta. Originally known as Legacy Plaza, the 10-story office building was completed in 2002 and is visible in the 2004 bird’s-eye photo above. The next project, the 18-story 1900 16th Street building, was announced in late 2006 and was completed in September 2009. DenverInfill was around by then, so you can follow that building’s progress here. These were the only buildings developed in the area behind Union Station before construction started on the Denver Union Station Transit Center.
With construction starting on the Transit Center in 2010 (which DenverInfill covered thoroughly in 145 posts) and with the local economy quickly recovering from the recession, development in the Union Station district really started taking off. First up was the DaVita Headquarters, announced in July 2010 and completed in late 2012. That was followed by a tsunami of 18 project announcements and groundbreakings in the Union Station district in the last five years that will result in essentially the full buildout of the district—the completion of the Central Platte Valley’s third wave of development.
To visually convey the great change that has occurred in the Union Station area during the past decade, here are two aerial images, one from 2008 and the other from 2017:
And here’s one more photo. This was taken on a gloomy November day in 2017 but it nicely shows the intensity of the Central Platte Valley’s third wave of development:
The Fourth Wave – The River Mile
We arrive back to the present from our journey through the history of planning and development of Downtown Denver’s Central Platte Valley, with the fourth wave of development poised to replace what was created in the first wave. The 2020s will belong to The River Mile, but perhaps the 2020s will also belong to Elitch’s neighbor, the Pepsi Center. Clearly, the Pepsi Center area suffers from an even worse case of parkinglotitis than Elitch’s, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if a bold new redevelopment plan for the Pepsi Center area emerges one of these days as well.
And with that in mind, Denver’s Community Planning and Development office has been working on an official amendment to the 2007 Downtown Area Plan for the Pepsi Center/Elitch Gardens area. The 2007 plan generally skipped over this area, as both the amusement park and the arena were relatively new facilities at that time that weren’t expected to change any time soon. But here we are, ten years later, and now is definitely the right time to craft a detailed vision for how the community wants this part of the Central Platte Valley to transform. Once this Downtown Area Plan amendment has been adopted, it will guide all future public and private investments in this part of the Central Platte Valley.
I am looking forward to following The River Mile’s evolution from concept to reality in the coming years as it becomes the next great neighborhood in Downtown Denver.
Amazing. This is exactly what Denver needs. Very excited to hear more specifics on building/site plans. Drawing from places like Vancouver BC and the (beautiful) Pearl district in Portland would be great. Thanks for the great post Ken.
I feel like I’m gonna pass out. So exciting!
Hi Ken,many times I’ve felt that the white Denver Tech Center sculpture would be spectacular if it was about 600-700 feet tall
and replacing the observation .tower at Elitch Gardens.A very beautiful icon on a par with the Space Needle.””Featherlike”The vertical corner(s) would lend itself to an elevator for spectators to ride to the top
for a great view.
I was thinking something similar, but more along the lines of something like London’s Ferris wheel, but something original.
Great walk down memory lane with an amazing historical review of the sea change of development that has overtaken central Denver in past 15 years. The River Mile really has the chance to be the cherry on the cake, too. Fun to think about future development and what this area will look like. Also, in the unlikely event that Amazon chose Denver, I do wonder whether some of the development described here could really accelerate.
Kudos, Ken!
Awesome overview. My first job in multi-family was at The Manhattan in 2003. Incredible growth in 15 years! #feelingold
Ken, Thank you for providing this thoroughly detailed but concise history of the CPV. The people of Denver are fortunate to have you providing this work.
I can’t help but be disappointed. This is another reservoir of cheap land that will draw development away from surface parking lots that have been vacant since the DURA era.
For a second there, I thought Denver was on track to fix 18th and Market, the whole 20th and Broadway area, Arapahoe Square, and Sherman St. There is so much work to be done in areas that are already knitted in to Denver proper that opening another new front almost guarantees we won’t fill in any more significant parking holes. I was beginning to get excited that most of the Central Platte Valley area had been built out, and that this might mean that the prices developers were willing to pay to the parking kings might finally be high enough. With the waning of this market cycle and the opening of this giant parking reservoir, it looks like these holes will have to wait another generation.
I agree with Sam, this potential new development is a double-edged sword. It could drain development away from those areas he described, which is frustrating for all of us.
If we could just get those proposed projects identified by Denver Infill completed we would be much closer to filling in Central Downtown and LoDo parcels. As to Arapahoe Square, the new zoning/building guidelines should help. The one thing that helped fill in the Union Station area so quickly was the lower height limits. If the new proposed River Mile development has higher height limits, which I think are justified, it will take much longer to fill in, again taking away development in other parts of Downtown Denver.
It’s not either/or, Sam.
With as much residential property being built in that stretch of downtown, we’re not likely to see any slowdown in commercial development in its surrounding areas. I also highly suspect Denver, other other growing western cities, avoid much of the next economic downturn. If anything, more development opportunities allow more developers to get in the game. This is both important and exciting.
Amazing post! I had heard about the River Mile project last week, but this some great context. The historical photos are amazing to look at considering what that area is like currently. Bring on the next wave!
I second that emotion!
Wait… Elitch’s is moving again? When/where?
Somewhere where it can grow into a desirable destination instead of remaining the stagnant asphalt pad it’s been for 20 years?
Good news for you it’s not likely to happen for perhaps decades. The area will experience infill until the area the park inhabits is the last remaining parcel to develop.
This post is making me feel really old. My first thought when I heard that they were gonna move Elitch’s was “What?!? It just moved there!” Of course, I remember the time when everything between Union station and the river was just a nest of winos and railroad tracks – with an odd little dive bar named “Paradise” tucked in there somewhere. It’s all good, but it’s crazy how fast it’s changing.
This is a great proposal! How many cities have 60-150 acres of prime real estate available to build out these days? And for the love of Pete; water is such a scarce and precious resource in this State – I’m hoping that it can be developed in a way that encourages everyone to enjoy and care for the waterway – instead of just utilizing it for run-off. For reference; San Antonio is even more water barren than we are, yet they’ve been able to use their River Walk as a huge asset for the city. I’d love to be able to walk/bike along the Platte from south of the football stadium to Globeville – with lighted pathways, clean pathways, and access to restaurants and venues along the way.
One question for this River Mile – does it not include anything on the west side of the Platte? It’s pretty spotty on that side with only the children’s museum and Aquarium.
Impressive post…also, impressive plans…its all good, the surface parking lots in time will be developed assuming Denver doesn’t do a Buffalo or Detroit…no signs of that now but it wasn’t that long ago when Buffalo and Detroit also had impressive developments and development plans…
I am assuming this is development would happen in a flood plain. What are the precautions that planners would have to take?
I realize that this area has historically been a floodplain, but with the damning of the river, humans control the level of the water flowing through the city. What danger is there of floods now?
The Pepsi Center parking wasteland would be a very good site for a second convention center with an emphasis on column-free space. Once the roof expansion is complete on the CCC, we’ll need to begin looking at an additional facility.
That was an informative, thorough and well-written post – a pleasure to read. I’m really excited about River Mile. Hopefully the planning office can take everything they’ve learned from the previous waves of CPV development and lay the groundwork for something even more spectacular for River Mile.
Well done on this post, Ken & team. Very excited about the River Mile project. I imagine they’ll have to work closely with the city in reconfiguring highway and pedestrian access to this because the best access point is through Speer, which can get very backed up.
This is so sad! Elitch Gardens is a cool, unique feature to have downtown. Replacing it with a soulless, sterile, millennial farm of a housing development is a terrible misstep.
I’m sorry you feel young adults don’t deserve to rent/own reasonably affordable housing, Brett. Have you ever been to another amusement park? They’re beautiful spaces that are wonderful places to visit, even without roller coasters—gardens, trees, animal life. Elitch’s is a sweltering plot of concrete and asphalt that hasn’t added a significant attraction since the Mind Eraser almost 22 years ago. It’s a blight and a waste of land resources needed for a fast-growing city.
Great, so other than bring triggered into assuming I said something I didn’t say, we can both agree that Elitch’s needs to replace a couple of its parking lots with more rides and a few more trees. Glad we can both turn our thumbs down on another samey, anything-but-affordable corporate housing development. Big boxes of ticky-tack don’t turn out to be better than the little ones of yore.
The housing in these renderings looks FAR better than any of the ticky-tack boxes you’re referring to, assuming these renderings are accurate to what will eventually be the final product. As for your comment about “millennials”, I have no idea where that’s coming from or why you assume only millennials will be using this housing…? That was an unnecessarily pointed statement.
I sincerely apologise to you and the entire snowflake community for my gross micro-aggression. By no means did I intend for anyone to feel “othered.”
Along with other developments planned for SW of here, like the 13th Ave work, Meow Wolf, and the Sun Valley/Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan, it seems like there will be real momentum to redevelope the remaining (Pepsi Center) parking.
Very exciting to imagine a bigger and more contiguous urban core in Denver.
Gorgeous! This would revitalize the ecology of the river, creates a dense urban neighborhood and encourages even more walkability among the adjacent neighborhoods. I would love to be a part of this project!