First save the date - The 18th Annual Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Open Golf Tournament - July 31, 2014 - great cause.  More at:

http://cherrycreekrotary.org/fundraisers-golf.htm

After years of planning, construction, and outreach, RTD and its many partners celebrated the grand opening of the world-class Union Station Transit Center on May 9. Crowds gathered to enjoy the opening ceremonies and street party atmosphere, tour the new 22-gate underground bus concourse and Free MetroRide bus, and learn about connections to light rail and other RTD services at this new downtown transit hub. As the transformation of Union Station continues, the Crawford Hotel with restaurants and retail shops will open this summer in the historic building, joining Amtrak currently operating, and RTD's commuter rail lines, including the East Rail Line to DIA which are scheduled to start operations in 2016.

The Downtown Denver Partnership reports that the opening of Denver Union Station's underground bus concourse reinforces Downtown Denver as the transportation hub of the Rocky Mountain region. An important element of the 2007 Downtown Area Plan, this project allows for the complete transit experience. The Free MetroRide will provide greater access to the 117,000 employees who commute into Downtown Denver every day.

"It's hard to overstate the impact that this rebirth of Denver Union Station is going to have on Downtown, the region and the state," said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. "The sight of construction cranes and buildings going up all around us is a strong indicator of the economic impact already underway."  Denver Mayor Michael Hancock praised the regional collaboration that was central to making the project a reality. "There would have been no FasTracks without the participation of our neighbors and partners, without the region coming together and saying, 'We need this to take us all to the next level.'  The same is true for Denver Union Station. We would not be here opening this breathtaking project without that same kind of regional cooperation. This regional transit hub will help us provide a healthy, livable and connected city, and I'm proud to say, today, we are showing the world how it's done." 

The Downtown Denver Partnership released the second annual Downtown Denver Development Map, A Look at Downtown Denver's Thriving Development, presented by Group 14 Engineering. The development map highlights projects completed or under construction in the center city from January 2008 through April 2014. Intended for developers, investors and brokers interested in Downtown Denver, the Downtown Denver Development Map illustrates the robust private and public investments that have occurred in Denver's urban core over the past five years.

"There are 24 projects that have been or are scheduled to be completed in 2014, which is more than the number of projects that have been completed in the last three years," said Tami Door, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. "By highlighting these projects through the development map, we are able to tell the story of significant growth and expansion in the urban center and share this story with developers and business leaders in order to continue those investments in the future."  

In total, the map lists 78 public and private sector developments or infrastructure projects in Downtown Denver.  In addition to mapping developments, the map reports on several key facts about Downtown Denver developments over the last five years:

*        5,688 residential units added or under construction

*        2,733,093 square feet of office space added or under construction

*        2,297 hotel rooms added or under construction

*        Almost $5 billion of total development investment in the last five years ($1.8 billion under construction and $3 billion completed since 2008)

*        24 projects are scheduled to be completed or have already been completed in 2014

*        Almost a third of the projects are in the Central Platte Valley Commons area

*        Almost half of the projects have a residential component

The map is available at:

http://www.downtowndenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/DDP-DEV-BROCHURE-4.2.14.pdf

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors is hosting a series of live telephone town hall meetings through June 18.  Residents of RTD's 15 districts will be called at random through an innovative automated telephone system and invited to participate in the public forums. Those who choose to join in can learn the latest about bus and light rail service, the RTD FasTracks transit expansion program and other RTD projects. The dial-in number for all of the meetings is 1-877-229-8493, ID No. 112070.  On June 18 at 6:15 p.m. RTD Director Bill James, District A will conduct his telephone town hall, covering Glendale and portions of southeast Denver and unincorporated Arapahoe County.

Denver City Council President Mary Beth Susman reports that at the annual City Council Retreat she and her colleagues hammered out priorities for the next year including enhancement of Denver's transportation infrastructure especially in "last mile" scenarios, strengthening the City's housing and homeless services, and hiring more city neighborhood planners.

Whether you're going to the beach or the big city this summer, start your travels with RTD's SkyRide bus service to DIA. SkyRide is often overlooked and offers easy, affordable service from many locations throughout the metro area, every day of the year. Buses depart at least once an hour, and drivers help you load and unload your luggage. One-way fares are just $9, $11, or $13 and with our family fares, up to three kids ride for free with a fare paying adult.  And parking at the RTD lots for RTD District residents is free for the first day and only $2.00/day after that.  Currently the AS SkyRide bus stops at the Park-n-Ride lot at 36th Avenue / Ulster Street which will be closed when a 1,500 space parking lot opens at Central Park Station at Central Park Boulevard / I-70 on the East Line to DIA in the spring of 2016.  For a helicopter video tour of the East Line to DIA go to:

http://kunc.org/post/watch-helicopter-tour-future-commuter-line-dia

In the Denver Business Journal, Dennis Huspeni reports, "While there's no doubt construction and street-improvement projects there since the start of the year have removed some of the estimated 555 on-street parking spots in Cherry Creek North, research by the Denver Business Journal shows there are 8,311 parking spots in and around the district.  True, much of that comes from private parking garages that can be more expensive than on-street parking, but the majority of those - 5,000 - come from the Cherry Creek Shopping Center... Most of the problem comes from shoppers who expect to park right in front of the business they're patronizing. But that's becoming harder as more businesses open there and with the advent of at least seven major developments under construction, in addition to the City of Denver's storm water drain replacement project on University Boulevard and Josephine Street and street improvements...Talks also continue - as they have for years - between the BID, Cherry Creek Shopping Center and the Regional Transportation District for some kind of shuttle or circular between downtown and Cherry Creek North."

The historic Cable Building at 1801 Lawrence Street in downtown Denver was sold to an affiliate of Stoltz Real Estate Partners. The 36,803 square foot building was constructed in 1899 as a powerhouse and car barn for Denver's cable car transit system, which was ultimately replaced by electric streetcars. The Pennsylvania company acquired the two-story building for $11.1 million, or about $301 per square foot. The seller was The Hampshire Companies, which was represented by Geoff Baukol and Tim Swan of CBRE.

Hines announced plans for 1144 15th Street, a 38-story office building in downtown Denver. The building will contain about 600,000 square feet of office space atop a 900-space parking garage and will occupy part of the block on the south side of 15th Street between Arapahoe and Lawrence streets. The building, which will be the tallest office building constructed in Denver in almost thirty years, is scheduled for completion in 2017. 

MetLife acquired a 50% interest in Republic Plaza. The 1.2 million square foot building is located at 17th Street and Broadway in downtown Denver, and, at 56-stories, is the city's tallest building. Brookfield Office Properties will retain a 50% share in the ownership and will continue to manage the building. The sale was valued at about $480 million or $400 per square foot.

Invesco Real Estate bought Park Central, a 558,346 square office complex in downtown Denver. The Dallas-based investment firm paid $212,850,000 for the property at 1515 Arapahoe Street, or $381 per square foot. The seller was Walton Street Capital LLC of Chicago, which had owned the property since 2007. Tim Richey and Mike Winn of Cushman and Wakefield were agents for the seller.

A Boston-based video technology start-up will move its headquarters to Denver. Layer3 TV, Inc. will locate in LoDo and create 321 jobs locally. The relocation was at least partially encouraged by offers of about $2.9 million in subsidies and incentives from the State of Colorado and the City and County of Denver. Hiring for the new positions will begin this year.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is starting bus service to Denver Union Station as part of what is intended to be a statewide bus system. The initial routes will be from Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Glenwood Springs, with stops en route. DOT is acquiring 13 new buses for the system, which will be operated by a private contractor. The buses will use the new 22-bay RTD bus terminal on the north side of Denver Union Station. 

The Regional Transportation District started service on its new downtown MetroRide free shuttle buses. The new coaches will run from Denver Union Station to the Civic Center Station, using a loop of 18th and 19th streets and Broadway and Lincoln Street. During peak morning and afternoon hours the buses will run every five to ten minutes.

Portman Holdings of Atlanta announced plans to develop a $100 million office and hotel building in downtown Denver. The project at 1801 Wewatta Street near Denver Union Station, will contain about 200,000 square feet of office space and 185 hotel rooms. Construction is scheduled to start in the fall and be completed in the spring of 2016. 

The long-vacant Virgin Megastore in the Denver Pavilions downtown has been filled. The 14,378 square foot space was leased to three restaurant tenants, It's 'Sugar, Henry's Tavern and Native Foods Cafe. The retail center on the 16th Street Mall benefited from the opening of a large H and M clothing store in 2011, the customer traffic from which has helped attract other retailers, 

Two Canadian firms purchased Hudson's Bay Centre, a 172,912 square foot office building at 1600 Stout Street in downtown Denver. MDC Realty Advisors and Canadian Artis Real Estate paid $41.5 million for the 32-year old, twenty-story building, or about $240 per square foot. The seller was Hamilton-Titan Partners LLC. Tim Richey and Mike Winn of Cushman and Wakefield represented the seller.

The Regional Transportation District has moved its buses from the Market Street Station to Denver Union Station's new 22-bay underground bus terminal. The former station at 16th and Market streets will be operated temporarily by the City & County of Denver as a public parking garage. The property is under contract to Union Station Neighborhood Company, which has an option to purchase the land for $14.5 million by December 30, 2015. The company is considering redevelopment options for the site if they proceed with acquisition.

The Governor's Park apartment building at Pennsylvania Street and East 6th Avenue in Capitol Hill was acquired by an undisclosed private investor. The 53-unit building was sold for $7,650,000, or about $144,000 per unit. ARA brokers Robert Bratley, Andy Hellman and Justin Hunt handled the transaction.

A vacant warehouse in the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood is being converted into a Denver Public Schools trade school. The 50,300 square foot building at 1201 Osage Street will house the Emily Griffith Technical College. The 2.2 acre site is several blocks from an RTD light rail station. The building was leased for twenty years from Osage LLC, which was represented by Daniel Close and Todd Witty of CBRE. DPS was represented by Tim D'Angelo and Mike Wafer of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. About 1.2 acres of the site will be retained for possible high-density residential development. 

The City and County of Denver and the City of Lakewood are combining efforts to improve access to the Sheridan station on RTD's West light rail line. The program, called the 20-Minute Neighborhood, is funded by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. It is designed to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle facilities connecting the surrounding neighborhoods in both cities to the station at Sheridan Boulevard and West 11th Avenue.

A partnership of two investment firms acquired the Sears warehouse and outlet store at 701 Osage Street near the interchange of I-25 and West 6th Avenue south of downtown Denver. Arc Capital Partners and Triumph Real Estate Corporation paid Sears Logistic Services $16,250,000 for the 361,971 square foot property, or about $45 per square foot. The buyers intend to renovate the property into multi-tenant industrial and retail space.  The seller was represented by Cushman and Wakefield brokers Drew McManus and Sam Slaton. 

The former Broadway Plaza hotel at West 11th Avenue and Broadway is being converted to office use. The four story building was constructed in 1958 and has been in a declining state of repair. Jon Cook purchased the property and is creating 27 office suites and four ground floor retail spaces. 

A site in Cherry Creek North once approved for office development will instead be constructed as a hotel. The seven-story building at 245 Columbine Street will contain 150 rooms and be operated as an independent luxury hotel by Sage Hospitality. The project is a joint venture between BMC Investments, Sullivan Group and Elevation Group. 

Financial services firm Cambiar Investors will anchor the office portion of 250 Columbine Street, a mixed-use building under construction in Cherry Creek North. The company leased 20,000 square feet and will expand from smaller quarters nearby on East 2nd Avenue. The 250 Columbine Street building will include 70 condominiums, 30,000 square feet of retail space and 80,000 square feet of office space. Western Development Group expects to complete construction in May of 2015. 

A task force finalized its recommendations for applying the City and County of Denver's new form-based zoning code to the Cherry Creek North neighborhood. The recommendations now go to the Planning Board and ultimately to City Council for adoption. The task force considered issues such as parking, building set backs, building heights and public spaces. The district generally includes East 1st, 2nd and 3rd avenues between University Boulevard and Monroe Street.  

In April, after eight months of analysis and discussion, the Cherry Creek Zoning Technical Task Force made its recommendations to city planners for new, custom zoning that will enhance the live/work/play nature of the Cherry Creek mixed-use district. The recommendations come on the heels of the 2012 Cherry Creek Area Plan, and are designed to enhance Cherry Creek's enduring identity as a vibrant and sustainable neighborhood and shopping destination. A summary of the recommendations is available at:

http://www.denvergov.org/cpd/CommunityPlanningandDevelopment/Zoning/Rezoning/PendingTextAmendments/CherryCreekRetailDistrictZoning/tabid/444447/Default.aspx

Cherry Creek District Zoning Public Meeting and Open House - Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Denver Public Library, Ross-Cherry Creek

305 Milwaukee St., upstairs meeting room

4 to 5 p.m. -- Learn about the zoning and talk one-on-one with planners in an open house format

5 p.m.-- Summary presentation by planners

5:30 to 6:30 p.m.-- Public questions/comments

Pando Holdings is starting construction on a 60-unit rental townhome project in Platt Park North. The development will be located on East Mississippi Avenue between South Grant and South Logan streets. Pando Holdings sold adjacent land to Tri Pointe Homes on which 29 single family houses are being constructed.

An investment entity affiliated with Seagate Properties of San Francisco bought the Wellshire, a 107-unit apartment tower at 2499 South Colorado Boulevard. The seller was an affiliate of Bruckal Properties and Pathfinder Partners, which bought the 52-year old building in 2012 and extensively renovated it. The sale price was $20.7 million, or about $193,000 per unit. ARA brokers Andy Hellman, Terrance Hunt and Shane Ozment handled the transaction.  

The Denver City Council unanimously approved rezoning to allow construction of a five-story apartment building at 2400 South University Boulevard. The action will allow Tessler Development to construct the building, which could contain over 200 units and ground-level retail space. The developer must now submit specific development plans to Denver planners. The existing zoning would have limited building height to three stories.

Construction was completed on the first phase of Industry, a 50,000 square foot office building at Brighton Boulevard and 30th Street. The project is oriented to creative tenants and offers co-working spaces and was fully leased upon opening. The developers, Sean Campbell and Jason Winkler, plan two other phases totaling about 83,000 square feet. 

A feasibility study recommended changes at the Denver Coliseum and the National Western Stock Show complex on Brighton Boulevard in north Denver. The study by Strategic Advisory Group of Atlanta suggested that the aging facilities be replaced and expanded. The adjacent properties are parts of an overall project to consider how to improve the the Brighton Boulevard corridor and nearby north Denver neighborhoods, including Globeville and Swansea, especially when I-70 is rebuilt through the area. The next step in the process will be to consider funding options.  

A-Z Wire and Cable Company leased 31,030 square feet of industrial space at 5303 East 47th Avenue in north Denver. Cushman and Wakefield brokers Steve Hager and Matthew Trone represented the tenant while the building owner was represented by Daniel Bess and Joseph Krahn of Cassidy Turley.

Uber Technologies is expanding its operations in Denver, moving from the Galvanize coworking building in the Golden Triangle to the new Industry building on Brighton Boulevard in RiNo. The mobile software company is based in San Francisco and had been leasing 500 square feet in Galvanize. It will expand to 6,000 square feet and add local employees when the move is completed later this year.

An investment entity known as Channing bought a 12,000 square foot office building at 4242 Delaware Street in northwest Denver. The property was purchased for $1,150,000, or about $96 per square foot, from an undisclosed owner. The buyer was represented by Evan Krier of Metro Brokers while Rob Lockhart of Ringsby Realty was agent for the seller.

Interior Woodwork sold a 49,950 square foot warehouse in north Denver for $2.4 million, or about $48 per square foot. An undisclosed individual investor bought the building at 4200-4230 Kearney Street in North Park Hill. Jorgen Christiansen of Urban Realty was agent for the buyer while Ryan Litzinger of Welcome Home Real Estate represented the seller.

A Denver City Council committee agreed to submit to the full Council a contract to develop a plan for restructuring the National Western Stock Show and Denver Coliseum properties in north Denver into an educational and events center. The process will be coordinated by Parsons Brinckerhoff as a cost of $746,000. A public-private partnership of the stock show, Colorado State University, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and History Colorado is working to develop a funding plan. 

Palisade Partners sold 1756 Clarkson Street, a 60-unit apartment building the company recently completed in the uptown neighborhood. An undisclosed buyer paid $15.2 million for the building, or about $253,333 per unit. The transaction was brokered by Greg Johnson and Kyle Mainati of Madison Commercial Properties.

A group of merchants and property owners in the East Colfax Avenue corridor is considering the creation of a business improvement district. The area under consideration would include properties between Eudora Street and Monaco Boulevard and in the Mayfair Town Center shopping district on East 14th Avenue between Kearney and Leyden streets. Business improvement districts have been created in other parts of Denver and are intended to help fund public improvements in the area. If a majority of property owners sign a petition the district would be created by the Denver City Council.

Johnson and Wales University will invest $30 million to renovate its east Denver campus. The college has about 1,500 students at the Denver campus, majoring primarily in hospitality-oriented careers. The school bought the former Colorado Women's College at East Montview Boulevard and Quebec Street in 2000. Included in the renovations is the historic Treat Hall, which has been vacant since 1982. The college hopes to expand its Denver enrollment to about 2,000 students.  

Denver City Council President Mary Beth Susman reports that on Sunday, June 8th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Save Our Sundial Committee will host a concert named "Here Comes the Sundial" at Cranmer Park. This free musical event to create awareness and raise money for the renovation of the Sundial Plaza, will feature popular local musicians covering famous songs about the sun including Petals of Spain, Joe Sampson, Jen Korte, and the Dirty Femmes.  For more information, to volunteer your help, or to make a donation, go to:

www.saveoursundialfund@gmail.com

www.TheParkPeople.org

www.saveoursundial.com

A California investment firm bought Monaco Square, a 105-unit apartment property at 2361 South Monaco Parkway in southeast Denver. Latitude Management Real Estate Investors bought the property from BMC Investments of Denver for $8,450,000, or approximately $80,000 per unit. ARA agents Andy Hellman, Terrance Hunt and Shane Ozment handled the transaction. 

D4 Urban LLC began construction on Alameda Station Village, a 275-unit apartment project adjacent to RTD's Alameda light rail station on South Cherokee Street at West Dakota Street. The project will occupy about three acres of land formerly used for a park-and-ride lot. RTD entered into an agreement with the developer to maintain the light rail station and a new transit plaza.

DPC Development bought Cherry Tower, a 16-story office building at 950 South Cherry Street. The company acquired the 231,025 square foot building from an affiliate of Carmel Partners for $21.2 million, or about $91 per square foot. Cassidy Turley agents Jim Brady and R. C. Myles represented the seller, Cherry Tower LLP.