Welton Plaza Entrance
On Saturday July 31st, Forever 21, Downtown Denver’s newest and largest fast fashion department store celebrated its official grand opening after months of remodeling and construction at the Denver Pavilions. The new space debuted to many excited shoppers and spectators first at a soft opening on Friday and then at the official event on Saturday morning. Downtown Denver is clearly benefiting from a national trend of fast-fashion retailers taking over spaces from larger former retail tenants.
At 33,000 SF, this new space is more than four times the previous store’s size and will now serve as another “mini-anchor” for both the Denver Pavilions and the rest of Downtown. The new store expanded its footprint by taking over a good chunk of the former Virgin Megastore space on the ground level and adding a new second level that absorbed former nightclub spaces in the corner on the second level. A new central escalator now connects the two levels of the flagship and a new entrance installed along Welton will allow shoppers a new way into the center.
Sign on Welton
Significant investments in new finishes, new dressing rooms, a new cash wrap, flooring, lighting and displays were made throughout the store. Expanded and new product lines are another benefit of the new space and allows them to now offer men’s clothing, expanded accessories as well as their Heritage line. I like that they were able to carve out and create small boutiques within the envelope of the store that have their own look and feel.
Last night I attended the grand opening party for Big Game Restaurant & Lounge in LoDo which is located in the former Il Fornaio space at 1631 Wazee Street. It was a really fun and well attended event. The bones of the space were preserved during the remodel including the main bar and open kitchen. The refurbished tin ceiling, sports themed murals and a new video projection wall really update the look & feel. There are other interesting features like the arch clad in antlers and a series of Wii consoles on the back wall. Passed appetizers included wild boar BBQ sliders, mini chicken parmesan sandwiches and spicy tuna sushi rolls.
Antler Archway
Big Game's Main Dining Room
JFK Football Mural
Video Wall
Open Kitchen
Exterior on Wazee
One of the bars featured cocktails made with Epic Vodka - I sampled their Hawaiian Cosmo and the EPICtini (vodka, sake & cucumber). Epic chose Denver in February as the test market for their “rock & roll” vodka brand. You can check out their blog until their website is finished.
“Denver has proven itself to be an emerging city with it’s professional sports teams taking center stage along with its ever growing nightlife and culinary scenes. Combined with the perfect demographic of young professionals, we are looking to Denver to set the tone for EPIC Vodka in the coming months.”
A number of noteable people attended the party including co-owner Zach Chodorow and his father Jeffery Chodorow who owns China Grill Management. Big Game is open for lunch and Dinner. They have two happy hours; 3pm – 6pm and 10pm – close. Their menu features a wide variety of choices including sushi, salads, shepard’s pie, lamb, elk and venison chops with separate sections for 5 kinds of PEI Mussels and 8 selections of fresh cut fries. The dessert menu features red velvet cupcakes – my personal favorite.
The Story of Skyline Park
Skyline Park, Downtown Denver
Skyline Park, stretching from 15th to 17th Streets along Arapahoe, is a three block oasis in the heart of our city. Sidewalk patios abound. Office workers stretch out in the sun. Throughout the year you can find concerts, events, holiday craft fairs and much more taking place here.
But it wasn’t always this way…
For many years, Skyline Park was a poorly-maintained hub of illegal activity, and not the kind of place where the general public would go to relax. From 1996-2003, the City, the Downtown Denver Partnership and the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) worked with the public to develop a series of plans that resulted in a $6.5 million revitalization project funded by the City and the adjacent property owners. The sunken park was raised to grade level, new landscaping and native Colorado materials replaced the crumbling concrete terraces, the fountains were renovated and moveable tables, chairs and umbrellas were installed. After it opened in 2004, the BID stationed Downtown Ambassadors and outreach workers there to monitor activity and obtain help for those who had made the park their home.
Following the reopening of the park, antisocial behavior plummeted and employees, residents and tourists returned to the park in droves. Today the Downtown Denver Partnership and the BID help maintain the level of activity by coordinating the free movie series Movies in the Park and the Skyline Park Free Summer Concerts. In addition, the staff of the Downtown Denver Partnership help bring nearly 200 other events to the park annually.
“Public spaces are a critical element in any center city,” says John Desmond, Vice President of Urban Planning and Environment for the Downtown Denver Partnership. “Skyline Park has been a real success story for Downtown Denver and a great example of a public-private cooperation. It is proving to have real value as a central gathering place.”
Skyline Park Summer Movies & Concert Series Announced!
The 2010 Free summer concert and movies series has just been announced! Mark the following on your calendars…we’ll see you in the Park!
Skyline Park Free Summer Concerts
Fridays, Noon – 1 pm
7/9/2010 John Commons
7/16/2010 Coles Whalen
7/23/2010 Bob Skism
7/30/2010 Halden Walford And The Hi Beams
8/6/2010 The Epilogues
8/13/2010 The Hollyfelds
8/20/2010 Boulder Acoustic Society
June 12:
Cats & Dogs, rated PG
Mile High Movies in Skyline Park, Downtown Denver
Mile High Movies in the Park
In cooperation with Denver Parks and Recreation and the Denver Theatre District
Saturdays at Dusk
July 3:
Field of Dreams, rated PG
July 17 :
Kung Fu Panda, rated PG
July 31:
Madagascar, rated PG
August 14:
Hook, rated PG
August 21:
The Wizard of Oz, rated G
For more information on Skyline Park, please visit www.DowntownDenver.com.
Earlier this week I became a member of eGo Carshare. They just introduced two new cars to Downtown Denver (located at convenient on-street locations at 16th & Market and 16th & Glenarm) and since my husband and I only own one car, a service like this fits our needs perfectly, helps us stay green and save money by not having to own a second car.
Membership is fairly inexpensive, especially when you compare membership to the cost of owning a second car, and eGo has two options for membership – one with a low monthly fee and low hourly rates or another with no monthly fee but higher hourly rates.
It's easy to find your eGo - just look for the logo on the side of the car!
Yesterday I had a great opportunity to try out the service when I found out I had a business meeting at DIA. I went online earlier in the week and made a reservation for the car at 16th & Market and Thursday afternoon I headed down to the car to pick it up. The car was right where they said it would be (right next to the B-Cycle station at Market Street Station), clean and ready to head out with a full tank of gas. Driving out of town I decided to turn on some tunes and was pleased to find stations featuring everything from Talk of the Nation to Kanye West pre-programmed into the radio. After my meeting, I drove back to Downtown and “parked my eGo” in it’s own space on Market Street (and didn’t have to drive around looking for one!), locked the car and went on my way. Overall, it was a super easy experience and I am SO GLAD to now have this option available to me. Since I rarely have the opportunity to drive my own car into work, eGo Carshare is going to make mid-day appointments outside of Downtown Denver so much easier to get to.
While carsharing is new to Downtown Denver, carsharing has actually been around the United States for quite some time, particularly in cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco where car ownership is less common. However, it’s also very popular in cities like Portland and Seattle where households can usually get by on just one car and carshare membership helps out for those few times when two cars is necessary.
The Downtown Denver Partnership receives many inquiries on parking in Downtown Denver. We wanted to take this opportunity to talk about availability and recent changes made:
Myth: There isn’t enough parking in Downtown Denver.
Fact: There is an abundance of parking options in Downtown Denver including more than 43,000 off-street parking spaces that complement the City’s on-street metered parking inventory. The Partnership’s Experience Downtown Denver web site was created, in part, to help consumers find a parking option that is within their budget and close to their Downtown Denver destination.
Myth: The cost of parking in Downtown continues to rise.
Fact: Downtown Denver parking rates have largely remained steady over the last couple years. The Partnership’s December 2009 parking inventory measured the median monthly parking rate in Downtown Denver to be roughly $135/month and the median daily max rate at $9/day.
Smart Meter
Myth: Downtown’s traditional parking meters have been replaced with more expensive meters.
Fact: The City recently changed most of Denver’s traditional parking meters to “Smart Meters”. These meters are not more expensive to park at than the previous model, and offer several different payment options – change, credit or debit card, or Smart Card. The Smart Card is a pre-loaded credit card sized plastic card that is currently available in the amounts of $5, $15, $25, $50 and $100. The Downtown Denver Partnership will begin selling Smart Cards in the next few weeks. Please be on the lookout for a DDP Member Advisory once SmartCards can be purchased at the DDP. For other locations, please visit the Denver Public Works web site: www.ParkSmartDenver.com.
The Transition from Cash Keys to Smart Cards
If you are a current owner of a parking meter Cash Key, you have two options going forward; you can keep your Cash Key and use it in Denver’s remaining original meters, or bring your cash key and photo ID to the Downtown Denver Partnership or the following additional locations to receive a refund on your deposit.
Smart Card
Webb Building, 201 West Colfax, 1st floor, Cashier Counter
Wastewater Building, 2000 West 3rd Street, Permit Counter
Tattered Cover locations: 2526 East Colfax Avenue at Elizabeth Street or 1628 16th Street at Wynkoop
Questions about parking or transit in Downtown Denver? Contact Aylene McCallum.
Thank you to DDP Member Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck for support Denver B-Cycle!
I’m still drying off after this morning’s celebratory bike-parade-in-a-rainstorm after this morning’s official launch of the new Denver B-Cycle system at the City & County Building. Hundreds of supporters turned out to welcome the program to Denver. I ended up riding around on a Quizno’s sponsored b-cycle around Civic Center Park with DDP Member, Tom Gougeon, with Union Station Neighborhood Company.
This is an exciting day for Denver! We are now hosts to the largest bicycle sharing system in the United States … and we need your help to keep all of it’s users safe. With approximately 500 extra bicyclists navigating the streets of Denver, it’s important for all of us to “B Aware” for the cyclists. Remember, they will be riding on the streets. In fact, they are required to ride on the streets and NOT the sidewalks unless they are parking. So please keep your eyes open for cyclists who may be riding behind you or in front of you and please give them some space. To learn more about the rules of the road for bicyclists, especially in Downtown Denver, check out the Bicycling page on the DDP website.
I see that the sun has broken out (thank you!) and soon I’ll be heading out to volunteer at one of the Downtown Denver B-Stations to answer questions, hand out some free use cards, and help people start using the system, which opens officially at Noon. Hope to see you out there!
On Thursday, April 15th, members of the Downtown Denver Partnership gathered at the Warwick Denver Hotel for the Member Forum “Planning the Future of 16th Street: Balancing Pedestrians, Transit and Economics.”
A panel of speakers from the 16th Street Plan Steering Committee, moderated by Gary Desmond of AR7 Architects, discussed the future of this critical street in Downtown and the questions that will need to be answered along the way. Here is what they had to say…
Tyler Gibbs
Tyler Gibbs
City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development
16th Street Plan Technical Committee Co-chair
- The Mall’s original design was shaped by three critical elements which remain fundamental to the design legacy: granite pavers, lights and trees. These remain essential to future plans for the Mall.
- In terms of the pedestrian environment, there are inherent challenges with the median and sidewalk usage. How best can we accommodate pedestrian mobility, sidewalk vending and other Mall amenities in this space? What are the best uses of amenities for the sidewalks?
- The materials and aesthetic choices used to redevelop the Mall are very important. Furnishings are an opportunity to create change, but should also uphold and complement the original quality.
John Shonsey
John Shonsey
RTD
16th Street Plan Steering Committee Member
- RTD is heavily focused on the transit capacity for the Mall. The 100 shuttles are currently carrying over 50,000 riders each day. We must consider the future of Downtown transit and how the shuttles will relate to Denver Union Station, the Downtown Circulator, light rail and other modes.
- Shuttle drivers have a strong safety record with very few pedestrian/vehicle conflicts. RTD accident reports show no clear difference in blocks that contain medians (such as Glenarm to Welton Streets) compared to asymmetrical blocks (such as Larimer to Lawrence Streets).
- Currently, shuttles run every 75 seconds during peak times (morning, noon and evening rush hours). It will be important to consider how shuttle operations will coordinate with the placement of trees, light fixtures and other Mall elements.
Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams
Downtown Denver Business Improvement District Board Chair
16th Street Plan Steering Committee Member
- The 16th Street Plan Steering Committee is currently investigating costs for each option. In order to justify a higher cost option, it must yield a proportionally increased economic value.
- In terms of maintenance, what changes will be needed? Will additional/different furnishings and placement require different equipment for sweeping and snow removal?
- The overall ambiance of the Mall is important for the retail environment. Property owners have raised an important question: is there an equity issue if the Mall is designed to have wider sidewalks on one side of the street? In addition, which option will best support the expanding 16th Street Mall vending program?
The Denver Post recently covered the Steering Committee’s decision to eliminate “Option 3″ from the three proposed options for the Mall’s redevelopment.
Follow news and updates on the 16th Street Plan at www.16thStreetPlan.com or on Facebook !
Rockies Opening Day
Tomorrow we will inevitably get some questions about why parking lots temporarily increase their prices … to as high as $50 … on Opening Day. We feel your pain, but since these lots are privately owned, they can charge what they want. It may sound unbelievable, but there are plenty of people that will pay that amount to park close to Coors Field on Opening Day so they can tailgate and celebrate the return of baseball in Downtown Denver.
The good news? There are still plenty of more affordable options for getting to Opening Day, or for that matter, any large event in Downtown Denver.
- Bus & Light Rail – RTD offers most fans great options for getting to the game. Be sure to visit the page on their website dedicated to getting to a Rockies game. Their special seasonal service, RockiesRide, runs throughout the season for weekend games and a few, select, weekday games like the fireworks game on July 2nd and big games like when the Rockies play the Red Sox on June 22nd. Light Rail lines C and E will take you down to Union Station, just a few blocks away from Coors Field, and Light Rail lines D, F, and H will drop you off at 16th & California, where you can hop on the 16th Street Free MallRide to Blake Street and walk on over to the game. RTD often increases the frequency of the C and E lines during Rockies games so you shouldn’t have to wait too long for a train. Again, all RockiesRide and Light Rail schedules can be found at www.rtd-denver.com. Depending on where you are coming from, fares for both services range from $2 to $4.50 per person, one-way.
- Bicycle - Friday is going to be a beautiful day, so why not think about bicycling down to the game? You’d be surprised how many people do this. You’ll save money, get some exercise and breath in a lot of fresh air on a beautiful day. It’s a no-brainer. For your convenience, Coors Field offers bicycle parking past the Wynkoop Walkway adjacent to the Wynkoop ticket windows at Gate E, across from Gate B at 22nd and Blake Streets and outside Gate A.
- Parking – There are still over 40,000 parking spaces throughout Downtown Denver that aren’t directly adjacent to Coors Field. Check out www.experiencedowntowndenver.com to find a parking lot near the 16th Street Mall, take the Shuttle down to Blake Street, and walk on over the game. You’ll save a bunch of bucks and get a little exercise to counter all the hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts you’ll eat during the game. Hey, and we’ll just warn you now, if you over-stay your time at a meter, expect a ticket from the City. Those smarty pants at the City know that a lot of people take their chances at a meter on Opening Day. We all know the game will last longer than 2 hours so save yourself the headache and find an off-street parking space… or use one of the options above that don’t even involve driving Downtown.
We hope these options help make getting down to the game a lot easier on Opening Day. We want you to have a great time enjoying the game itself and everything else that Downtown Denver has to offer. Try out a new restuarant. Check out a new bar. Or even try a new way to get Downtown.
And let us know how it goes, okay? We always appreciate the feedback.
Chef Lon Symensma
A prominent up and coming chef from New York City has confirmed that he is moving to Denver to open his first signature restaurant in Downtown. Chef Lon Symensma plans to open ChoLon Bistro later this fall at 1555 Blake St. in the remaining ground floor space of the SugarCube project. Lon, a CIA graduate, is a former chef of both Buddakan & Spice Market who has worked with Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
ChoLon will serve Southeast Asian cuisine with French Colonial influences. This is really exciting news that will enhance Downtown Denver’s national culinary reputation. I think this is a perfect compliment to this mixed use project and along with H Burger will really make this an exciting dining destination for Denver. I can’t wait to eat there for the first time.
Denver B-Cycle Bicycle
BikeDenver, our local bicycle advocacy organization who is helping Denver Bike Sharing gather volunteers for the Denver B-Cycle launch, is still looking for people interested in helping put Denver in the national spotlight as our city introduces the first large-scale bike sharing program in the United States.
Volunteers will be assigned to at least one, two-hour shift at one of 35 B-Cycle stations on April 22nd, 23rd, 24th or 25th. Shifts are in the morning, over lunch and in the evening and you can even request to volunteer at a location near your work, home or wherever it may be most convenient for you to volunteer. We’re really hoping that a lot of Downtown Denver residents and employees will take a few hours out of their day to volunteer at this historic event.
A quick one-hour training session will be offered to all volunteers before the April 22nd launch of the system and all volunteers will get a nifty custom B-cycle t-shirt (offered in men’s and women’s sizes!).
To learn more and sign up, visit Bike Denver’s website and click on the link to the volunteer application. Please sign up by April 8th.
