Downtown Living
Sprint Center Celebrates 10 Years as Downtown Anchor, Result of Bold Mayoral Push with Lessons for KCI Campaign
By Kevin Collison It was a huge gamble when it was first proposed, but 10 years later, the Sprint Center has yielded an equally huge payoff for downtown, drawing 11 million visitors and generating an estimated half-billion dollars in economic benefits to the city. Last week, Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group, the operator of the…
Construction Underway on $39 Million Mosaic Arena Redevelopment, Grand Opening Expected Next August
By Kevin Collison It takes some deep digging to get through the ancient livestock manure, river silt and other poor soil where the former Kemper Arena was located to build the foundation for its new future. Ninety feet to be exact. That’s how far down the four massive columns required to support the new second…
Roaster’s Block Grand Opening Brews Fond Memories for Former Folger’s Workers
By Kevin Collison Shirley Rinard worked at the former Folger’s plant at Seventh and Broadway for 45 years, from 1952 to 1997, but never had the perks she saw last week touring its new incarnation as the Roaster’s Block apartments. “It’s remarkable,” she said. “They didn’t have a swimming pool when I was here.” Rinard…
Grand Boulevard Finally Gets New Stripes, but Bicyclists Believe Much More Needed
By Kevin Collison Several years after it was proposed, Grand Boulevard is finally going on a “road diet” promised to bicyclists who now hope it’s the beginning of realizing the much more ambitious “Making Grand Grand” plan. City Public Works crews have been painting new lanes on Grand in recent days that are reducing traffic…
Developer Pursuing Two Historic Apartment Projects in ‘Fringe’ Between Downtown and Midtown
By Kevin Collison A pair of historic buildings in what their developer calls the “fringe” area between downtown and midtown are on their way to new life as apartment developments. Caleb Buland and his Denver partner Ilan Salzberg recently took the first step to renovating the long-vacant Acme Cleaning Co. building at 3200 Gillham Rd….