TOD Plans Emerging

Development teams coming on board for former Gates site

Plans for the redevelopment of the former Gates factory site in Denver are moving forward with the addition of two new team members this spring, the construction manager and the developer of a key 24-acre parcel on the north end of the site.

Rendering courtesy of Design Workshop

The Gates redevelopment team continued to grow this spring with the recent addition of Chicago's Joseph Freed and Associates LLC as the developer of a key parcel of the site.

Freed will oversee a 24-acre, mixed-use development on the north end of the former factory, a parcel bounded by I-25 on the north, the light rail line on the east, and West Mississippi and South Santa Fe Drive on the south and west sides. The area now houses several discount furniture warehouses.

The Freed plan includes 500,000 to 600,000 sq ft of retail, 200,000 to 300,000 sq ft of offices and approximately 1,500 residential units, with the total development valued somewhere between $550 million and $700 million.

The choice of Freed was lauded by Denver Mayor Hickenlooper when the selection was announced in late March. "They're a great choice," he said. "They do not do 'B' stuff. They hire good architects, use good materials and follow through on what they set out to do."

Freed specializes in transit-oriented development and urban renewal projects, with several in its Illinois portfolio, including the 1.1 million-sq-ft Sullivan Center in downtown Chicago.

"But it's rare that you find 24 acres so close to a major downtown area," said Larry Freed, the company president. "We like the fact that this is a true transit-oriented development site."

The company's plan for the site is still evolving but will include some entertainment elements and large anchor stores not available elsewhere in Denver, with high-end tenants like those in Cherry Creek and Belmar.

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Teaming Up

Earlier in the year, KBG, a division of Peter Kiewit Sons Inc., was chosen as the construction manager for the $126 million project.

"We couldn't be more excited to be a part of this project and make its vision a reality for Denver," said Bob Mattucci, KBG's senior vice president when the selection was made.

Denver's City Council approved $85 million in tax increment financing for the site. The proposal calls for the city to spend $177 million over 25 years; $85 million would be in principal and the rest in interest.

The developer, Cherokee Denver LLC, would raise an additional $41 million through taxes on future residents and merchants of the 50-acre site to cover its share of the work, which includes environmental remediation, demolishing existing buildings and improving streets, water and sewer lines and other infrastructure.

KBG will manage the development of the infrastructure and work closely with Ferd Belz of Cherokee Denver on an active community outreach program. Kiewit will also help coordinate the anticipated $1 billion of onsite vertical development.

The completed Gates Redevelopment Project will transform the old manufacturing site into Denver's premier transit-oriented development with residential, retail and commercial buildings, offices, galleries, shops, restaurants, public plazas and parks centered around the Regional Transportation District's Broadway Light Rail Station.

Construction will be completed in 2016, coinciding with the completion of RTD's $4.7 billion FasTracks mass transit program.

The Gates project is an example of the growing urban movement toward densifying cities with transit-oriented developments that combine housing, business and transportation elements so people can live, work and play in the same location.

Planning and Oversight

Other members of the Gates planning team, which are also handling Denver's general development plan review process include:

• David Owen Tryba Architects, master planning architect;
• Acquilano Leslie Inc., architect for the rehabilitation of the existing office buildings and plaza;
• Martin & Martin PC, civil engineers;
• URS Corp., traffic planning;
• The Kenney Group, community relations;
• Jirsa Hedrick & Associates, structural engineers;
• Integrated Mechanical Systems Inc., mechanical engineers; and
• Clayden Engineering Inc., electrical engineers.

Architect David Tryba calls the siteone of the most strategic in the urban core of Denver. "[It] can set the standard for the full build-out of FasTracks," he said.

"Rehabilitating the existing office buildings and plaza is both a challenge and an opportunity," said Owen Leslie of Acquilano Leslie. "The existing office buildings will offer a unique opportunity for the right tenant."

McStain Neighborhoods is also redeveloping 3.25 acres of R-2-zoned property acquired from Lionstone, located on the northern end of the Platt Park neighborhood, which is not included in the city of Denver Gates plan. McStain is also working with Lionstone on an additional five acres of RMU-20-zoned property, which will remain a part of the Gates process.

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