The Cherry Creek Steering Committee was
presented an update on the Steele Creek
Development by Eric Bush and Phil Workman. Work
is progressing on the RMU-30 rezone application for the
site at First Avenue and Steele. Bush Development is
working with City, neighborhood groups and
Transportation Solutions to mitigate impact on the
surrounding neighborhoods. The project's planning and
design has changed little recently. A hotel is still
envisioned, along the lines of a "W"- type hotel. RMU-30
would allow a 140 foot building height.
Council Member Jeanne Robb shared that
there are important concerns about traffic planning
along the First Avenue corridor with the many
development projects that are proposed. She is working
on ways to help both developers and neighborhoods. Robb
says, the City's Living Streets Initiative has great
recommendations that will be available on its website,
with some amazing concepts, but there is no money to put
the recommendations into action.
Some CC Steering Committee members are concerned about
being part of the dialog around the proposed projects,
their traffic and other implications. Robb suggested
that the Cherry Creek Neighborhood Plan update may be
one place to start. Denver Planner Chris Gleissner
added that Blueprint Denver could be a springboard to
help change and update the Cherry Creek Neighborhood
Plan. Denver Planning Manager Peter Park
has committed to the Plan update, possibly
allocating planning assistance in the third quarter of
this year. It is hoped that the upcoming zoning code
update will be helpful, although the CCN zoning in the
Cherry Creek North Business District has not been
addressed in the Zoning Code Update as yet.
Julie Bender, CEO of the Cherry Creek North BID
thanked the Steering Committee for its letter
of support for the proposed streetscape improvements.
The BID will be constructing $18.5 million in
streetscape improvements, and is looking for
approximately $2 million from the City of Denver. She
says sales down about 10% in the BID, and a new
restaurant/bar "Argyle" will open in the former Squealin'
Pig space at 3rd/Clayton.
Rebecca Cales of Transportation Solutions reports that
the Bike Rack on the Detroit Street
side of Clayton Lane has renewed its lease for the bike
shop. TS is working on the transportation studies of the
proposed developments at Steele Creek and FirstBank.
Nick Lemasters introduced to the CC Steering Committee
Bill Mitchell, Director of Government &
Community Affairs at Visit Denver, formerly the
Convention and Visitors Bureau. LeMasters, is a long
time Board member at Visit Denver. Tourism is the
second largest business in Colorado with over 70,000
jobs. The DNC convention brought 500 delegates and
approx $300 million in economic activity to the area.
The Cherry Creek Shopping Center attributes 30% of total
mall sales to tourists and is now considered to be the
#1 tourist attraction in Denver. Dining and shopping are
the 2 most important activities to visiting
tourists. Mitchell explained that Visit Denver
celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, started
after the last Democratic Convention held in Denver in
1908.
Visit Denver is a private, non-profit organization that
is contracted by the City and County of Denver to
promote tourism in the area, with an approx. $16 million
budget compared to Las Vegas with a $206 million budget.
Tourists spend about $9.8 billion annually, generating
approx. $763 million in taxes yearly. This reduces a
typical Colorado taxpayer's burden by some $407
annually. A $1 investment in tourism yields $6 in
economic activity. In today's troubled economy, Visit
Denver plans to refocus on potential tourists within a
600-800 mile radius of Denver - the "staycation" concept
of vacations closer to home. LeMasters encouraged the
Cherry Creek area to develop more transportation serving
tourism. Convention groups hire shuttles but he
suggested an enhanced connection between Downtown and
Cherry Creek.
Along those lines, RTD is working with the Cherry Creek
Shopping Center, Transportation Solutions, and other
entities to update RTD's 83L bus route
brochure. This route was branded several years ago as
"The Loop" through a partnership with several agencies
from the downtown and Cherry Creek areas to provide
better connectivity between Downtown Denver and Cherry
Creek. A special brochure was created at that time, but
it was discontinued when ridership fell off after 9-11.
Through current efforts, the line will shortly be
re-branded again and new collateral materials produced
for promotion of the Cherry Creek's connection to
Downtown Denver.
Nick LeMasters reports that new stores opening in the
Cherry Creek Shopping Center include Johnston & Murphy,
Callie and Moe, Siam Secrets, Melt and Brio Tuscan
Grill. The
Farmers Market has moved
back to its previous location, the West side of Bed,
Bath & Beyond.
The
Cherry Creek Neighborhood Plan,
which guides the development of the Cherry Creek
residential and commercial areas, is being reviewed by
the Cherry Creek Steering Committee over the next 8
months. As development plans move forward in the Cherry
Creek area the Cherry Creek North Neighborhood
Association has formed a CCNNA Traffic Mitigation Task
Force to study future traffic control options. The
CCNNA has information about the FirstBank Development
Project at 1st Avenue/St. Paul/Steele Streets at:
http://ccnneighbors.com/
The
Cherry Creek East Neighborhood Association
has been reviewing the proposed Steele Creek
development of Bush Development, based in Cherry Creek
East. The neighborhood association website is at:
http://www.cherrycreekeast.org/
Denver City Council Member Jeanne Robb reports that on
May 1, all owners of Denver's 215,000 taxable properties
were sent a letter from the Denver Assessment
Division stating the newly assessed value of
their properties. Your home may be assessed for more
than you anticipate. Unfortunately, new assessments
were calculated when the real estate market was stronger
than it is today. Your 2009 assessment is based on
sales that occurred during the 18-month period between
January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.
Unfortunately, the valuations that determine tax bills
cannot always keep up with rapidly changing markets. The
timing for assessments this last round happened to be
when valuations were higher and the foreclosure impact
was just beginning. When the re-evaluations begin again
this year (odd-numbered year) property owners will see
the difference in home values in the 2011 cycle of
Notice of Valuations. However, it could be worse.
According to an early April article in the Denver Post,
Denver's average home values are only down by 5.1
percent compared to decreases of 35 percent in Phoenix
and 32.4 percent in San Francisco. Each year, the city
collects more than $750 million in property taxes. These
funds are used to support local government, the City
School District, special district projects and many
other voter-directed purposes. If you disagree with the
City's valuation of your property, you can file an
appeal in person, by regular mail or via the internet.
- Appeal in writing. Your objection must be
postmarked no later than June 1, 2009. Mail to:
Assessor's Office, Attn: Real Property Appeal, 201 W.
Colfax Ave., Dept. 406, Denver, CO 80202. Submit your
appeal based on comparable sales from the 18-month
based period (January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008) - this
could be an appraisal or market sales information.
Please note that, by state statute, market data
outside the base period cannot be considered in your
2009 appeal. Make sure to retain a copy of your
appeal for your records.
- You can appeal online by June 1, visit: www.denvergov.org/onlineprotest
- You can appeal in person by June 1. Call
720-913-4164 to arrange an appointment. Bring all
pertinent information.
- The Assessor will mail a decision regarding your
appeal on or before August 31.
How is property assessed? For residential properties,
the Assessor, under Colorado law, studies the sales of
homes similar to yours that sold within a specific
18-month period. An income approach is used for
commercial and industrial properties. For personal
business property, values are based on the asset
information declared by the owner.
How are property taxes calculated? First, the Assessor
determines your property's Actual Value. Then, a
percentage of that value is calculated in order to
arrive at your assessed value. For residential property,
this percentage can change every two years. It is
currently 7.96%. For commercial property and business
personal property, it is 29%. Your assessed value is
then multiplied by the current mill levy to arrive at
your property tax bill. Here is a sample calculation
for a residence: A sample residence has an actual value
of $150,000. This figure is multiplied by the
residential rate of 7.96%, which results in an assessed
value of $11,940. This assessed value is then multiplied
by the mill levy of 66.948 for a property tax bill of
$799.36 (.066948 x $11,940 = $799.36).
Do you live or work near Leetsdale Drive? Do you ever
travel on Leetsdale - for any reason? If so, please
take a few minutes to complete this brief survey,
concerning Leetsdale Drive for the Living
Streets Initiative:
If you own a business on Leetsdale, please complete this
alternate survey:
By creating "Living Streets" - streets that are designed
for pedestrians, bikes, and transit, not just for cars -
Johnson says, we can make our communities safer, improve
public health, increase investment and property values
and sales. The City and County of Denver is studying
how pedestrian, bike and transit infrastructure
improvements could enhance commercial corridors like
Leetsdale. Your participation in the brief survey is
critical to the success of this effort.
More on this topic is available at the latest program in
the PBS multi-platform initiative on America's aging
infrastructure. Blueprint America: Road to the Future
examines the growth and development of the American
city. The documentary goes to three cities - Denver,
Portland, and New York - to see the road each took to
their present-day landscapes. Host Miles O'Brien
examines the steps our country must take to keep our
nation competitive in a global economy, while addressing
the realities of climate change, diminishing natural
resources and population growth. See the program at:
And more is available at:
You will see a 17-minute video of Michael Powell on the
history of the Portland streetcar. Thanks to Alan Gass
for this. You can find out more about Denver's Living
Streets Initiative and an EPA report on the
Downtown-Cherry Creek corridor on the Living Streets
website at:
A Market Opportunity Analysis is being conducted by
Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) to test a
hypothesis that you can reorient the commercial market
on a corridor by investing in pedestrian
infrastructure. PUMA is studying the opportunities and
challenges in 2 contexts: a former streetcar corridor
that was once designed for pedestrians and transit (East
Colfax) and a corridor that was developed around the car
(Leetsdale). There is an online survey that anyone may
participate in as part of this study. The survey can be
found at:
The Lowry Link reports that Hangar 2 Partners and the
Lowry Community Master Association hosted a community
meeting on Wednesday, May 20 in Lowry to discuss the
proposed development of Hangar 2 and
answer any questions from the community. Last month,
the Denver Landmark Commission and the Lowry Planning
and Disposition Committee unanimously approved the
redevelopment concept for Hangar 2. Presented by Hangar
2 Partners, consisting of Larimer Associates and Hartman
Ely, the concept restores the hangar, incorporating the
creation of a self-storage facility in the interior and
adaptation of the small blonde brick buildings attached
on either side to retail and office spaces. The proposal
also provides storage and parking for the Wings Over the
Rockies Air & Space Museum (WINGS) and creates four
small-scale restaurant buildings along the south and
west edges of the property, which will aptly be named
the Lowry Dining District.
"We are excited to work with WINGS to bring new vitality
and synergy to both the museum and the Town Center
area," said Jim Hartman, development partner and manager
of Hartman Ely. The Dining District will include
custom-designed buildings and surrounding streetscape to
provide premium restaurant spaces with spectacular
outdoor seating areas. In contrast to typical retail
centers, the plan for these 10 spaces is to create
purposefully built food and beverage establishments that
house a variety of restaurants, from Bohemian coffee
shops and upscale neighborhood bars to higher-end
restaurants.
"The redevelopment of the Hangar and creation of the
Dining District is a great achievement for the Lowry
community, and the Partners look forward to creating
such a vital area for the neighborhood," said Joe
Vostrejs, Lowry resident and chief operating officer of
Larimer Associates. The Hangar 2 Partners aim to create
a vibrant retail and restaurant district for the Lowry
neighborhood. The area would serve as a center of
gravity for Lowry neighbors to gather and act as its
"Main Street," much like Denver's South Pearl or South
Gaylord. Through 2009, Hangar 2 Partners will work with
the Lowry community to refine the design and complete
the approval process for the project. More at:
An update on carshare that has suddenly descended on
Denver! Three carshare companies have recently expanded
in the city. Hertz has signed a contract for a carshare
location at the new Spire high rise residential
development downtown. Occasional Car:
has placed 2 cars in the Capitol Hill area, and e-Go
Carshare:
in Boulder has placed a car in Capitol Hill and one in
Downtown Denver. Transportation Solutions reports that
carshare companies offer a great alternative for
individuals who choose not to own a personal vehicle,
for families who want to downsize and sell a vehicle,
and for companies who want their employees to have
access to vehicles for work but that don't want the
expense of managing a fleet. Carshare works sort of
like car rentals. Individuals generally pay a one-time
joining fee and then pay a low monthly membership fee
(around $10-15). They may reserve vehicles online and
then only pay for the time they use the vehicle (a low
"by the hour" rental fee).
The Denver Bikeshare program rollout has been delayed to
April 2010. The program was originally set to rollout
this summer/fall with around 200 bikes at 20-30
stations. The 2010 rollout is expected to be much
bigger, with 500-600 bikes and 40-50 stations.
Bikeshare programs are designed to offer alternatives
for short trips (in either distance or time), with a
dense network of bike check-out kiosks. Patrons may
either sign up for a yearly membership, or pay a daily
rental fee each time they use a bike. The users simply
swipe a credit card or membership card and check out a
bike. All users then pay small user fees for the time
the bike is in use.
All bikes come with external locking mechanisms (so they
can be locked at destinations not served by kiosks), but
can also be parked at other stations at the user's
destination. Users then are charged only for the time
that the bike is not parked at a kiosk. In cities with
very successful bikeshare programs, stations can be
found approximately 200 yards apart and cities are
served by several thousand bikes. The Denver program
will initially launch with the greatest concentration of
bikes and stations in the downtown area, with some
"satellite stations" in other parts of the city,
possibly including the Cherry Creek, DU and Capitol Hill
areas. The plan is to continually expand the program
until the optimum station density is reached and the
majority of the city is covered. This is expected to
take several years. More at:
Denver had some great national press exposure last week
on NBC's Today Show, where its Real Estate Expert
Barbara Corcoran named Denver No. 1 on a list of "Five
Cities in America on the Verge of Recovery from the
Housing Slump." View the segment online:
According to Corcoran, "This city (Denver) is clearly on
the rebound. It is a really the perfect real estate
success story." She went on to note that Denver has a
vibrant downtown, a high employment base, highly
educated residents, and the nation's largest public park
system. "Everything about Denver is pointing up, up,
up," she concluded. She also listed eight
characteristics of the top five cities on the list
(below), No. 1 of which was job growth potential.
5. San Francisco
4. Seattle
3. Austin
2. Raleigh, NC
1. Denver
