DENVER | Transportation Thread

[seventwenty]

RTD wins key partners to extend Southeast Rail Extension

Originally Posted by Denver Post

RTD unearthed a group of partners willing to commit $35 million to $40 million in cash, rights of way, permit fees and other items to help complete the $207 million Southeast Light Rail Extension in Douglas County.

This is the largest local match of any FasTracks project — except for Denver Union Station — and at 16.5 percent of the project cost, it is well above the 2.5 percent match the agency asks of local governments hoping to hitch a ride on the system, said RTD spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas.

. . .

"The only way to get these projects done is through public/private partnerships," said Lone Tree Mayor Jim Gunning. His city is contributing more than $7 million for the Southeast Rail Extension.

. . .

Coventry Development — which will donate rights of way worth about $10 million to $15 million for three light rail stations — said the investment is worth it. The rail line will feed a growing medical and residential market that employs and houses thousands in the south metro area.

. . .

Besides Lone Tree, Douglas County and Denver South Transportation are the other partners, and all are eyeing projections that light rail, as well as three additional stops south of the current Lincoln Street station in Lone Tree, will boost economic development.

Officials estimate the extension will generate 10 million square feet of commercial real estate, adding an additional 4,000 residences and creating 20,000 new jobs in the southeast corridor in the next 25 years.

. . .

RTD will chip in a $66 million match needed to attract $92 million in federal funds to complete the extension. The additional 2.3 miles will reach from Lincoln Station to RidgeGate Parkway.

If all goes to plan, work on the Southeast Line Extension will begin in 2016 and be finished in 2019, two years after the original FasTracks schedule projected.

I bet all the contributors wanted the project to go through in order to make RidgeGate more attractive to suburbanites who want to take the train downtown, although the zoning does actually have a "downtown Lone Tree".

[seventwenty]

Originally Posted by seventwenty

RTD wins key partners to extend Southeast Rail Extension



I bet all the contributors wanted the project to go through in order to make RidgeGate more attractive to suburbanites who want to take the train downtown, although the zoning does actually have a "downtown Lone Tree".

Here's a gif of the zoned "downtown Lone Tree" and what it currently looks like.



Sources: Google Maps and this masterplan

More info about the 3 planned LRT stations:

Originally Posted by RidgeGate MasterPlan

Sky Ridge Station
In-line mixed-use/neighborhood station with shops, restaurants, and office space with pedestrian connections to the adjacent medical center, Commonwealth Street, and medium density residential. Station is within walking distance to adjacent neighborhood and features a Kiss-and-Ride loop with RTD bus connections and a RidgeGate loop bus service.


Lone Tree City Center Station
Urban below ground downtown station with high density mixed-use commercial, office retail and residential. 10-30 story high density mixed-use buildings with shared parking and features a curb-side bus stop, layered rail/bus connection, RTD local bus connections, and RidgeGate loop service.


Ridgegate Parkway Station
End-of-line station with medium density development surrounding the site consisting of commercial, office, and retail uses. The station features 2,000 surface parking spaces, RTD local and regional bus connections, and RidgeGate loop service.

[bunt_q]

10 million square feet of commercial space is, what, 10 Republic Plazas? Just saying.

[seventwenty]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

10 million square feet of commercial space is, what, 10 Republic Plazas? Just saying.

Yeah it's a laughably high amount for Lone Tree. Lemme see how much office space the Charles Schwab campus at Lincoln and 25 is.

ETA: Phase 1 is about 550,000 sq ft over 2 5 story buildings , plus a third 187,000 sq ft building with about 1,200 parking spaces.

So we'll round up and say that Schawb's 750,000 sq ft over 55 acres. To get to 10,000,000 sq ft, that's 13.333 Schwab's, or 733 acres.

Here's where it gets interesting: Per the master plan I linked above:
C/M-U Commercial / Mixed Use (max height 250'): 665.0 acres 18.919% of all land
C/C City Center (max height 360'): 163.0 acres 4.637% of all land

So to get to 10,000,000 sq ft of office space, Lone Tree's could (and probably will) fill the new land with Schwab style densities.

ETA 2: As a final comparison, just to get an idea of what Lone Tree is probably wanting to build:

DTC: 909 acres and 9.4 mln ft of office space
Meridian: 1,630 acres unknown office space
Downtown Denver and surrounding neighborhoods: Unknown acreage but 27.1 mln squ ft of office space

[bunt_q]

Oh, I think they'll get 10 million square feet eventually

[CharlesCO]

The only underground rail station in the entire metro area is going in Nowheresville? That's what this pays for? Granted, I understand it's easier to build a subway from scratch where there's nothing (literally, nothing) already there, but still, that seems a little silly to me as an almost-end-of-the-line station.

[Stonemans_rowJ]

Is there a source for dwelling units per acre by neighborhood? Just curious. Thanks...

[bunt_q]

The PDD linked above contains some of that. The "City Center" area is interesting - densities are given in minimums. Minimum 15 dua residential, minimum 1.0 FAR. That's not joking around, it should make for some good suburban intensities.

It'll be interesting to see how Lone Tree's TOD efforts compare to Stapleton. It would not surprise me at all if we get a better product in Lone Tree. They want it more badly.

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

The PDD linked above contains some of that. The "City Center" area is interesting - densities are given in minimums. Minimum 15 dua residential, minimum 1.0 FAR. That's not joking around, it should make for some good suburban intensities.

It'll be interesting to see how Lone Tree's TOD efforts compare to Stapleton. It would not surprise me at all if we get a better product in Lone Tree. They want it more badly.

Hopefully, people will learn from mistakes. Besides, Stapleton shot itself in the foot over the LRT, and, BRT options years ago.

[Wizened Variations]

Dup

[bobg]

After close to a year of no public news Colfax corridor connections just announced two meetings later this month:

Denver Public Meeting: Tuesday, August 26, 2014
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (presentation at 6 p.m.)
Knights of Columbus Hall
1555 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203
-This location is served by RTD bus routes: 6, 10, 15, 15L and 20
-Bike racks available near main entrance
-Free vehicular parking in lot at southeast corner of 16th Ave. and Grant St.

Aurora Public Meeting: Wednesday, August 27, 2014
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (presentation at 6 p.m.)
North Middle School
12095 Montview Boulevard, Aurora, CO 80010
-This location is served by RTD bus routes: 20, 89 and 121
-Bike racks available near main entrance

http://www.denvergov.org/infrastruct...2/Default.aspx

[RyanD]

We all need to go to this. If we want things to get done, it's public meetings we need to attend. Who's going? I have Jury Duty that day so I'll just go right after that given I'm not there til 8pm.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by RyanD

We all need to go to this. If we want things to get done, it's public meetings we need to attend. Who's going? I have Jury Duty that day so I'll just go right after that given I'm not there til 8pm.

Make a couple of racist and homophobic comments, that should see you dismissed early.

[PLANSIT]

[The Dirt]

I'll probably go to the one in downtown.

[Scottk]

Have we talked about this yet?

Littleton is planning some TOD at the mineral station.

https://www.littletongov.org/modules...ocumentid=3743

I always thought this would be a good spot for TOD, with the mall being right there. It is good to see they plan on building structured parking and mixed use buildings.

[Cirrus]

Sounds like a tacit admission that the big strip mall down by Mineral is a stronger pull than downtown Littleton. Can't blame them; I'm sure it is a stronger draw. But it's too bad, because downtown Littleton has the urban bones to make an actually legitimately good TOD, if they can ever get anybody to build anything there.

[Scottk]

nahh I think downtown littleton will eventually get some good TOD. The Nimbys will bitch but downtown littleton is too prime for TOD not to happen

[bunt_q]

Downtown Littleton has gotten a lot of TOD, it's just basically built out for the zoning.

Now if you're talking about a wholesale upzoning, that's different. But a whole crapton has been built in there since 2000, it's just all at a smaller scale.

[TakeFive]

Long, long time ago South Broadway, Littleton Blvd. and Hampden/Arapaho Roads were stomping grounds. Great Italian/Pizza places. Ate a ton of meals at place called the Crestwood Inn on Littleton Blvd.

As development moved south the the area lost its energy. Good to see some new development along Littleton Blvd over the last decade or so.