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May/June 2008
All Eyes on Denver
A bustling construction market reshapes the Mile High City as it prepares to host the Democrats
By Jennifer Seward
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| Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Greeley, Colo., is building the $378-million Denver Justice Center complex just south of downtown in the city’s Civic Center District. (Photo courtesy of Terry Shapiro) |
enver is no stranger to the spotlight, with its world-class museums, high-profile sports teams, proximity to some of the world’s best skiing and a revered 300 days of sunshine drawing visitors year-round.
But when the Democratic National Convention crowds arrive, they’ll see a skyline punctuated by tower cranes, a testament to a citywide building boom that has kept Colorado construction firms busy with a growing hospitality market, mixed-use buildings, transit-oriented developments and expanding health-care facilities. “Denver is faring better than some parts of the country in the commercial market,” says Michael Gifford, executive director of AGC Colorado. Gifford points to the region’s medical/ and hospital construction, the university sector and construction in the public-works arena as local strengths.
Projects of interest for conventioneers will likely include several downtown landmarks completed in the last couple of years, including the $75-million Daniel Libeskind-designed addition to the Denver Art Museum, built by Mortenson Construction; the $92-million Ellie Caulkins Opera House by PCL Construction Services Inc.; and the $70-million Denver Newspaper Agency headquarters constructed by Greeley’s Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
There’s also another soon-to-be jewel in the city’s multifaceted crown; the Denver Justice Center Complex, a state-of-the-art courthouse and detention facility designed by Denver’s klipp and being built by Hensel Phelps. The project is funded by a $378-million voter-approved bond initiative passed in 2005. The complex is located in Denver’s Civic Center district and is scheduled for completion in May 2010.
Heads Up
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| PCL Construction Services Inc. built the Ellie Caulkins Opera House within the shell of an historic theater. (Photo courtesy of Time Frame Photography) |
There also will be plenty of new downtown high-rises to admire, including the $64-million Glass House, a 23-story glass-and-steel building set in the heart of Riverfront Park and completed last year by Denver’s JE Dunn Construction. Others include the 600-ft-tall Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, on which Denver’s Swinerton Builders broke ground in late 2007; 1401 Lawrence, a 51-story residential high-rise predicted to become the tallest building downtown, with construction scheduled to start this year; and the $140-million One Lincoln Park, now under construction and expected to be completed later this year by Swinerton Builders and Denver’s Buchanan Yonushewski Group.
Other notable area projects include the growth of the world-class Anschutz Medical Campus in the neighboring suburb of Aurora and the coming of Denver’s much-anticipated FasTracks, a $4.7-billion voter-approved, 12-year transit program to expand light rail and bus service.
Work Slowdowns?
Chief among the downtown skyline transformation is the $175-million Spire, a 41-story residential tower that will feature 503 units ranging from $200,000 to $500,000. It is being developed by the Nichols Partnership and constructed by JE Dunn for completion in December 2009.
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| The 600-ft-tall Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver
will be the city’s fourth-tallest building when Swinerton Builders
completes it in late 2009. (Rendering courtesy of HKS, Inc.) |
Located at 14th and Champa, just down the street from the newly expanded Colorado Convention Center, Spire’s construction is at the epicenter of convention traffic and will be in the spotlight when the convention takes place at the Pepsi Center just a few blocks away.
Although the construction team is used to working amid pedestrian and automobile traffic surrounding Spire’s tight downtown site, “we don’t really know yet if we will be affected by the DNC,” says JE Dunn senior project manager Dustin Liljehorn. “We’ve tried to keep a decent, clean walkway, but [ultimately] we’ll have to see what the Secret Service says. Our only restriction so far is that there can be no additional work on 14th Street during the month of August. We can’t shut down the street to put in utilities, but we can plan around it.”
There are no private construction moratoriums planned within the public right-of-way during the DNC, says Ann Williams, director of marketing and communications for Denver’s Dept. of Public Works. For construction, it is business as usual, she says.
“Our city is experiencing much growth, especially in the downtown area, and projects are moving forward,” says Williams. “As far as covered sidewalks and other visibility concerns, it’s safety and protection first, and currently there are no plans to make any cosmetic alterations to projects that are under way unless they are a safety concern.”
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| The $140-million, 31-story One Lincoln Park will feature 186 luxury residential units, including 38 penthouses. (Photo courtesy of Terry Shapiro) |
Williams says the city wants visitors to see that Denver is thriving, and the cranes sprinkled all around the city “show that we are certainly a city in motion.” DPW will review any permit for work in the right-of-way as standard operating procedure, and will coordinate with the Democratic National Committee to be sure that any work permits during this time do not interfere with convention activities, Williams says.
Setting the Stage
Inside the Pepsi Center, the privately owned arena that is home to the Colorado Avalanche hockey team and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, planning is under way for the aggressive rebuilding and restoration of the arena and its facilities in preparation for the convention. A team of local design and construction firms has the job of remodeling a number of temporary convention features at the arena that will have to be torn down immediately after the event.
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| The 20,000-seat capacity Pepsi Center, built by
Mortenson Construction, will host the convention. |
Alvarado Construction will lead the construction management team, along with Turner Construction and HOK Sport+Venue+Event. These firms have much experience in development, design, construction and restoration of public assembly facilities and have worked together on several large-scale projects.
“Pepsi Center was designed as a sports arena and is not prepared for this type of event,” says Linda Alvarado, president of Alvarado Construction. “We don’t start construction until July 7, have to be done the second week in August and have just two weeks after the convention to put [Pepsi Center] back together again.”
Alvarado says work will include building hospitality areas, adding new signage and upgrades and additions to the utilities to support the diverse convention activities throughout the Pepsi Center.
VIP and green rooms will be built for the candidates, walls at the suite level will be removed, and temporary platforms will be constructed to hang below the seating area. The lighting will be beefed up throughout the building while broadcast booths and camera platforms will be added. Temporary mechanical and HVAC upgrades will tie into the existing systems. The construction team is working with the Dept. of Homeland Security and the Secret Service to create temporary access areas as well.
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| Spire is a $175-million, 41-story mixed-use building being built downtown by Denver’s JE Dunn Construction, with an expected completion in December 2009. Spire will include 503 one- and two-bedroom homes and 7,633 sq ft of street-level retail space.
(Rendering courtesy of RNL Design) |
Progressive Greening
To make good on the DNC’s commitment to create the most sustainably produced political convention in history, significant green building practices will be employed at every level of design and construction. An on-site recycling program will be incorporated throughout the project and post-convention materials will be reused and donated to community organizations. Williams says her department is working closely with the host committee to find ways to make this the greenest convention ever, while also making the city and its amenities accessible to visitors.
She adds that, while unrelated to the city’s convention preparation efforts, voters last year approved the Better Denver package, a $2.5-million mill levy raised through the sale of bonds. It will pay for ongoing maintenance and $550 million worth of projects aimed at creating a “better, smarter, more sustainable Denver.”
Some of the work has already begun, including preventive maintenance to the city’s streets, parks and city buildings. The Downtown Denver Partnership is handling outdoor beautification efforts, preparing for the convention by adding 100 new flower planters, more than 70 trees and initiating an outdoor recycling program. DDP’s Sarah McClean says the convention has been a catalyst for some of the things they’ve been planning to do for some time.
Completion is focused on August 25, when thousands of conventioneers and politicians take over the city with their bizarre hats and silly signs. But they will also bring with them buckets of cash and the attention of the world media.
“Obviously, for a city the size of Denver, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “We’re spending a huge amount of time and effort making sure everything goes smoothly.”
New Justice Center Will Anchor City’s Civic Center District
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| The courthouse in the Justice Center complex was designed by Denver’s klipp. (Rendering courtesy of Vladislav Yelliseyev) |
Denver’s new $370-million-plus Justice Center Complex, a state-of-the-art courthouse, detention facility, post office and parking garage in the city’s historic Civic Center District, is scheduled for full completion in May 2010. The post office, built by Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Greeley, Colo., and the parking garage, constructed by Denver’s Haselden Construction, were completed last fall.
That allowed the U.S. Postal Service to move into its new LEED Silver-certified facility in October, making way for demolition of the old Rocky Mountain News building and the former U.S. Post Office building at 14th Avenue and Elati Street, both located on the site of the new jail and courthouse.
Mid-2007 brought budget constraints on the project, as the rising cost of construction materials increased the overall price to build the complex by about 24%. In response to the increased costs, the city sold $8.8 million in mini-bonds to help finance the project.
The project also survived the surprise early departure of courthouse design leader, Steven Holl Architects, New York City. Denver’s klipp, Holl’s local design partner, took over the project immediately and has brought it to the construction stage.
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Taking Flight
Denver International Airport isn’t planning new projects specifically to prepare for the DNC, but it is speeding up several construction programs already under way in hopes of having them completed in time for the convention, “just to make the place a little more presentable,” says Chuck Cannon, director of public affairs for the airport.
The work entails lane striping, panel replacement on the airfield, installing moving walkways on Concourse C and a landscaping project—and there will also be a fair amount of painting, cleaning, sweeping and general spruce-up stuff, Cannon says.
The nation’s largest airport by land size and the 11th busiest by number of passengers should be able to handle the additional traffic without any trouble, Cannon says. Up to 170,000 travelers come through DIA on an average day in August.
“It’s our busy month anyway, so even if they all come at once, an additional 45,000 or so travelers won’t impact the airport too much,” he says.
In the meantime, DIA is undergoing a comprehensive review of its long-range master plan and has launched numerous expansion and improvement projects to address the city’s growth. The airport plans to spend more than $1 billion through 2013 on its concourses, concession areas, security checkpoints, parking lots and baggage system.
Concourse expansion involves adding 10 gates onto Concourse C and building a commuter facility that can handle 23 regional jets, similar to the one recently built on Concourse B.
Security changes involve expanding and adding security lanes and creating another screening area in the main terminal.
Parking upgrades include building new parking garages near the airport’s main terminal and a third shuttle lot, adding thousands of new spaces.
Upgrades to baggage handling involve building a new system to route outbound and inbound luggage using conventional methods such as conveyor belts. It also involves upgrading baggage sorting and claim carousels and moving explosives-detection equipment from Concourse B into the terminal.
A long-awaited airport hotel is still in the planning and financing stages, but “will happen eventually,” airport officials say.
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On the Move
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| Historic Union Station will be redeveloped as the regional hub for the city’s light rail system. (Rendering courtesy of Continuum Partners) |
FasTracks, T-REX inspire transit-oriented development in and around Denver
FasTracks is the Regional Transportation District’s voter-approved $4.7-billion 12-year program to expand the Denver area’s rail and bus service. Scheduled for completion in 2017, FasTracks will create 119 mi of commuter rail in six new commuter corridors, extend the three existing rail corridors, build 18 mi of bus rapid transit, add 21,000 new parking spaces, redevelop Denver’s historic Union Station and expand bus service across the entire eight-county district.
Construction began this spring on the project’s first leg, the West Corridor, a 12.1-mi light-rail line between the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver and the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.
FasTracks, as well as the 2006 completion of the massive T-REX highway expansion and light-rail project, have spurred transit-oriented developments near many of Denver’s existing and planned light-rail stations.
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| The Broomfield Event Center, built by Saunders Construction, anchors the phased Arista transit development on the north end of the metro area.
(Rendering courtesy of Saunders Construction) |
Ground will be broken this fall on Vallagio Inverness, the largest transit-oriented development in Colorado and the first residential development in the 980-acre Inverness Business Park south of Denver. The 30-acre, $200-million development plan calls for 469 residences in a new neighborhood connected to the Dry Creek light-rail station via a pedestrian bridge.
Situated near the existing Broadway light-rail station, the former site of the Gates Rubber Plant will be redeveloped into a high-density, mixed-use neighborhood. When complete, the 50-acre site is expected to include 4,000 residential units, office, retail and entertainment totaling up to 7.5 million sq ft.
The $550-million redevelopment of Denver’s historic Union Station is the key to the FasTracks plan because the 100-year-old train station is slated to become the system’s regional transit hub, where all rail lines will converge downtown. The station sits in the heart of the city’s Lower Downtown, or LoDo neighborhood, close to Coors Field, the Pepsi Center arena and the arts and entertainment district.
“The remodeled Union Station will be the most exciting thing to happen to the area since LoDo became LoDo,” said Fabby Hillyard, executive director of the LoDo District Inc. “We’d like it to have the vibrance of Grand Central Station. It will be a place for people to shop, eat and gather.”
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The Sky’s the Limit
New high-rises give Denver skyline an altimeter boost
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| Hyatt Hotel at Colorado Convention Center (Rendering courtesy of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects) |
As part of a continuing push for high-density infill projects, Denver has seen an increase in skyline-changing commercial and residential high-rises over the past few years. But the upward push it is experiencing now is unprecedented. Many of the city’s new multifamily, hospitality and mixed-use projects are located near light-rail stations, furthering Denver’s quest to become a more transit-savvy, sustainable city.
The 31-story mixed-use development at One Lincoln Park is located directly across from the 20th Street light-rail station and is one of the city’s largest transit-oriented developments to date. The $140-million project will feature 186 luxury residential units, including 38 penthouses, rising above street-level retail and enclosed parking. The building was designed by Denver’s Buchanan Yonushewski Group to step back as it goes up, helping to reduce its scale and allow more access to outdoor spaces.
“Denver hasn’t seen anything like this yet,” says BYG Principal John Yonushewski. “This is more like what you’d see near Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. It will provide a high-end, cosmopolitan-urban lifestyle for its residents.”
Denver’s Swinerton Builders is building the core and shell, with BYG doing the interior-finish work. Construction costs are estimated to be between $80 million and $90 million.
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| Sugar (Rendering courtesy of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects) |
Swinerton is also building the 600-ft-tall Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Denver, a new 45-story hotel and residence tower located on the west side of downtown. One-third of the units have already been sold, including a penthouse suite that went for a record $10 million.
Just up the street from Four Seasons near the Colorado Convention Center, the $175-million Spire, a 41-story residential tower that will feature 503 units ranging from $200,000 to $500,000, is being constructed by Denver’s JE Dunn. Senior project manager Dustin Liljehorn says the nine levels of parking are now complete and the team is preparing to start on the pour of the tenth floor, which begins the residential portion of the project. The building is slated for occupancy in December 2009.
JE Dunn is also building the $34-million Sugar3, a 10-story, 196,000-sq-ft, mixed-use building at 16th and Blake streets, alongside the historic Sugar Building in Denver’s Lower Downtown district. The street level is designated for 8,000 sq ft of retail and/or restaurant tenants with three floors of parking below.
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| 1755 Blake Street (Rendering courtesy of RNL Design) |
Among the many other high-rise projects going up downtown are 1755 Blake (GC: Haselden Construction, Centennial, Colo.) and a new 17-story office building, called 16th Street at Millennium Bridge, being built near Union Station (GC: Saunders Construction, Denver).
Still in the planning stages are a 17-story hotel and condo tower at 15th and Stout streets, with 264 hotel rooms on floors three through 14, and 12 condos on the upper floors; and the $192-million, 22-story downtown headquarters of Xcel Energy at 1800 Larimer Street near the LoDo district.
In addition, Greeley’s Hensel Phelps completed the $70-million Denver Newspaper Agency headquarters early last year, the Hyatt Hotel at the Colorado Convention Center in 2006 and an expansion of the Colorado Convention Center in 2005.
Built by PCL, the $92-million Ellie Caulkins Opera House opened in 2005, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 8 headquarters (constructed by OPUS) was completed early last year.
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Anschutz Medical Campus
Redeveloped Army base becomes cutting-edge health-care campus
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| The Children’s Hospital, GC: GH Phipps (Photo courtesy of Terry Shapiro) |
Denver’s reputation as a healing city took root in the late 1800s. Lured by the benefits of its dry, sunny climate, hundreds of people with tuberculosis moved to the area in hopes of finding a miracle cure.
The city’s health-centric reputation continues today as competition among Denver hospitals has fueled a health-care building boom with a flurry of new medical facilities. The market is highlighted by the ongoing development of the Anschutz Medical Campus, a “square mile of life sciences” that includes education, patient care, community service and research and development.
Located in the Denver suburb of Aurora on the grounds and facilities of the former Fitzsimons Army Base, it has become one of the most important health-care campuses in the country. The Anschutz campus is home to the relocated University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the University of Colorado Hospital system, the new $500-million Children’s Hospital, a planned Veterans’ Administration hospital and several support facilities.
Recent projects include Research Complexes 1 and 2 (GCs: Hensel Phelps Construction and Mortenson Construction, respectively), a second phase of the Anschutz Inpatient Pavilion (GC: Haselden Construction), The Children’s Hospital (a Phipps/McCarthy joint venture) and a new $9.7-million Ronald McDonald House near the hospitals (GC: Fransen Pittman General Contractors). The RMD House provides temporary lodging for the families of children receiving medical treatment for often life-threatening illnesses.
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