DENVER | Cherry Creek Development Thread

[RyanD]

Since I'm the one taking most of the pictures around here, I figured we needed to have a Cherry Creek thread. Also because threads are what the Mountain West does apparently...

Before I get to it, can I just say, Cherry Creek is pretty much doing everything right (Condos, adding on top of parking structures, adding some serious density, etc). I don't understand why we can't be getting this stuff around Downtown Denver. The only complaint I have is the lack of solid transit to downtown, but we already know of this issue...

Here are the projects:

(Source for all images is DenverInfill, links on the images, along with title links, will link back to the post)

Under Construction

88 Steele Creek

12-stories | 250 Apartment Units



Progress as of January (more coming this week)




Under Construction

250 Columbine

8-stories | 70,000 sq ft Office | 80 Condo Units





Progress as of May




Under Construction

100 Saint Paul

8-stories | 149,000 sq ft Office



Progress as of February




Under Construction

Adolph Coors Foudation

3-stories | 18,750 sq ft Office



Progress as of January




Under Construction

The Residences at Fillmore Plaza

3-stories on top of existing 5-story structure | 26 Apartment Units



Progress as of May




Under Construction

360 South Monroe

8-stories | 297 Apartment Units



Progress as of March



Proposed

1st and Steele Apartments

12-stories | 185 Apartment Units

[Dogpatch]

Cherry Creek is really amazing right now!
I wonder how long it will be before that "old-fashioned" mall gets ripped down and developers build something more urban. Maybe re-claim the street grid and actually activate the creek!
(I give it 10 years.)

[ToysNoiz]

Ooooo Very cool stuff! I'm jealous!
Might have to come on over and snatch those condos.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by ToysNoiz

Might have to come on over and snatch those condos.

No way man! We need about 15 times the amount of condos going into Cherry Creek just to catch up in Denver. We have a HUGE housing shortage right now. How about we take some from YOU!

Also, here's some Cherry Creek crane sexiness..

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Dogpatch

Cherry Creek is really amazing right now!
I wonder how long it will be before that "old-fashioned" mall gets ripped down and developers build something more urban. Maybe re-claim the street grid and actually activate the creek!
(I give it 10 years.)

I'd say a lot more, that "old-fashioned" mall continues to be one of the top tourist attractions in Denver. It's seen some significant remodeling over the last decade or so and I would expect that to continue with more storefronts getting street entrances and additional exposure.

Now, if you're talking about the strip mall to the west of the Cherry Creek Mall, that thing is overdue for a massive redevelopment. It's basically the land-bank for Cherry Creek.

[bunt_q]

Yeah, that "old-fashioned" mall has some of the highest per square-foot sales numbers around. That thing is a gold mine, and you don't redevelop what ain't broke.

Not to say I wouldn't love to get my hands on that redevelopment project. Yum. It's just hard to see it penciling against the current.

[Cirrus]

The whole trend of disappearing malls basically doesn't apply to the 2 or 3 most profitable ones in each city, with truly regional reach. What's disappearing are the more local ones, that only people within a few miles ever visit. So Cherry Creek isn't going anywhere.

That said, it is a little surprising there aren't luxury high-rises sticking out from atop the mall. Cherry Creek's height limit must be too short to make it worthwhile.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

That said, it is a little surprising there aren't luxury high-rises sticking out from atop the mall. Cherry Creek's height limit must be too short to make it worthwhile.

Oh just wait mister. It wouldn't surprise me if they plopped something on both the east and west parking decks. This neighborhood knows how it's done. Hi there Downtown Denver, you're doing great but your little brother CC also has some fantastic ideas! Condos idontcareaboutthepricepointrightnowatleasttheyarecondos cough, buildingontopofparkinggarages cough. Cough. Cough.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

That said, it is a little surprising there aren't luxury high-rises sticking out from atop the mall. Cherry Creek's height limit must be too short to make it worthwhile.

I believe that there is plenty of drama that went into the development of the Cherry Creek Mall, especially the original portion. Doesn't that section has some variances for some fairly large towers to be built there?

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by RyanD

Oh just wait mister. It wouldn't surprise me if they plopped something on both the east and west parking decks. This neighborhood knows how it's done. Hi there Downtown Denver, you're doing great but your little brother CC also has some fantastic ideas! Condos idontcareaboutthepricepointrightnowatleasttheyarecondos cough, buildingontopofparkinggarages cough. Cough. Cough.

Kind of helps when the garage in question was originally designed to accommodate an additional structure on top of it- see the Millennium Bridge Garage.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by RyanD

Oh just wait mister. It wouldn't surprise me if they plopped something on both the east and west parking decks. This neighborhood knows how it's done. Hi there Downtown Denver, you're doing great but your little brother CC also has some fantastic ideas! Condos idontcareaboutthepricepointrightnowatleasttheyarecondos cough, buildingontopofparkinggarages cough. Cough. Cough.

Great thread

Only problem there would be construction access to those garages...maybe the one at the east along Steele wouldn't be too bad, but the one at the south and west would be tough to do anything with. Plus, structural retrofit to place additional levels, if it hasn't been designed for it initially, is a costly and very intrusive process usually. Not saying it can't be done, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

One would have to think that the small strip mall to the east of the mall would be the first to be redeveloped, that area seems vastly underutilized.

[SLC Projects]

Dear Salt Lake City and Developers

Take Notes of this development

From,

A guy who wants to see less 4-5 stories housing and more 12+ story housing.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by EngiNerd

Plus, structural retrofit to place additional levels

If they took so much as an inch of height from those garages as part of a retrofit, I don't think I could get in there anymore!

[RyanD]

Cherry Creek Mall itself is zoned B-3 and it does permit pretty much all types of residential...


http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/646...59_62510-6.pdf

[COtoOC]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Yeah, that "old-fashioned" mall has some of the highest per square-foot sales numbers around. That thing is a gold mine, and you don't redevelop what ain't broke.

Not to say I wouldn't love to get my hands on that redevelopment project. Yum. It's just hard to see it penciling against the current.

It seems a little outdated though. I know they've done a little updating in the past year or so, but the flooring still looks rather '80s.

I could see better connectivity to the CKN or some sort of outdoor shopping added on, like they did to Park Meadows.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

If they took so much as an inch of height from those garages as part of a retrofit, I don't think I could get in there anymore!

Yeah, those garages at CCM have pretty low clearance...funny that you say that because I also saw that the other garage on Filmore that its getting apartments on top also has very low clearance for a garage (6'-8" if I can see that correctly). That's the one problem with retrofitting those older garages, is that they typically have very low head heights that wouldn't pass code these days, and there is usually nothing they can do about it short of some very extensive structural mitigation work, which isn't very feasible. It's just something they have to live with.

denverinfill.com

[RyanD]

100 Saint Paul is making quite the progress. It's pretty much 'bottomed out' and has a shiny red tower crane bringing the SEVENTH tower crane to the neighborhood. It may not be Toronto status but it's damn impressive for Cherry Creek.

Cherry Creek: 100 Saint Paul Update #2 via DenverInfill

[BG918]

There is also the 7 story hotel at 245 Columbine that was formerly an office proposal. Any renderings for that one? I think it starts this fall.

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by RyanD

Before I get to it, can I just say, Cherry Creek is pretty much doing everything right (Condos, adding on top of parking structures, adding some serious density, etc). I don't understand why we can't be getting this stuff around Downtown Denver. The only complaint I have is the lack of solid transit to downtown, but we already know of this issue...

First great thread and photos. Second I think everything in Cherry Creek is 100% good for downtown and Denver as a whole. In a couple generations I believe Cherry Creek will be part of downtown Denver for all intents and purposes. There is no reason Downtown can't connect itself to Cherry Creek and just consider it its shopping district. For that to work a light rail or trolley (or subway which won't happen - but you never know.. you could pop the top off of Speer a la Los Angeles and put a line under the street I suppose). But I also believe some sort of rail transit there is only a matter of time too.

There really isn't any reason to try to duplicate what CC has Downtown.. especially not for stores that just aren't going to have two locations in 2 miles in a city like Denver (Cartier, LV, Tiffany etc.).

With the fill happening slowly along Speer now, Downtown to Cherry Creek is going to look like the same skyline soon enough anyway. Might as well plan/change zoning to accommodate more height in that direction. What we are seeing in CC (the only direction left to go is up) is what we all keep saying/hoping will happen in Downtown after the transit stations near but not at all a part of Union Station and their associated development will eventually force in that area.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

First great thread and photos. Second I think everything in Cherry Creek is 100% good for downtown and Denver as a whole. In a couple generations I believe Cherry Creek will be part of downtown Denver for all intents and purposes. There is no reason Downtown can't connect itself to Cherry Creek and just consider it its shopping district. For that to work a light rail or trolley (or subway which won't happen - but you never know.. you could pop the top off of Speer a la Los Angeles and put a line under the street I suppose). But I also believe some sort of rail transit there is only a matter of time too.

There really isn't any reason to try to duplicate what CC has Downtown.. especially not for stores that just aren't going to have two locations in 2 miles in a city like Denver (Cartier, LV, Tiffany etc.).

With the fill happening slowly along Speer now, Downtown to Cherry Creek is going to look like the same skyline soon enough anyway. Might as well plan/change zoning to accommodate more height in that direction. What we are seeing in CC (the only direction left to go is up) is what we all keep saying/hoping will happen in Downtown after the transit stations near but not at all a part of Union Station and their associated development will eventually force in that area.

100% agree with everything you just said, a direct fixed rail transit line to CC just makes too much sense.