The Source Hotel is slated to take shape adjacent to The Source marketplace at the 3300 block of Brighton Boulevard in Denver’s River North (RiNo) neighborhood.

The beer will be brewed on the ground floor and an 8th floor lounge titled “The Woods” will feature barrel aging, and will provide visitors with a location to take in beer and food as well.

Rendering of The Source Hotel. Image courtesy Dynia Architects.

“After 25 years in Ft. Collins, we’re really excited to get more deeply involved in Colorado’s cultural and political capital,” said Jenn Vervier, director of strategy and sustainability at New Belgium. “We’ve long considered creating a Denver location to bring the New Belgium experience to more of our Colorado fans and to the millions of travelers who visit Denver. RiNo is already a vivid scene with a rich art and craft beer culture, and will soon have great access for bikers and walkers. This small batch brewery will allow us to collaborate with The Woods’ chef and mixologists to create innovative beers, drinks, and pairings you can’t get anywhere else. The Source Hotel and the Zeppelin Development team are the perfect fit.”

The planned hotel is designed by Dynia Architects and is being developed by Zeppelin Development. Zeppelin and Dynia collaborated on The Source marketplace and the projects at RiNo’s nearby TAXI campus.

Construction on The Source Hotel is expected to begin this summer.

For more information on this project take a look at Denver Urban Review’s first article on this hotel development by clicking here.

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ART hotel Denver. DUR summer 2015.

Arguably the most eye catching aspect of Denver’s ART hotel that opened last week, is Leo Villareal’s 22,000 LED bulb installation. The bulbs nearly stretch the entire block of 13th to 12th Avenue along Broadway. The lights are not static, but create an ever-changing luminous display.

I filmed the installation and created the below video. I encourage you all to take a look at the display in person when you have the chance.

Leo Villareal is also well known for his light installation on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

ART hotel motor lobby. DUR summer 2015.

The light installation looking south down Broadway

“The ART is reflective of Denver’s new role as the West’s epicenter for visionary thinking synergistically paired with distinctive and exceptionally effective actions,” says general manager David Bodette. “The ART contains a collection of modern and contemporary works and expressions of this very same passion, vitality and refusal by these world-class artists to succumb to the mundane. We are proud to represent a new direction for refined experiential living in a city that is re-expressing what it means to be truly alive in our age.”

Situated on the same block as the Denver Art Museum and directly across the street from History Colorado, the ART hotel will add 165 hotel rooms to downtown Denver. This project was designed by architect Guadalupe Cantu of Davis Partnership Architects, which happens to be the same firm that worked with Daniel Libeskind when he designed the Frederic C. Hamilton Building addition to the Denver Art Museum.

Works of art are displayed at every gathering place in the new hotel and selected works were curated by Dianne Vanderlip, former curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum. Fire Lounge & Terrace, a chef run restaurant at the ART, will also serve as an art gallery with original works on display. One of the unique features of the hotel is that each floor features selected works of art from an individual artist. Each hotel room on that corresponding floor  has prints of the artwork.

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Lanny Martin, founder and managing director of Platte River Equity and a development parter involved in the ART hotel was on hand and addressed the crowd that was in attendance for the opening luncheon.  “Originally the plan was for this property to be a high-rise with residences in it. The economic downturn happened in 2008 and 2009 and laws in Colorado became tougher to build condos, so that project was put on hold. Bill Butler (founder of Corporex construction company) began talking to me about some ideas for the property, and Bill said how about a hotel?”

Deborah Butterfield’s sculpture “Otter”

Ground Floor entrance of the ART hotel. The painting on the wall is Sol LeWitt’s “Wall Drawing”. In the foreground is a miniature version of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s “Big Sweep” sculpture that is featured outside of the Denver Art Museum.

FIRE restaurant at the ART hotel.

Situated on the same block as the Denver Art Museum and directly across the street from History Colorado, the ART Hotel will add 165 hotel rooms to downtown Denver. This project was designed by architect Guadalupe Cantu of Davis Partnership Architects, which happens to be the same firm that worked with Daniel Libeskind when he designed the Frederic C. Hamilton Building addition to the Denver Art Museum.

Ed Rushcha’s piece “Industrial Strength Sleep” shown on the 4th floor lobby.

The Art Hotel will feature 7,000 square feet of space that can be used for meetings, banquets and weddings. The exterior now showcases a large-scale light installation by artist Leo Villareal who is know as the artist behind the San Francisco Bay Bridge’s “Bay Lights.” The installation will include 22,000 LED bulbs that will stretch between the motor lobby and along a portion of Broadway.

The post Inside look at the ART hotel appeared first on Denver Urban Review.

Airplane takes off at DIA. Image courtesy DIA.

Denver International Airport (DIA) has announced that April set a record for passenger traffic as the busiest April in the airport’s history. More than 4.22 million passengers passed through DIA this April up 1.5 percent from April of 2014.

“As we enter the busy summer travel season, we are seeing strong increases in capacity by many of our airline partners,” said airport CEO Kim Day. “United, Southwest, American, Delta and Spirit all had increases in passengers in April, and we continue to see strong gains in international passenger traffic among United, Lufthansa, British Airways and Volaris as, increasingly, travelers are using Denver to connect with the world.”

DIA begins resurfacing of runways

Work to resurface runways at DIA began this month with an estimated cost of $46.5 million. Runway 17L-35R will be closed until September 15th. The runway is 12,000 feet long and 150 feet wide and contains over 2,000 concrete slabs that are being removed and replaced.

“DIA is now 20 years old, and there is an increased requirement for maintenance of the facility,” said Ken Greene, DIA’s chief operating officer. “Our robust pavement management program allows us to efficiently track the age and condition of more than 150,000 individual concrete panels on the airfield, and to make proactive maintenance decisions that will help to ensure the safe operation of more than a half-million flights a year.”

Opening date for DIA Westin announced

DIA also recently announced the DIA Westin will open to guests at 3 p.m. on November 19th, 2015. The Westin DIA will house 519 rooms in the 433,000 square foot, 14-story hotel.

Rendering of Westin Hotel and public plaza. Image courtesy DIA.

The Westin DIA has been constructed in concert with the airport’s new transit center. In 2016 the East Line, a commuter rail line will open and provide a connection to downtown Denver on trains that will reach a top speed of 79mph. Trains will run every 15 minuets during peak hours along the 22.8 mile line and will deliver passengers from DIA to Denver’s historic Union Station in 35 minutes. The hotel was designed by international design firm Gensler, which also designed the recently completed 16M mixed-use development in downtown Denver.

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That being said, the first project on our June construction tour is the Country Club Towers. Prep work at this site has been taking place for the last few months, but now construction is taking place in earnest. This project will include two 30-story residential towers. The Broe Group is developing this project just west of Downing Street and on the south side of Speer Boulevard.

The Speer Boulevard Apartments are featured in the below photo at Speer Boulevard and Grant Street. This residential project has one more floor to go before it tops out at 6 stories.

The base for a construction crane has been installed at the site of the 7|S Denver Haus apartments.  Once completed this project will include 115 apartment units.

Also under construction in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is MOTO apartment project at 8th and Sherman Street.

Pictured above is the 8th Avenue and Broadway apartment project. The exterior finishes are now beginning to be applied.

Below are two pictures of the Joule apartment project that is under construction in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood at Speer Boulevard and Cherokee Street. This development is seeking LEED certification.

As the midday sun was reaching its peak in the sky, the clouds began to thicken. I proceeded north where I snapped a picture of the dual brand Hyatt House/Hyatt Place Hotel. Exterior work on this project is nearing completion. This 21-story hotel is slated to open this fall.

Here is a most exciting addition to the construction update, the 40-story 1144 Fifteen Street skyscraper. Denver Urban Review published the new renderings of this project and to see all 5 renderings, take a look at Friday’s article.

Image courtesy Hines.

The construction fence is now up at the 1144 Fifteenth Street site. Construction will begin in earnest in the coming days.

At Fourteenth and Lawrence of course is the 22-story 1401 Lawrence office project that is under construction in downtown Denver.

Below is a picture of the Denver Chalk Art Festival that was taking place in and around Larimer Square. Not exactly construction related, but for sure one of Denver’s great annual events. Unfortunately just a few minutes after I walked through the festival the weather quickly changed moods and a tropical downpour began. Not sure if the artists use some kind of special chalk, because it looked like the artwork was not ruined from the rain.

Looking down Wewatta towards 16th Street is the Triangle Building where the last phases of construction are taking place.

It was at this point that the downpour began and I scampered to the nearest coffee shop to keep the camera out of the rain. The clouds parted just as fast as they arrived and since I was in the area, I wanted to see how the Platte River and Cherry Creek were looking —I have never seen that much water in Confluence Park before

Anyways, getting back to the construction tour. The next project on our list is the 34-story Confluence luxury apartment project at 15th Street and Little Raven. Excavation work continues on this project.

Over in the Union Station neighborhood is 10-story 1601 Wewatta (above) office building that is being developed by Hines. Last week it was announced that two tenants have signed to lease space at 1601 Wewatta—Hogan Lovells LLP will lease office space and the Colorado Athletic Club will be opening a fitness center in the building.

Seen below is the construction site of the Kimpton Hotel. This project will also include a boutique office space.

Pictured below is the construction site of the 17W mixed use development that will feature a Whole Foods on the ground floor and 600 apartment units. The total height of this project is 13 floors.

Shown above is the Union Tower West construction site. This mixed-used development will showcase a boutique hotel as well as leasable office space contained within a 12-story building. Union Tower West will take shape at 18th and Wewatta.

Work is wrapping up on the Elan Union Station project at 19th Street and Chestnut Place. This project will feature a King Soopers on the Ground floor.

By the time I had made my way to LoDo to take a look at the progress of the Z Block project the clouds had returned. A great deal of excavation work has taken place at the Z block site in the last month. This project will feature a hotel managed by Sage Hospitality and 200,000 square feet of office space. Prologis recently announced that they will be leasing space in this building. Z Block is seeking LEED Gold certification.

Pictured below is the Alexan Uptown residential project at Logan and 19th Avenue. It will feature 372 apartment units in a 12-story building.

The sun came out for the last stop on our Denver construction update. The 26-story SkyHouse project has just begun to go vertical at 18th and Broadway.

I hope everyone has a good week and thank you for stopping by. There really is a ton of construction going on around Denver these days. The next few months will be exciting as several of these projects are moving from “hole in the ground stage” to going vertical.

Cheers,

Justin

P.S. below is a photo of the Denver skyline I captured from Diamond Hill last week when we had the full moon.

Denver Skyline from Diamond Hill. DUR June 2015.

The post Denver construction update: June appeared first on Denver Urban Review.

Rendering of WoodSpring Suites courtesy WoodSpring Suites.

“We have chosen to partner again with WoodSpring Suites because of their consistent, high demand and proven operating model,” says Blake Schauer, principal partner at Pure Strike. ”WoodSpring Suites offers great support in the development and construction process, and leveraging the WoodSpring Suites expertise in this space will lead to a very successful relationship. We are pleased to expand our portfolio of WoodSpring Suites hotels to the Denver area.”

The development team is currently looking for hotel sites in the Denver area. The first hotel slated for the Denver area is planned to break ground in March of 2016 in Centennial. These hotels are marketed towards extended stay guests and will feature in-room kitchens and guest laundry facilities.

“This is the type of partnership we anticipated when we launched the WoodSpring Suites brand,” said Bruce Haase, CEO of WoodSpring Suites. “The WoodSpring Suites brand has strong appeal to developers and guests, and is a real asset to local communities. What better place than on the edge of the Rocky Mountains to expand our network of environmentally responsible WoodSpring Suites hotels.”

WoodSpring Suites is the fastest growing extended-stay hotel brand in the United States and the company expects to break ground on 30 new hotels by the end of the year.

The post WoodSpring Suites announces plans for 6 new Denver area hotels appeared first on Denver Urban Review.

Westin DIA. Photo courtesy DIA and Westin.

“Adding a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center to our international airport places our region front and center as a leader in travel, transportation and tourism,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “We now look to the completed vision of a commuter rail that will soon connect DIA to downtown Denver, creating additional economic opportunities along the Peña Boulevard corridor stretching to our city core.”

The Westin DIA has been constructed in concert with the airport’s new transit center. In 2016 the East Line, a commuter rail line will open and provide a connection to downtown Denver on trains that will reach a top speed of 79mph. Trains will run every 15 minuets during peak hours along the 22.8 mile line and will deliver passengers from DIA to Denver’s historic Union Station in 35 minutes. The hotel was designed by international design firm Gensler which also designed the recently completed 16M mixed-use development in downtown Denver.

Rendering of Westin Hotel and public plaza. Image courtesy DIA.

“We are thrilled to be delivering our brand promise For A Better You to Denver International Airport before the busy holiday travel season begins,” said Tom Curley, general manager of The Westin DIA. “As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Denver is primed to soon have a hotel with refreshing ambience that allows the traveler to feel well while on the road, as well as a conference and transit center that will connect more people with everything the Rocky Mountains have to offer.”

The hotel will feature a 37,000 square foot conference center and an additional 19 meeting rooms. A swimming pool and exercise facility are also included. Adjacent to the Westin DIA will be an 82,000 square foot public plaza that can be utilized for events and entertainment.

The post Opening date for Westin DIA announced appeared first on Denver Urban Review.

The ART Hotel spring 2015 DUR.

Rendering of 4th floor lobby at ART Hotel. Image courtesy ART hotel.

The ART Hotel has announced Executive Chef Chris Jakubiec will be heading FIRE Lounge & Terrace, a new restaurant in the soon-to-open hotel located at 12th and Broadway in Denver’s civic and cultural district. This restaurant will utilize locally-grown and sustainably raised foods. Ingredients will be sourced from local farms, like Millberger Farm, Friends Fields Farms and Fiber of Life.

The post Executive Chef Jakubiec brings restaurant to ART Hotel appeared first on Denver Urban Review.

“Not only does ‘Monolithic Orchestration’ depict the construction of the new Hotel and Transit Center, but it also displays a talented local artist,” said Denver International Airport’s Art and Culture Manager, Chris Stevens. “These paintings illustrate the simple beauty behind the construction of the hotel.”

Goldman painting depicting the construction of the DIA hotel and transit project. Image courtesy DIA.

A 22.8 mile commuter rail line from Denver’s Union Station to DIA known as the East Line, is under development and is slated to begin operation in the spring of 2016. This rail line will utilize a different technology than RTD’s the light rail lines and is designed to carry passenger farther and faster than light rail. Trains will reach a top speed of 79 mph and will whisk passengers between downtown Denver and DIA in 35 minutes. Trains will run every 15 minutes during peak hours.

In conjunction with RTD’s new commuter rail line, is the development of the 519-room Westin Denver International Airport Hotel. This hotel project is currently under construction, but is nearing completion as an opening date is expected this November.

Goldman painting depicting the construction of the DIA hotel and transit project. Image courtesy DIA.

The East Line will deliver passengers to the Jeppesen Terminal- DIA’s main terminal. A 26,000 square foot conference center will be housed at the hotel and an 86,000 square foot public space will sit just outside of the hotel. The hotel was designed by the architecture firm Gensler and the general contractor on the project is Kiewit.

According to Goldman, the purpose of her artwork is to recreate abstract moments that convey the people, city, and the nation that contributed to the beauty of the new hotel and transit project.  Goldman focused specifically on the construction of the hotel and transit development because it allowed her to reflect on the architecture and design of the hotel as a piece of art.

Passengers and airport visitors may view the paintings during regular business hours without having to go through security, at the Airport Office Building lobby, which is west of the A-Bridge security checkpoint.

Rendering of Westin Hotel. Image courtesy DIA.

Photo of Westin Hotel at DIA. Denver Urban Review April 2015.

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Image courtesy NGKF.

Image courtesy NGKF

Image courtesy NGKF.

Image courtesy NGKF

Image courtesy NGKF

Image courtesy NGKF

Today, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, developer McWhinney, property owner Grand American Inc. and hotel operator Sage Hospitality announced that Prologis, an industrial real estate firm has signed to lease office space in the Z Block development in Lower Downtown Denver.

Currently, construction work is taking place at the Z Block site at the block of Wazee street between 18th Street and 19th Street. Once completed, Z Block will be a six-story mixed-use property. Prologis is now the cornerstone tenant and will occupy the top two floors.

“We are very proud to have Prologis call Denver home for many years,” said Denver mayor Michael B. Hancock. “Bringing Prologis to LoDo adds to the undeniable energy and activity surging through Denver that is attracting the best businesses and workforce from across the country.”

Z Block will also feature a hotel component that will be managed by Sage Hospitality. LoDo’s Oxford Hotel located at 17th Street and Wynkoop and the Crawford Hotel located at Denver’s iconic Union Station, are also managed by Sage Hospitality.

This development is seeking a Gold LEED certification and will also feature space for retail. Shears Adkins Rockmore is the architect of record for this project.

“The decision to relocate our operations headquarters was significant,” said Edward S. Nekritz, Prologis chief legal officer and general counsel. “It was important for us to put our stamp on a new building and office environment that reflects our culture. Z Block will be a fantastic addition to LoDo, and we look forward to being an integral part of this important development for the long term.”

Prologis leases distribution facilities to more than 4,700 customers, including manufacturers, retailers, transportation companies and third-party logistics providers.

“We are pleased to build state-of-the art office space for Prologis,” said Chad McWhinney, CEO and Co-Founder of McWhinney. “Prologis wanted to offer its team superior office amenities, excellent access to mass transit and proximity to all that LoDo has to offer, including hotels, restaurants and sports and entertainment venues.”

Demolition takes place at Z Block site.

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