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The new developer of Kent Place on the former Denver Seminary
site, Continuum Partners has stuck with the architect of the previous
developer, but is changing the design. According to John Rebchook in
the Rocky Mountain News, David Owen Tryba is designing the retail and
residential project to look and feel like the Broadmoor, the
University of Denver and the Cherry Hills Country Club. Elimination of
mid-rise buildings in favor of townhomes will provide better views to
9- and 11-story high rise condo buildings. The project will total 240
condominiums, 60 townhomes in the $500,000 to $3.6 million range and
50,0000 SF of retail and restaurant space with Merrill Lynch and
Community Banks of Colorado as committed tenants so far.
Donald Sturm, the owner of American National Bank and Fillmore Plaza
in Cherry Creek North has formed the Sturm Realty Group. Evan
Kline, formerly a partner and senior vice president at Frederick Ross
Co. will be president. The Group will manage redevelopment of Fillmore
Plaza, including the former Tattered Cover store and expansion of
American National Bank with 33 branches in and near Colorado.
At a meeting of the Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association, Bob
Mattucci of the Sturm Realty Group announced the redevelopment of two
buildings at Fillmore Plaza. One Fillmore Plaza, the former
Tattered cover building will be completely renovated as retail space
for likely two new tenants with a new glass exterior. Demolition will
begin in April and opening should be in April 2008. 158 Fillmore
Street with frontage on the middle of the Fillmore Mall will also be
gutted and receive a new glass exterior skin similar to One Fillmore
Plaza. This building will be leased to retailers on the ground floor
and office tenants on the upper levels.
At the same meeting David Steel of Western Development Group and Joe
Poli of Humphries Poli Architects presented their plans for Phase III
of NorthCreek on the west side of the Fillmore Mall. Western
has applied for an amendment to the existing Planned Unit Development
of the NorthCreek site to enable reconfiguration of the proposed
retail building with residences above at the northwest corner of East
1st Avenue/Fillmore Street. Western is responding to neighborhood
interests encouraging a more pedestrian friendly design by moving the
storefronts closer to the street and the mall and by including a
dramatic wide staircase entrance to the mall with a glass elevator
from the lower parking level on the west side of the mall. More at
h ttp://www.northcreekdenver.com/home1.php
The Denver Botanic Gardens has a new CEO. Brian Vogt, formerly
Director of Economic Development and International Trade for the State
of Colorado under Bill Owens, has replaced John Scully after his
resignation citing health issues. Jame Paton in the Rocky Mountain
News, quoted Vogt as saying he is taking “one of the greatest jobs in
Colorado”. The physical plant at the facility is reported to need some
$25 million in renovation and upgrades. The annual budget is some $9.1
million and membership has declined in recent years, but corporate
donations have risen. Vogt headed the South Metro Chamber of Commerce
and helped get the city of Centennial incorporated.
The Gates Tennis Center at Cherry Creek Drive North/Bayaud has
started a $4.4 million redevelopment that includes renovation of the
tennis courts, a second stadium court, and a new building with space
for the Colorado Tennis Association. Funding comes from the City of
Denver, the Gates Foundation with offices nearby and the Park People.
More examples of the transition of the businesses in the Cherry Creek
area include the announcement of the planned move of Kazoo & Co.
Diana Nelson, the owner has not announced a new location, but hopes to
stay in Cherry Creek North or nearby. Her lease in the Fillmore Plaza
complex ends in August 2008. Similarly, Esquire Meat Market on
South University near East Exposition is closing. Paul Nickless, a son
of the founder in 1949 closed the store in March after noticing a
decline in business after 9/11 and a move of shoppers to Whole Foods.
The annual golf tournament to benefit the Denver Cherry Creek
Rotary Club at Arrowhead on July 26th is once again in the
planning stages. The Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club supports projects
such as dental missions to South and Central America, and Rotary’s
worldwide efforts to eradicate polio. The majority of the money raised
goes to local causes benefiting mostly children such as Greenlee
Elementary School in Denver, camperships for critically burned youth
at Cheley Colorado Camps, and art and culture programs at the Mizel
Museum for Denver elementary school students. More information and
sponsorships are available at
http://www.cher rycreekrotary.org/
Dave Walstrom, the Director of the Colfax Business Improvement
District, a BID similar to the Cherry Creek North BID has left
after 13 years after some apparent differences between him and the
Chairman of the Board, Jim Hannifin, owner of Ready Temporary Services
in the area. The BID has been involved with rezone of the Colfax
Corridor from largely B-4, a business zone to a “Corridor District
Zone”, consistent with the Blueprint Denver plan that was approved
recently.
Hangar 2 at the Lowry Redevelopment is in the process of
redevelopment. The following are excerpts from the LowryLink website.
Wings Over the Rockies Museum (WINGS) and International Risk Group (IRG)
are the developers. WINGS conducted an extensive request for proposal
(RFP) process to select a developer for the Hangar 2 site. IRG was
selected out of 16 potential developers. WINGS/IRG are now beginning
the process to redevelop the Hangar 2 site.
Hangar 2 has been vacant since the base closed in 1994.Nnumerous
nonprofit organizations have acquired property for little or no cost.
Most of them have discovered that older military buildings are very
expensive to renovate and maintain, because the Air Force did not have
to comply with local or federal building codes.
The Lowry Redevelopment Authority (LRA) agreed to deed the Hangar 2
property to Wings Over the Rockies or sell it on its behalf with the
agreement that any revenues generated must be reinvested into the
museum at Lowry. Because Wings Over the Rockies does not have real
estate expertise on staff, the LRA agreed to help them. This resulted
in selection of a team that offers a financially viable concept to
redevelop the site and meet the revenue needs of Wings Over the
Rockies. The Denver Landmark Preservation Commission must approve any
demolition and redevelopment of the hangar site. International Risk
Group and Wings Over the Rockies recently pulled their application to
the Landmark Commission in order to extend the community dialog
through a facilitated focus group. More at
http://www.wing smuseum.org/ and
http://www.lowrylink.c om/
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