Why aren't there more high rises in Denver? (Broomfield, Englewood: 2015, new house)

[Hschlick84]

I like the Stock Show, rodeos, and I like skyscrapers. Denver ought to mimic Houston and Calgary.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by BornintheSprings

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

Keep on dreaming. Denver can’t even build enough rail lines to serve the population you have now.

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

Those pictures are ridiculous. They are pictures of idiots who jumped on a crowded train at the last second, and got smacked in the face by the doors. You could take pictures like that, in almost any city with rail, including Denver.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I like the Stock Show, rodeos, and I like skyscrapers. Denver ought to mimic Houston and Calgary.

Yes, a city can successfully balance both halves of itself like that. I think Houston certainly does.

But, as someone from Houston, who recently lived in Denver before moving back here, there is a lot I miss about Denver's approach to development and city planning, walkable neighborhoods and compact nature. Houston has always been a place to grow and reinvent itself too quickly, and now has little sense of history left. All those skyscrapers and freeways everywhere have come at the expense of beauty.

[DenverBound41]

Originally Posted by oclarki

Despite the increase in population and the economic growth, why isn't Denver building more high rises? Every time I come back from Chicago, I'm struck by how much less impressive our skyline is. Rather than sprawling out why aren't more tall buildings and density being planned for? A lot of the infill around union station and other areas is less than 10 stories. Why not take advantage of the space and build taller buildings?

I do agree that the skyline isn't impressive, it is mostly dominated by mid 80's bland architecture. Things are getting better though, a few more buildings like 1144 15th will go a long way towards modernizing the look and feel of downtown.

As for Union Station, most buildings (a few exceptions like Alta City House) have used the maximum allowable height. Unfortunately (IMO) the zoning was short-sighted in an attempt to have a quicker build-out. I think a few 400' towers in that area would have been much cooler, but it wasn't a possibility with the zoning.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by DenverBound41

I do agree that the skyline isn't impressive, it is mostly dominated by mid 80's bland architecture. Things are getting better though, a few more buildings like 1144 15th will go a long way towards modernizing the look and feel of downtown.

As for Union Station, most buildings (a few exceptions like Alta City House) have used the maximum allowable height. Unfortunately (IMO) the zoning was short-sighted in an attempt to have a quicker build-out. I think a few 400' towers in that area would have been much cooler, but it wasn't a possibility with the zoning.

Yeah, I don't know what the point is in limiting height in the Union Station neighborhood I guess The Confluence apartment tower is just outside that restriction, considering its height (when completed).

It's all relative. I've been traveling to Kansas City a lot this past year and Denver's skyline looks huge and dense compared to KC. Inner city Denver is much denser, much more pedestrian (and car) traffic, and more desirable than KC.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by MtnJam

Keep dreaming. Stock Show attendance only keeps increasing, and the grounds there are slated to be improved and expanded. Ag contributes more to CO's economy than you realize, and always will.

I'm just saying it's not my thing, I don't care, and you'll never see me in a cowboy costume at a rodeo. Keep it, get rid of it... whatever.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by denverian

I'm just saying it's not my thing, I don't care, and you'll never see me in a cowboy costume at a rodeo. Keep it, get rid of it... whatever.

As a resident of Stapleton, think of it as a massive economic development project that will make your house more valuable and will continue the process of kicking the low-income, nonwhite people out of the area (this being NE Denver). It's only a good thing for you.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by denverian

Yeah, I don't know what the point is in limiting height in the Union Station neighborhood I guess The Confluence apartment tower is just outside that restriction, considering its height (when completed).

It's all relative. I've been traveling to Kansas City a lot this past year and Denver's skyline looks huge and dense compared to KC. Inner city Denver is much denser, much more pedestrian (and car) traffic, and more desirable than KC.

The height limit was originally imposed for a few reasons such as viewplanes from LoHi, proximity to LoDo etc. it was kept low prior to redevelopment as a means of ensuring that the are would be developed quickly as the thought at the time was that allowing 40-plus story buildings would mean a multi-decade long build-out of Union Station. In hindsight, demand in the area was grossly underestimated as the full build out scenario is going to be completed as decade earlier than expected.

The Confluence was approved with a height waiver in order to free up more space around Confluence Park and provide for additional access to the park. If the height waiver wasn't approved, you'd see a 12-story full block project at the site instead of the slender tower project that's going up.

[Hschlick84]

What I would like to see is Denver push to be more cosmopolitan and corporate like Calgary, but keep its cowtown western culture within the city. Calgary has more modern 1990s to 2000s glass towers which Denver could benefit from.

The problem is there are too many height restrictions for taller skyscrapers and government codes to follow through.





Brookfield place (225 meters) It's a modern glass tower of Republic Plaza in Denver


Telus Sky (222 meters)


The Bow (236 meters)

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

What I would like to see is Denver push to be more cosmopolitan and corporate like Calgary, but keep its cowtown western culture within the city. Calgary has more modern 1990s to 2000s glass towers which Denver could benefit from.

The problem is there are too many height restrictions for taller skyscrapers and government codes to follow through.

What are you talking about? The CBD has no height restrictions (asides from the 16th St Mall sunlight restrictions), you could build a tower up to the FAA limit of 2,000 ft if you wanted to do so. FAR requirements do come into play which does restrict your realistic building heights. But, it's not height restrictions that are preventing more towers from going up in Denver. Nor it is building requirements. Hell, Calgary's building development process is probably more asinine than Denver's in terms of requirements. Rather, it's the type of development that's encouraged via regulations and public subsidies that shapes a city.

Calgary has more towers for a few reasons: Calgary has one of the highest concentrations of corporate headquarters in North America. It has actively encouraged commercial development in the city center versus suburban office parks. It discourages individual auto travel in the city center. Calgary has parking limits in the city center and parking maximums for new projects (both help reduce the cost of new towers).