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First an invitation to
The Road
Ahead 2011, a short seminar making the
connection! Expanding transportation connectivity in
the Denver region.
Join public officials, developers, and transportation
leaders at the 7th annual
The Road
Ahead event featuring
RTD General Manager Phil
Washington who
will speak on the importance of expanding multi-modal
connections in the Denver region.
Friday, March 4, 2011 8:00 am to 10:30 am JW Marriott
Denver Cherry Creek Ticket includes breakfast,
networking, keynote presentation, local panel, Q & A
The keynote will be followed by a question and answer
session and an interactive panel discussion with local
experts:
Mark Imhoff, Director, Division of Transit, Colorado
Department of Transportation;
George Delaney, Director, City and County of Denver
Department of Public Works;
and
Julie Bender, President and CEO, the Cherry Creek North
Business Improvement District.
The session will be moderated by Glendale Mayor
Larry Harte,
current chair of the
Metro Mayors Caucus.
Early Bird Tickets $40 (through Feb. 28) Regular Tickets
$50 (limited to available seating). Buy Tickets now at:
https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/em/ecampaign/www.theroadahead2011.eventbrite.com
Information or Questions? 303.377.7086
GOLD SPONSOR - RTD
Presented by - Transportation Solutions
An affiliate of Denver Union Station Neighborhood
Company (USNC) paid the Regional Transportation District
$1.51 million for a
vacant site totaling 1.12 acres in the
LoDo submarket of downtown Denver. Located at the
NC Wynkoop/16th Streets, the purchase
price equates to approximately $24/SF. The buyer is
developing the surroundings of Denver Union Station (DUS)
and purchased the property to build a 4-story office
81,000 SF office building with retail space on the main
level. The price was established several years ago when
USNC was selected as the developer of the area
surrounding DUS.
Granite Tower,
a 31-story office building has been purchased for $149
million, or $265/SF. Totaling 561,691 SF on 18th Street
between Arapahoe and Curtis streets, the property was
purchased by KBS Real Estate Investment Trust II.
Metropolitan State College and Sage Hospitality
have declared March 31st as the date they will begin
construction on a new hospitality and learning center.
To be open in the fall of 2012, the combination of a
150-room Spring Hill Suites by Marriott hotel and a
28,000 SF learning center is to make it among only 10
schools in the country to host such a facility.
The redevelopment of
Fillmore
Plaza in Cherry Creek North officially
began with a groundbreaking ceremony recently. To cost
$2.5 million, the redevelopment is to result in a hybrid
design to allow vehicle access and parking in the area
but maintain its pedestrian orientation.
The site of the
Dahlia
Square shopping center is now to become
the home of a senior living community. To be built by
McDermott Properties LLC, the 12.9 million Dahlia Square
Senior Apartments will provide 128 units for those
earning between 30.0% and 50.0% of the median income of
the area. The 2.5 acre site is located at the SWC of
35th Avenue and Elm Street in the Park Hill
neighborhood, part of 10 acres that were previous
purchased by Oakwood Homes. Oakwood was reportedly
unable to develop proposed townhomes because of
financing conditions. The development is anticipating
that it will deliver its first units in August.
The
Regional
Transportation District has been working
on the short-term and long-term options for completing
the
FasTracks
transit expansion program. RTD staff has done months of
analysis on the ways to cost effectively spend the
$305 million available because the Eagle
P-3 public-private partnership bid came in under
budget. This money could be spent on FasTracks projects
not yet in construction or under contract. Staff has
also studied potential sales tax scenarios to complete
the whole program, evaluated stakeholder input and
further analyzed the most technically feasible way to
keep FasTracks moving forward.
In January RTD Staff presented the 2011 Annual Program
Evaluation (APE) and the recommendation for both
short- and
long-term funding options to the RTD
Board. Based on the APE, the capital cost to implement
the FasTracks program by 2019 is estimated at
$6.7
billion - consistent with the 2010 APE.
Also, sales and use tax forecasts were updated using
current data. The forecast increased slightly from 2010
and is now projected to bring in
$8 billion
through 2035. The staff recommended adopting a
financial plan that assumes the passage of a 0.2 percent
sales tax increase in 2011. This would complete 85-90%
of the program by 2022 and complete the whole program by
2027.
The short-term funds of $305 million are recommended by
staff to be committed as follows:
-
U.S. 36 BRT - Complete managed lanes to Interlocken
($90 million)
-
North Metro - Complete DUS to Stock Show Complex ($90
million)
-
I-225 - Complete Nine-Mile to Iliff ($90 million)
-
Northwest Rail - Complete Longmont Station ($17
million)
-
Central Corridor - Additional technical analysis ($0.5
million)
-
Southeast Corridor - Final design and federal
environmental process ($9 million)
-
Southwest Corridor - Relocate Union Pacific Railroad
track ($8.5 million)
The new
0.2% sales
and use tax would be allocated to the partially funded
corridors and is assumed to sunset in approximately
2041- 2043. Extending the schedule for completion of
the whole program from 2019 to 2027 increases the
overall cost, due to additional cost escalation. As a
result, the capital cost for the program under the staff
recommendation would increase from $6.7 billion to $7.2
billion.
Since the staff made its recommendation, key stakeholder
groups, including the
Metro
Mayors Caucus, are showing support for a
0.3-.4% sales and use tax increase. An
outside group is conducting a poll to test public
opinion about a potential tax increase and the level
that generates the most support with the public at
large.
The
RTD Board
has been considering this analysis, stakeholder input
and the results of some recent polling and focus
groups. The Board was initially planning to make a
decision on the FasTracks Financial Plan, including
whether to pursue a tax increase this year and at what
level, at the Feb. 22 Board meeting. However, the Board
has moved the decision back to Tuesday, March 8 so that
they have time to consider additional stakeholder
feedback and polling data about a potential tax increase
and the level that generates the most support. More at:
http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/main_1
Two more public participation opportunities are
available prior to the RTD Board's decision:
RTD Board Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at
1600 Blake Street, R, T & D Rooms
Special Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 8 at 5:30 p.m.
at 1600 Blake Street, R, T & D Rooms
In partnership with the Colorado State Patrol and the
Denver Police Department, RTD kicked off its
Yield to
Bus Program as part of RTD's Partners In
Safety Campaign. The Yield to Bus law requires motor
vehicles to yield when an RTD bus is pulling away from a
stop and the new yield light on the back of the bus is
flashing. All RTD buses (except for the 16th Street
Mall shuttles) are now equipped with yield lights on the
upper left rear. The flashing lights remind motorists
to yield when the bus pulls into traffic from a stop.
The offense for failing to yield is punishable as a
Class A traffic infraction with offenders subject to a
fine from $15 to $100. The Yield to Bus law passed in
2009, allowing transit agencies to elect to participate
or not. RTD had to budget funds in 2010 to be able to
begin installing the yield to bus lights on its fleet of
1,000 buses
Because of RTD FasTracks construction at
Denver
Union Station (DUS), RTD passengers are
no longer be able to use the underground pedestrian
tunnel that connected with the light rail station
platform and the Mall shuttle turnaround. The
underground walkway at the station is closed permanently
as the redevelopment of the station moves forward.
Passengers now take the 16th Street MallRide shuttle or
the 16th Street sidewalk to get to and from the light
rail platform. The bus lane that runs behind Denver
Union Station is also now closed to make way for RTD
FasTracks and DUS construction. As a result, the bus
routes that previously used that bus lane previously
boarded at DUS now do so at Market Street Station at
16th and Market Street.
Also as a result of the DUS redevelopment
Amtrak
has temporarily relocated from the historic Denver Union
Station to the former Lightbulb Supply building, 1800
21st St., at the intersection of 21st/Wewatta
Streets, west of Coors Field in Denver's Prospect
Neighborhood. The temporary station offers self-serve
ticketing kiosks, free WiFi and vending machines. Free
parking is available for Amtrak passengers. The
temporary station is served by an RTD bus stop just
steps from the door.
The AmTrak move is necessary to accommodate construction
of the new commuter rail station at Denver Union Station
that will serve Amtrak and the East, Gold, North Metro
and Northwest Rail commuter rail lines. Amtrak operates
two trains daily through Denver - the westbound
California Zephyr and the eastbound California Zephyr.
The California Zephyr runs between Chicago and
Emeryville, California coursing through the plains of
Nebraska to Denver, across the Rockies to Salt Lake
City, and then through Reno and the Sierras to
Sacramento and San Francisco Bay.
When improvements are complete,
Denver
Union Station will be the centerpiece of
the Regional Transportation District's FasTracks transit
expansion program and will serve as a multimodal hub for
the region. Amtrak will return to Union Station in the
spring of 2014. Other uses in the historic Union
Station building are being considered by the RTD staff
and board, and redevelopment options will likely be
pursued in the coming months. The historic building is
owned by RTD.
In addition to the eight-track Amtrak and RTD commuter
rail station, the $484 million Denver Union Station
redevelopment project includes a 22-bay regional bus
facility, new light rail station for current and future
light rail lines, extension of the 16th Street Mall
Shuttle and several public plazas to integrate transit
services with adjacent neighborhoods.
The
Denver
B-Cycle self-service bike rental system
started last year in downtown and Cherry Creek launches
its second season on March 14 with some improvements to
make it easier to use the expanded 500 bikes at 50
stations. Find our more and give it a try at:
http://denver.bcycle.com/home.aspx
Shea Properties and the University of Colorado have
terminated their contract to sell the University's
Health Sciences Center at 9th
and Colorado to Shea and the University is reportedly
now seeking a new developer. The economy evidently
prevented Shea from being able to finance acquisitions
of portions of the property, even after renegotiation of
the contract last summer. The Denver Post reports that
Shea spent $6 million to obtain entitlements enabling
development with 1,200 residential units, 150,000 SF of
retail and 500,000 SF of office uses.
Denver City Council member Jeanne Robb reports that the
Colorado Boulevard Health District (CBHD), a citizen
steering committee comprised of neighborhood, city and
hospital representatives has long followed the
development, closure, planning and events for the
hospitals, businesses and neighborhoods along Colorado.
They were instrumental in the creation of a General
Development Plan with Shea.
The
Mental
Health Center of Denver has purchased
the University's former North Pavilion Building at 12th
and Clermont. They plan to renovate the building and
add a parking structure for use as an outpatient clinic.
MHCD hopes to begin construction in July with occupancy
a year later. Zoning, E-I-2, allowing medical office is
in place.
The timing of the
VA
Hospital move to the Anschutz Medical
Center has been confirmed. Their new building will
break ground in March of this year but construction and
the move will not be complete until February of 2014.
Because of the federal process, the site cannot be
marketed until February 2015 at the earliest.
Robb also reports that
National
Jewish Health has submitted an offer to
purchase the Gove Middle School property from Denver
Public Schools, but have not heard back. CBHD agreed to
invite DPS representatives to a March meeting.
The Cherry Creek Steering committee was recently updated
by Denver Planning and Development staff on progress
updating the
Cherry
Creek Area Plan. The Area Plan website
includes several recent presentations and opportunities
for stakeholders to provide suggestions at:
www.denvergov.org/cherrycreek
Denver City Council Member Marcia Johnson reports that
several years ago, Old Vine - South Towers LLC, the
owner of the block bounded by 8th Avenue, 9th Avenue,
Ivanhoe Street and Jersey Street, filed a Planned Unit
Development (PUD) rezoning request with the City. They
wanted to build a 3,500 SF structure in the southeast
corner near
8th &
Jersey, to house a
small
coffee shop, book-store and community center.
The Mayfair Neighbors sent a strong letter of support,
and the City was ready to approve the PUD. But then...
we all know the story. The economy and the real estate
marked collapsed and Old Vine withdrew their
application. When the City updated its Zoning Code
last year, this property went from R-3 zoning to a
G-MU-5, remaining residential. Today, the residential
towers on the site have been redeveloped to house
students and active seniors. Old Vine is yet again
interested in creating neighborhood scale commercial
uses and a meeting facility, and the City is considering
its rezoning request. Mayfair Neighbors once again
support the rezoning application.
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