McDonald’s at 16th & Cleveland finally reopened about two weeks ago.  I am impressed with how successful the overall transformation is both outside and in.

I am a fan of all of the materials as well as the patio along Cleveland.  The former creepy basement level has been completely sealed off and the upper floor has been turned into new office space with its own entrance off of the Mall.  The stone fireplace, stained glass sconces, flat screen TVs and hardwood floors definitely up the game for a fast food outlet.  It was really nice to see people reading, watching the news and using their laptops - this is a great addition to Downtown.

I have created a photo slideshow of all my construction photos.  You can check it out here.

Downtown Denver is getting a state of the art new dental practice.  Dental Elements located at 1781 15th St. in Lower Downtown opened just down from the future Fogo De Chao restaurant on Monday in the 1515 Wynkoop project.  Dr. David Thurman and his staff were kind enough to invite me down and take me on a guided tour.

Putting my whole fear of the dentist aside I was really impressed.  I loved the high ceilings, modern decor and the sealed concrete floors.  I also think the element of colored lighting was a very nice touch.  Dr. Thurman explained to me how different the patient experience will be in his office and pointed out a number of high tech elements they have.  Flat screen TVs will allow patients to see their file and digital x-rays but also play DVDs right from their chair.  He also showed me the cutting edge tools they will be using that are more accurate and less traumatic for patients.  Also unique is that they will use LED lighting for procedures which is much kinder on patient’s eyes. 

Currently they are featuring the work of local artist Josh Armijo which I really liked and think fits very well in the space.  Dental Elements offers a full range of services including teeth whitening and has evening and weekend appointments available.  A dentist office is a great addition and amenity for residents of LoDo and the rest of Downtown Denver.  Additionally all of the employees in the newly constructed office buildings will also benefit by having this office close by.  I wish Dr. Thurman and his staff all the best in their new endeavor.

Construction at the Denver Pavilions has been underway for just over a month now and I am excited by the progress they have made so far.  Work began in Welton Plaza first so it is slightly ahead of Tremont Plaza.  I did my first post in this series in March. 

Welton Plaza

Ground floor escalator has been removed and work has begun on the new plaza staircase that will take its place.  You can see some of the forms and rebar for the stairs are already installed and awaiting concrete.

Tremont Plaza

Ground floor escalator also removed and site prep for plaza stairs underway.

Even at this early stage the ground floor spaces already feel much more open and airy (ignoring the construction barriers).  The removal of the escalators really improves the site lines throughout each plaza and allows you unobstructed views of the stores.  I can envision a new “racetrack” emerging once the new crosswalk is installed that will allow shoppers to quickly and efficiently loop through the plazas across Glenarm and then back onto the Mall. 

If you decide to check it out you can get a look at what the renovations will look like when finished - renderings are featured on the construction barriers.  I look forward to the installation of the new escalators along the mall which will start later this summer.  Work on the Forever 21 flagship should begin in May once Virgin goes completely dark.

Ink! Coffee is coming to the 16th Street Mall.  Fun window signs announcing the new location at the Sage building were just put up yesterday.  This will be their fourth location Downtown (Tabor Center, 17th St. Plaza & Riverfront Park) but the first on the mall.  I hope this location will have some of the great breakfast and lunch items they show on their website.  This leaves only one vacant retail space left along the Mall - the middle space.  While no tenant has been confirmed I have see construction workers going in and out of there the past two weeks.

Earlier this month a new restaurant opened at the base of the U.S. Bancorp tower in the Central Business District.  Cafe Options at 1650 Curtis St. is open for breakfast and lunch from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.  Their menu features 11 kinds of sandwiches, 7 salads, soups as well as a full coffee bar.  I think this will serve the CBD very well with so many office workers right there at that corner.  I worked in this building years ago and know Cafe Options - and their prices - will be a welcome addition to the building’s amenities.  I have not had a chance to check it out but plan to soon.

Melt has opened a store in Downtown Denver!  Located at 1350 17th Street (#105) in LoDo, the Colorado based company specializes in fresh handmade bath and skincare products.  Until now the closest location was at Cherry Creek.  This is really good news for the retail mix in Downtown for a number of reasons and I think their choice of location makes sense given their product lines.  This store opening confirms that the increasing residential population in Downtown remains under retailed in a number of categories.  Welcome!

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Rosacci the owner of Tony’s Market.  He and his Director of Operations, Stuart Stevenson, provided an update on their newest and largest market that is currently under construction at 950 Broadway in the Golden Triangle neighborhood.  I first posted about Tony’s Downtown in July of last year.  Stuart has been with Tony’s for almost 15 years and is personally going to staff up and run the new store. 

Tony’s held a job fair last week for about 70 positions and received almost 1,000 applications.  This new Tony’s will be themed like a 40’s/50’s market and promises to be a foodie’s dream.  They are planning to have a soft opening on Memorial Day Weekend and be open from 7am to 9pm.  Tony confirmed that they will have a bistro within the market that will seat 80 people inside and another 26 outside.  He said that eventually they plan to host Sunday night family style Italian dinners are looking into a grocery delivery service as well.

Another unique feature of this Tony’s will be that it will be the only market in Colorado where you can enjoy a glass of wine while you shop.   For the time constrained shopper, this market will feature a wide selection of prepared foods that you can just take home and heat up.  As I have stated before this is such a great step forward for Downtown Denver and I wish Tony, Stuart and their staff luck as they finish construction and open Tony’s Downtown.

New signs recently put up at 1515 Arapahoe announce a May opening for Primebar and thanks to the Westword’s Cafe Society Blog I finally was able to locate their website.  I first posted about this eatery in February.  We can expect mosaic tiling, a wine wall, an all Colorado draft beer list in a contemporary American restaurant setting that is both elegant and comfortable.  Primebar will have “casual feel that is ideal for lunch, dinner, and cocktails” and their menu will feature small plates, sandwiches, salads and entrees.

If the menu on line is any indication it looks as if we will have some great new food options to try in Downtown Denver.  Items that caught my eye; Crab Deviled Eggs, Bloody Mary Shrimp, Surf & Turf Caesar, Roasted Corn & Green Chile Chowder and Sweet Crunchy Mustard Chicken.  I will be very interested to see their price points and the finished space. 

On Sunday the Downtown Denver Partnership’s “Urban Exploration” program left for Washington D.C.  Attendees include a variety of 50 key stakeholders and community leaders.  The purpose of the trip is to study Downtown D.C. and see how their successful projects and urban planning practices might be transplanted or adapted in Downtown Denver.  Often times the most innovative ideas come from visiting other cities and I think this trip will be no exception.  This is an annual trip and you can learn more about it here.  You can also follow them live on Twitter at “urbanEx_DDP”.   After I see their presentation I will do an update to share my favorite ideas.

Very exciting retail news for Downtown Denver!  Forever 21 publicly confirmed today that they will be expanding their location at the Denver Pavilions from 7,600 square-feet into a 32,000 square-foot, two-story, flagship store.  This announcement is what I hope is one of many as the renovations at the Pavilions progress.  There was a story in the Denver Post by Elizabeth Aguilera today - here is a quote from that article:

“We’ve done well there, and we believe the project will enhance the location, we’ve been in a general mode of expanding our stores to provide a better and bigger assortment to customers” Larry Meyer - Executive VP - Forever 21

With this expansion Forever 21 will take an adjacent portion of the Virgin Megastore space as well as roughly 13,000 square-feet on the second floor in between Gap and Express.  That second floor space was first a United Colors of Benneton when the Pavilions first opened and then became a couple of failed nightclub concepts.  Another very exciting detail of this new expansion will be a two story glass store front along Welton Street that will really create a great new signature entrance element for the Pavilions and increase visibility for retail along 15th as well.

Escalators will allow shoppers to travel between the two levels and there will be an additional entrance installed on the second level making it a true anchor store.  With this expansion Forever 21 actually becomes the second largest store at the Pavilions trailing in size to only United Artists theaters.  When finished this new flagship will also offer new lines of clothing previously not offered in Denver including their menswear line Heritage 1981.  I have never shopped at Forever 21 so I am not sure if their more trendy/upscale Twelve by Twelve line will be new to Denver or not - I hope so.

This new flagship should be a catalyst for attracting other fashion forward concepts and I think with the unique offerings they will feature it will be a huge draw to existing and new customers.  It is not clear at this time if the new flagship will carry the XXI brand or remain Forever 21.  Anticipated completion of the new space is early 2010 - only a few months after the major $25 million Pavilions renovation project which will wrap up in October.