This past Saturday night we checked out Caveau Wine Bar.  Located at 450 E. 17th Ave., we have been talking about going there ever since they opened last December (the “coming soon” sign was up forever).  We had such great time!  The atmosphere is very warm, inviting and modern - we sat in front of their fireplace in the leather club chairs.  We shared a bottle of the WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir which is an awesome wine from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  We also shared their “Picnic Basket” which was a great assortment of 3 meats and cheeses.

We decided to stay a bit longer and tried their Pinot Noir flight ($9) which featured the WillaKenzie as well as Californian and South African varieties.  A nice touch was how they presented the flight using a piece of an actual wine barrel.  I also tried their bruschetta which was delicious - our server was great.  I think that Caveau is a great addition to the restaurants and bars already in Uptown.   No fewer than 4 groups came and went while we were there - they have two large communal tables that can accommodate a lot of people.  This is a nice option to have when checking out 17th Avenue and there are a wide variety of price points represented on both their wine and food menus.  I look forward to going there again soon.

While I have made a point to walk by the McDonald’s at 16th & Cleveland regularly over the past six weeks to keep tabs on that project I realized I had not posted any of those photos.  Here they are:

Obviously a lot has changed and they appear to be almost done with the exterior.  Personally I am a big fan of the stone veneer and stucco combination and think it will anchor this corner nicely.  The canopies above the windows are a nice touch and it looks like they are going to have a wrap around sign band right at the corner as well.  My overall impression of the remodeled building is that it is much cleaner and lighter.  I hope with such a dramatic change that the clientele will also be noticeably different - we will have to see what happens.

Downtown Denver has a new healthy option for dining out.  Organixx restaurant opened in LoDo at 1520 Blake Street in early February and is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. 

“Sustainable, eco-friendly, reusable, recyclable, fair trade, natural, energy efficient, organic, local, green, low-impact, fresh.  These are words that inspire us at Organixx.”

I had seen their staff handing out menus and fliers a couple of weeks ago on the mall shuttle.  I plan on walking down soon to check them out - their breakfast sandwiches and salads look good.  I like that they are open from 7am to 8pm which should serve Downtown residents and visitors well.  I wish them luck.

Work at the Denver Pavilions has begun!  I have been closely following the recent acquisition and planned renovations at the Denver Pavilions for months now.  Last week I decided to take some “before” photos and then on my way to and from work the past week or so I have been following the progress of the demolition.

Before Pictures:

Construction Photos:

Logistically they will have to work on one side at a time especially given the removal and relocation of the escalators to the second level.  The new escalators will take the place of one side of the stairways on each side of the center.  New stairwells will be tucked into the corners of the interior plazas by Fresh Bunch & Gifts and Ro Sham Beaux. 

Further enhancements will include upgrading the hard-scape, lighting, installing new directories, LED signage and upgraded landscaping.  I am very excited that plans include installing a crosswalk and landscaping element across Glenarm which should make it safer for shoppers who currently have to jaywalk to get to the other side.  I have also learned that there is a possibility of installing a new sign on the 15th Street side of the old Wolfgang Puck restaurant bridge which is critical given that anyone approaching the Pavilions from that side can’t tell what it is until they come around the front.

Demolition and construction will increase in intensity and activity through the summer with a goal completion date of Halloween.  Most of the big transformations will occur on the weekends when they can close off lanes on the Mall and Glenarm.  I plan doing a series of these updates and milestones for the project as they are accomplished.

Virgin Entertainment Group North America (VEGNA) confirmed yesterday that it will close all remaining Virgin Megastores across the United States by mid-summer.  Denver’s store at the Denver Pavilions has been there since it opened over ten years ago and will be one of the last to be shuttered.  This doesn’t really come as a big surprise (it was rumored for quite some time) although it does come at a horrible time for the employees of the store.  You can read further details in these stories by Billboard, the Denver Business Journal and the Denver Post.

At 20,000+ square feet this does represent a huge opportunity for both the Pavilions and for retail development in Downtown Denver.  It is increasingly hard to stay optimistic given current economic conditions but I am going out on a limb and predicting this closing will actually be good in the long run.  Whether one retailer takes over the entire space or it is subdivided, retail space in “white box” condition along the mall is at a premium.  This closing now opens up the opportunity for a whole new slew of retailers to take another look at opening up a store in Downtown who may not have before because there was not a viable space.  I also think there is a big difference between a retailer killing an entire concept because it is no longer relevant and a retailer leaving a market because of a lack of customers or sales.

I would argue that this is just a symptom of the natural evolution of media and just that.  I have been thinking of potential new tenants for that space for the past couple of years and am very excited to see who ends up on that corner.  I hope all of the Virgin employees will land on their feet and I wish them luck.