Why aren't there more high rises in Denver? (Englewood, Parker: real estate, house)

[goillini8]

Originally Posted by MN_Ski

^^ Except Minneapolis has a very pathetic downtown. It's very small, boring, sterile, and at loss of any historic character. They are really trying hard to be a big city.

Minneapolis population is around 400k, Milwaukee is about 700k. Milwaukee has done a very good job at keeping it's historic character and charm by repurposing older buildings and structures, without knocking them down and replacing them with tall glass. Sure when you look at Minneapolis and Milwaukee at afar, Minneapolis *looks* bigger, but it's pretty deceiving. Milwaukee also has done a great job with promoting density and growth by incorporating new buildings with the old ones. Minneapolis just tore down anything that looked old, and they are now left with a boring city.

I hope Denver takes the Milwaukee route.

I grew up in Minnesota (Moorhead) and most of my extended family lived in M-SP metro area. Lots ot trips to Minneapolis as a kid. I'm 43 and left in 1991. Back then it was the era of the downtown "mall" - City Center, Gavidae (sp?) Common, RiverPlace, a fully utilized St. Anthony Main. To my young eyes it seemed super busy and exciting - and this was all before Target Center was built or before the Warehouse District was redeveloped. I wonder if it was actually an "good" downtown back then. I was just a kid.

When I come back to visit now, Mpls downtown seems "fine" if not that exciting. I'll stand by my sentiment that it has pretty good skyline.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by goillini8

I'd compare Denver to Minneapolis or Seattle, smaller cities with impressive skylines. Pittsburgh also has a fantastic skyline for smaller city.

I think those are good comparative cities. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with a great downtown, then again, a lot of its beauty is because of the 3 Rivers.

Originally Posted by MN_Ski

Milwaukee has done a very good job at keeping it's historic character and charm by repurposing older buildings and structures, without knocking them down and replacing them with tall glass.

I hope Denver takes the Milwaukee route.

There's something to be said for this. San Antonio is another city that has taken this route. They have been very protective of the historical nature of their downtown and rarely "build up". OTOH, this approach gives the cities that do this a perception of sometimes not being as big (and possibly vibrant) as they actually are.

[denverian]

There is actually a LOT of infill construction going on in Denver (and has been going on for the past decade). The 4 Seasons/Excel building/a 40 story condo tower on 14th St./One Lincoln Place condos all went up in recent years. Currently, there is the Confluence (about a 32 story apt. tower) going up over by the river, a 20 something story building across from the 4 Seasons, 1144 15th (will actually be taller than the 4 Seasons), two condo (or apt.) towers around 30 stories going up just west of Cherry Creek (Country Club/Wash Park neighborhoods), an apartment tower around 28 stories just topped out near the Cash Register building, many mid rise housing buildings in the Golden Triangle area, a couple 30 story or more towers proposed by the Convention Center.... and so many infill projects in central Denver, I couldn't begin to document them all. There are cranes all over Denver right now!

Check out denverinfill.com for details.

I don't think the OP has a clue what's going on in Denver right now. Just because a new 80 story building isn't going up doesn't mean Denver is stagnant. Population is rising fast, and builders are building. When there is demand, a shiny new "tallest" will rise.

[Hschlick84]

Hotel development on block 162.

From Denver-cityscape

[davidv]

Originally Posted by BornintheSprings

I hope one day Denver is as large as Tokyo Japan with rail connecting the whole front range.

And I hope you will be forced to live there and endure it for the rest of your life.

Tokyo Train Riders Squashed

[reed303]

Denver does not have the transportation system to support a large concentration of jobs in the downtown area. Imagine if Chicago did not have the bus/subway/elevated/heavy rail commuter train system that it does.

Also, when some of the more recent tall buildings were proposed, they were heavily opposed due to blocking the mountain views of others.

Besides, Denver's real skyline is the Continental Divide.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by reed303

Denver does not have the transportation system to support a large concentration of jobs in the downtown area. Imagine if Chicago did not have the bus/subway/elevated/heavy rail commuter train system that it does.

Also, when some of the more recent tall buildings were proposed, they were heavily opposed due to blocking the mountain views of others.

Besides, Denver's real skyline is the Continental Divide.

The mountains are a nice addition to the skyline, but they're not buildings unfortunately.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by reed303

Denver does not have the transportation system to support a large concentration of jobs in the downtown area. Imagine if Chicago did not have the bus/subway/elevated/heavy rail commuter train system that it does.

Also, when some of the more recent tall buildings were proposed, they were heavily opposed due to blocking the mountain views of others.

Besides, Denver's real skyline is the Continental Divide.

Uh... do you even live here?? There are trains coming in to downtown from all over the metro area. And that's the entire point... to get people into downtown. The heavy rail commuter train to the airport will be live in just a few weeks. We have a good bus system as well.

I've been downtown 3 times in the past week or so, and it's noticeably busier than it was years ago. I couldn't even find metered parking anywhere on a Sunday at noon. Downtown Denver is booming right now.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Hotel development on block 162.

From Denver-cityscape

Nothing all that exciting (speaking of the architecture), but nice buildings to fill parking lots and add to the streetscape

[BornintheSprings]

Originally Posted by davidv

And I hope you will be forced to live there and endure it for the rest of your life.

Tokyo Train Riders Squashed

How rude