Transit-Oriented Development Status Report February 2007

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1 T r a n s i t Or i e n t e dde v e l o p me n t S t a t u sr e p o r t

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3 Transit-Oriented Development February 2007 This is a controlled document; please do not duplicate. If additional copies are required, please request them from the FasTracks Document Control. This will assure that all recipients of the document receive revisions and additions. Approved By: Liz Rao, Assistant General Manager Planning and Development February 2007

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5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Transit-Oriented Development 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Development Activity Existing Corridors Central Corridor/Central Platte Valley Spur Southwest Corridor Southeast Corridor Development on Planned Corridors and Extensions Systemwide Development Summary Area Planning OVERVIEW Methodology Transit Influence on Development Decisions CENTRAL CORRIDOR/CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY SPUR SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR SOUTHEAST CORRIDOR WEST CORRIDOR NW RAIL/US 36 BRT CORRIDOR EAST CORRIDOR GOLD LINE CORRIDOR NORTH METRO CORRIDOR I-225 CORRIDOR Appendix A: TOD Project Database... i i February 2007

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7 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Transit-Oriented Development This report provides an update on the status of urban planning and real estate development in the vicinity of existing and planned stations within RTD s transit system. It provides a summary of development projects that have been built, are under construction, or are being planned within an approximate half-mile of stations, as well as an inventory of land use planning and rezoning efforts being conducted by local government jurisdictions in station areas. RTD s existing 35-mile rail transit system services 36 stations on three corridors: the 5.3- mile Central Corridor and 1.8-mile Central Platte Valley Spur in central Denver, the 8.7-mile Southwest Corridor to Littleton, and the newly opened 19.2-mile Southeast Corridor to Lone Tree. The $4.7 billion FasTracks Program, approved by district voters in a 2004 ballot initiative, will add 119 miles of light rail and commuter rail service, 18 miles of bus rapid transit (BRT), and approximately 60 new stations along six new corridors and extensions to the three existing lines by The new FasTracks Corridors include the 12.1-mile West Corridor to Golden, 38.1-mile Northwest Rail Corridor to Longmont and related 18-mile US 36 BRT Corridor to Boulder, 23.6-mile East Corridor to Denver International Airport, 11.2-mile Gold Line Corridor to Wheat Ridge, 18-mile North Metro Corridor to Thornton, and 10.5-mile I-225 Corridor to Aurora. The extensions include approximately 1 mile for the Central Corridor in central Denver, 2.5 miles for the Southwest Corridor to Highlands Ranch, and 2.3 miles for the Southeast Corridor to the planned RidgeGate community. 1.1 Development Activity Existing Corridors Development on the existing RTD transit system is quite extensive: 9,635 residential units, 2,214 hotel rooms, 2.5 million square feet of retail, 2.6 million square feet of office space, and 2.4 million square feet of institutional space (including medical, cultural and convention uses) have either been built or is currently under construction at station areas and bus transfer facilities. An additional 9,807 residential units, 1,952 hotel rooms, 2.7 million square feet of retail, 2.7 million square feet of office, and 350,000 square feet of institutional space have been proposed Central Corridor/Central Platte Valley Spur For the Central Corridor and Central Platte Valley Spur, 5,450 residential units, 2,214 hotel rooms, 624,200 square feet of retail, 2.3 million square feet of office space, and 2.4 million square feet of institutional space have either been built or are currently under construction. An additional 5,159 residential units, 1,052 hotel rooms, 1.1 million square feet of retail, 1.9 million square feet of office, and 350,000 square feet of institutional space have been proposed Southwest Corridor For the Southwest Corridor, 481 residential units, 650,000 square feet of retail, and 60,000 square feet of office space have either been built or are currently under construction. An 1-1 February 2007

8 Transit-Oriented Development additional 939 residential units, 300 hotel rooms, and 1.1 million square feet of retail have been proposed Southeast Corridor A remarkable amount of real estate development occurred in anticipation of the completion of the Southeast Corridor in November 2006 (see Exhibits 1-1 and 1-2 for maps of all the Southeast Corridor development by status and land use, respectively.) Some 3,704 residential units, 460,000 square feet of retail, and 300,000 square feet of office space have either been built or are currently under construction. When added to projects at the I-25/ Broadway transfer station, the 17 development projects at 9 station areas associated with the construction of the Transportation Expansion (T-REX) Project total approximately $800 million in private investment. An additional 3,713 residential units, 600 hotel rooms, 440,000 square feet of retail, 860,000 square feet of office space have been proposed. When added to projects at the I-25/Broadway transfer station, these 15 proposed projects have been an estimated value of approximately $1.7 billion. Eleven additional projects or later phases of the above proj- Exhibit 1-1: SE Corridor Development by Status Exhibit 1-2: SE Corridor Development by Use 1-2 February 2007

9 Transit-Oriented Development ects have also been announced, although not formally proposed. These projects are more speculative with a longer time horizon for final buildout. By no means do these 43 projects represent the full potential for development along the Southeast Corridor. As the market absorbs the above projects, more FasTracks corridors begin service, and the Tech Center area continues to mature, even more projects are likely, including infill and redevelopment on underutilized properties as well as greenfield development Development on Planned Corridors and Extensions Compared to development on the existing system, there has been less activity to date on the six new corridors and three extensions proposed by FasTracks because they will not be operational for another six to ten years. Nevertheless, since the passage of FasTracks in November 2004, 2,190 residential units, more than 2.8 million square feet of retail, about 125,000 square feet of office space, and more than 3.4 million square feet of institutional space have either been built or are under construction in the vicinity of proposed stations. Another 4,529 residential units, 925 hotel rooms, 600,000 square feet of retail, 385,000 square feet of office space, and 6 million square feet of institutional space have been proposed for planned stations. The totals above do not include data from several large-scale, mixed-use projects have been announced such as High Point at DIA that do not have finalized plans or are more than a half-mile from proposed station locations Systemwide Development Summary Combining the data for the existing RTD system and planned FasTracks stations, 11,825 housing units, 2,214 hotel rooms, 4.6 million square feet of office space, 2.8 million square feet of retail, and 5.7 million square feet of institutional space have either already been built or are currently under construction (see Exhibit 1-3 for summary by corridor). An additional 13,783 housing units, 2,877 hotel rooms, 3.1 million square feet of retail, 2.4 million square feet of office space, and 6.5 million square feet of institutional space have been proposed (see Exhibit 1-4 for summary by corridor), which will more than double the current amount of development near stations over the next five years. In addition, more than two dozen new projects or future phases of existing projects currently still in the planning phase have the potential to triple the amount of development that currently exists near transit stations over the next 10 years. (See Exhibit 1-5 for a map of the projects by their respective status along FasTracks and existing transit corridors.) Exhibit 1-3: Summary of Completed and Under Construction Projects by Corridor Data Gold I-225 North Metro Southeast Southwest US36 West Grand Total Residential Units 5, , ,825 Hotel Rms 2, ,214 Retail SF 624, ,924 16,000 57, , ,804 2,120, ,000 4,615,778 Office SF 2,287,600 19, ,000 60, , ,819,972 Institution SF 2,449, ,240, ,689, February 2007

10 Data Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 1-4: Summary of Proposed Projects by Corridor East Gold I-225 North Metro Southeast Southwest US36 West Grand Total Residential Units 5, , , , ,340 Hotel Rms 1, ,877 Retail SF 1,142, , ,400 1,100, ,270 16,000 3,298,770 Office SF 1,877, , , , ,125,500 Institution SF 350,000 68, ,221, ,000 6,539,000 (See Exhibit 1-5 for a map of the projects by their respective status along FasTracks and existing transit corridors.) 1.2 Area Planning In light of all this development activity, land use planning at station areas has become a priority for local jurisdictions. (See Exhibit 1-6 for summary.) After the passage of FasTracks, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), the Denver region s metropolitan planning organization, established a pool of $2 million in federal congestion, mitigation and air-quality (CMAQ) matching funds available to local jurisdictions to encourage station area planning. Prior to this incentive, very few jurisdictions had initiated any planning at proposed or even existing station areas. In addition to the Union Master Plan, which was adopted by Denver in 2004, Greenwood Village adopted a framework master plan for Arapahoe on the Southeast Corridor in 2005, and Wheat Ridge adopted a sub-area plan for Ward Road on the Gold Line in In 2006, DRCOG awarded $1.34 million in federal matching funds for planning at 17 station areas, and has made $585,000 available for additional applications this fall. In addition, RTD has committed $221,500 to local jurisdictions for planning at eight station areas. area planning efforts are currently underway on the Central Corridor at 10th/Osage and Alameda s; on the Southeast Corridor at Louisiana/Pearl, Colorado Boulevard and Southmoor s; West Corridor at Decatur, Sheridan, Wadsworth, Oak, and Federal Center s; on the East Corridor at 40th/40th and 40th/Airport stations; on the NW Rail/US36 BRT Corridor at 30th/Pearl; and on the Gold Line at 38th/Inca, Sheridan, Olde Town, and Kipling stations. Funds are committed by local jurisdictions to begin station area plans in 2007 on the I-225 Corridor at Nine Mile, the East Corridor at Peoria/Smith, and on the Gold Line at Pecos and Federal s; funds are also in place to begin station area planning in 2008 on the I-225 corridor at Iliff and 4th Avenue s. RTD expects about seven more plans to be funded by the remaining DRCOG CMAQ pool, which means planning at about 30 station areas will be conducted from 2006 through Finally, RTD is conducting corridorwide TOD workshops to coordinate planning efforts among jurisdictions and to refine transit project design to maximize the potential for TOD in each corridor. The West Corridor TOD workshop, conducted in early 2006, has resulted in accelerated station area planning efforts by the local jurisdictions, project refinements by RTD, exploration of public-private partnerships for joint development opportunities, and the formation of a corridor working group to continue to implement the workshop recommendations. In addition to RTD, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and local jurisdictions contributed funds towards this workshop. RTD will conduct similar workshops in 2007 for the NW Rail/US36 BRT, East, North Metro and Gold Line Corridors, and in 2008 for the I-225 Corridor. 1-4 February 2007

11 Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 1-5: Development Along FasTracks and Existing Transit Corridors 1-5 February 2007

12 Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 1-6: Status of Area Planning Efforts Corridor Jurisdiction Plan Status Zoning Status Other Planning Tools 10/Osage Denver In process Market study, public housing strategy Alameda Denver In process Market study Auraria West Denver Begin 2008 I-25/Broadway Denver Adopted 2005 TIF, Cherokee GDP, Lionstone GDP Union Denver Adopted 2004 Adopted 2004 Master developer propsal 40th/40th East Denver In process Market study, subarea plan 40th/Airport East Aurora In process Pauls Corp. development 64th/Telluride East Denver In process Denver Int l Biz Center Peoria/Smith East Aurora Begin 2007 Stapleton East Denver In process 38th/Inca Gold Denver In process Market study Arvada Ridge Gold Arvada In process Shea Properties development Federal Gold Adams County Begin 2007 Olde Town Arvada Gold Arvada In process Olde Town plan Pecos Gold Adams County Begin 2007 Sheridan Gold Arvada In process Ward Rd Gold Wheat Ridge Adopted th Avenue I-225 Aurora Begin 2008 Fitzsimmons I-225 Aurora Begin 2007 South Iliff I-225 Aurora Begin th Ave NorthMetro Thornton Begin 2007 Eastlake plan Arapahoe Southeast Greenwood Village Adopted 2005 ULI TAP Belleview Southeast Denver Adopted 2003 Belleview development Colorado Blvd Southeast Denver Adopted 2003 Infrastructure framework Louisiana/Pearl Southeast Denver In process Nine Mile Southeast Aurora In process Market study Southmoor Southeast Denver In process Market study Evans Southwest Denver Begin 2008 Mineral Southwest Littleton ULI TAP 30th/Pearl US36 Boulder In process ULI TAP Louisville US36 Louisville Hwy 42 plan Decatur West Denver In process Market study Federal Center West Lakewood Adopted 2006 In process GSA master plan Oak West Lakewood Adopted 2006 In process Sheridan West Denver In process Market study Sheridan West Lakewood Adopted 2006 In process Wadsworth West Lakewood Adopted 2006 In process Urban Renewal, EDAW study, ULI TAP 1-6 February 2007

13 2.0 OVERVIEW Transit-Oriented Development This report provides an update on the status of urban planning and real estate development in the vicinity of existing and planned stations within RTD s transit system. It provides a summary of development projects that have been built, are under construction, or are being planned near stations, as well as an inventory of land use planning and rezoning efforts being conducted by local government jurisdictions in station areas. It also cites places where RTD is taking or has taken an active role in station area planning and development and what, if any, resource commitments RTD has provided. Development projects near RTD facilities have often been described as transit-oriented development (TOD). In general, TOD includes many (but not all) of the following development principles: it has a functional relationship to transit, usually expressed through a strong pedestrian orientation (in contrast to the automobile orientation of sprawl-pattern development); it is denser and has a more compact street pattern than adjacent development; and it has a mix of land uses. Context matters most to TOD; there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The influence area of TOD usually extends to a radius of one-quarter to one-half mile (a 5- to 10-minute walk) from a transit facility, depending on the context of the surrounding environment. The sections that follow describe all known station area development and planning activities by transit corridor, beginning with the three in operation today: the original 5.3-mile Central Corridor and 1.8-mile Central Platte Valley Spur in central Denver, the 8.7-mile Southwest Corridor to Littleton, and the newly opened 19.2-mile Southeast Corridor to Lone Tree. Individual sections then follow for each of the six new FasTracks Corridors in order of their expected completion: the 12.1-mile West Corridor to Golden, 38.1-mile Northwest Rail Corridor to Longmont and related 18-mile US 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor to Boulder, 23.6-mile East Corridor to Denver International Airport, 11.2-mile Gold Line Corridor to Wheat Ridge, 18-mile North Metro Corridor to Thornton, and 10.5-mile I-225 Corridor to Aurora. Despite more than a decade passing since the Central Corridor opened, the Denver metropolitan region has never surveyed the development impact of transit. This report marks the first-ever collection of data regarding development associated with the Central Corridor, Southwest Corridor and Central Platte Valley Spur, and the first analysis of new development associated with completion of the Southeast Corridor. Finally, this report will provide a baseline of TOD data for the FasTracks Quality of Life Study over the next 10 years and beyond. 2.1 Methodology RTD tracks real estate development projects within an approximate half-mile radius of its existing and planned transit stations in a TOD database. (See Exhibit 2-1 for a map of FasTracks and existing transit corridors.) RTD does not currently evaluate whether project design, orientation and access provide strong pedestrian connectivity to its transit facilities, one of the key definitions of TOD. Because these criteria require some degree of subjectivity, RTD is still researching generally accepted principles for their evaluation in the future. 2-1 February 2007

14 Transit-Oriented Development Until then, the TOD database will include all development within the area of potential transit influence. However, discretion has been exercised regarding projects located on the periphery of the ½- mile radius from a given station. In cases where there is an existing street network and built environment, projects on the periphery have been included. In cases where there are poor street connections or significant pedestrian obstacles (including natural barriers like waterways or man-made barriers such as cloverleaf-style interchanges), projects on the periphery have been excluded. The transit station s influence on a particular development decision is clearly more tenuous in the latter case than in the former. Exhibit 2-1: FasTracks and Existing Transit Corridors 2-2 February 2007

15 RTD has designated development projects using four status levels: Transit-Oriented Development Completed projects have already been built Under construction projects are currently being built Proposed projects are either in some phase of the development review process with a local government jurisdiction, or have detailed development programs already articulated for each type of use by the developer. Expected projects have been announced by a developer or local jurisdiction but have not yet been submitted for review, or do not yet have detailed development programs. Some of the latter phases of built, under construction, and proposed projects are classified as expected since their final buildout depends on future market conditions. While some proposed projects will be changed based on the review process and market conditions, expected projects are even more speculative. In an effort to represent actual market conditions rather than best-case scenarios, RTD has mapped the completed, under construction, and proposed projects, but not the expected projects even if they have detailed development programs. Development along the FasTracks corridors is tracked beginning in November of 2004, when the ballot initiative was passed. Similarly, development along the Southeast corridor is tracked beginning in November of 1999, when the ballot initiatives to fund the T-REX project were passed. It is reasonable to assume that the public commitment to fund these transit projects removed enough uncertainty for developers to begin planning real estate projects in the vicinity of expected stations. The starting point for inclusion of development in the vicinity of stations along RTD s original Central Corridor, which began operations in October 1994, is Since it was Denver s first operational fixed-guideway rail corridor in nearly 45 years, the Central Corridor was unlikely to influence development decisions until its success became apparent. RTD has accounted for this uncertainty with a two-year lag between corridor opening and inclusion of any nearby development in the TOD database. All development projects included in the TOD database for the Southwest Corridor were tracked since the beginning of service in All projects included for the Central Platte Valley Spur were tracked since 2001, when RTD acquired Union. Information in RTD s TOD database is gathered from a variety of sources, including: Published or broadcast news reports Meetings and interviews with individual real estate developers Meetings and interviews with planning and development staff from local government jurisdictions Other published reports, studies, and plans 2-3 February 2007

16 Transit-Oriented Development RTD verifies data accuracy and provides periodic updates by confirming details with individual developers and local jurisdictions. Historical data for the Central Corridor was obtained from research provided by the Downtown Denver Partnership, Grubb & Ellis, Denver Urban Renewal Authority, Denver Housing Authority, and the DenverInfill.com website. Because of the large number of development projects captured within the regional scope of FasTracks and the volatile nature of real estate development due to market, regulatory and community processes, it is possible that some of the information in RTD s TOD database is not completely up to date at the time of publication. While it is not humanly possible to have a completely accurate picture of so many projects simultaneously, RTD believes its published reports have a reasonable enough degree of accuracy to provide a representative view of development near transit in the Denver region. 2.2 Transit Influence on Development Decisions One should not deduce that the inclusion of a specific development project in this report signifies that it would not otherwise have been built but for its proximity to transit. However, access is a key consideration among the many factors that influence development decisions. The presence of transit service with regional connectivity within a 5- to 10-minute walk certainly improves accessibility, which enhances the attractiveness of a potential development site. For example, developers of several new projects in the I-25 corridor have said that while the proximity of light rail service may not have been a strong factor in their original decision to build, it is now one of their key selling points and marketing messages. Transit-oriented development at subway or light rail stations almost cannot miss as a best bet for development at a national scale in the coming year, according to the 2007 edition of Emerging Trends in Real Estate, which is the most highly regarded and widely read forecast report in the real estate industry. The report is published by the Urban Land Institute and Pricewaterhouse Cooper and based 600 interviews and surveys with a wide range of industry experts including investors, developers, property companies, lenders, brokers, and consultants. Its prospectus of the Denver regional market says that because of FasTracks, companies located along transit lines will be able to draw on workers from throughout the metropolitan area, giving them a big advantage. The report observes that the buildout of Union as the transit system s multimodal hub will significantly impact downtown Denver, further boosting its 24-hour prospects, which have been blossoming. It also notes that developers are lick[ing] their chops along transit corridors, and that because of FasTracks, Denver enjoys a big advantage over other more built-out Sunbelt agglomerations. 1 1 Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2007 (Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute and Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, 2006). 2-4 February 2007

17 Transit-Oriented Development 3.0 CENTRAL CORRIDOR/CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY SPUR The original 5.3-mile Central Corridor and the 1.8-mile Central Platte Valley Spur serve the cultural and economic heart of the Denver metropolitan region (see Exhibit 3-1). The opening of the Central Corridor in 1994 represented the Denver region s return to fixed-rail guideway after a nearly 45-year absence. The opening of the Central Platte Valley Spur in 2002 marked the beginning of the Union s reemergence as a regional transportation hub. Under FasTracks, Union will serve as the junction of seven RTD rail light- and commuter rail corridors, Amtrak, the Ski Train, other potential statewide rail services, RTD local and regional buses, the 16th Street Mall Shuttle and Downtown Circulator, Greyhound and other interstate and international buses, private motorcoaches, taxis, limos, private shuttle services, bicycles, pedestrians, and even horse-drawn carriages. Exhibit 3-1: Central Corridor/ Map FasTracks will extend the Central Corridor from its terminus at 30th/Downing north along Downing Street to connect to the proposed 40th/40th, where passengers will be able to transfer to commuter rail trains to Denver International Airport on the East Corridor, Thornton on the North Metro Corridor, and Union. The Central Corridor Extension, which is being studied as part of the East Corridor EIS, is also evaluating rail service to Civic Center. This regional bus facility anchors the south end of the 16th Street Mall, is the terminus of the Mall Shuttle, and has nearby service from some of the heavily used local bus routes along Broadway and Colfax Avenues. The 19.5 acres surrounding Union owned by RTD and its partners represent the preeminent TOD site in the entire Denver region. But, in addition to the Union master development project, a tremendous amount of private development activity has been occurring within a short walk of the station to the west in the Central Platte Valley and to the east in the Lower Downtown (LoDo) historic district. In addition, the historic Five Points and Curtis Park neighborhoods along the Welton Street corridor have seen dramatic levels of investment and redevelopment since light rail service was established. Downtown Denver continues to be a magnet for new hotel and high-rise residential development, and the Civic Center area is emerging as the region s largest concentration of cultural institutions. The Auraria Higher Education Center campus, to the west of Downtown, is also experiencing record growth in student enrollment. Further along the Central Corridor, redevelopment con- 3-1 February 2007

18 Transit-Oriented Development tinues in the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood around 10th/Osage, and the Gates redevelopment sites around Broadway represent one of the larger TOD opportunities in the entire region. Not counting the Union development plan, 5,490 housing units, 2,214 hotel rooms, 624,000 square feet of retail, 2.3 million square feet of office space, and 2.4 million square feet of institutional space have been built or is under construction along the Central Corridor, Central Platte Valley Spur, and Central Corridor Extension (see Exhibit 3-2). Another 4,614 housing units, 1,052 hotel rooms, 900,000 square feet of retail, 1.1 million square feet of office space, and 350,000 square feet of institutional space have been proposed in these areas, and at least nine other intended projects have been announced. Exhibit 3-2: Summary of Central Corridor/Central Platte Valley Spur Development Status Use Under Completed Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units 3,990 1,500 4,614 10,104 Hotel Rooms 1, ,052 3,266 Retail SF 577,500 46, ,000 1,520,200 Office SF 1,992, ,000 1,145,000 3,432,600 Institution SF 2,422,000 27, ,000 2,799,000 Union The Union partnering agencies (RTD, CDOT, DRCOG, and City and County of Denver) in November announced the selection of Union Neighborhood Company as the master developer for the 19.5-acre site after an 18-month process that initially drew 11 teams from around the nation. Led by Continuum Partners and East West Partners, Union Neighborhood s proposal includes about 600 residential units, 732,500 square feet of office, 246,100 square feet of retail (including a large-format store east of the station), and 1,980 parking spaces. (See Exhibit 3-3 for a rendering of the proposal.) Exhibit 3-3: Denver Union Proposal A rendering of Union Neighborhood Company s proposal illustrates how the station area development will connect LoDo to the Central Platte Valley and create a regional transportation hub that respects the surrounding communities. Image courtesy of Union Neighborhood Co. 3-2 February 2007

19 Transit-Oriented Development The proposal includes an additional 13 acres of land owned by East West Partners adjacent to the Union site. The revitalization of the historic station would include a market and other retail space, while new wing buildings on either side of the station would include commercial and residential space. Two 23-story buildings with office and residential space would be located behind the station along a new 17th Street Transit Plaza lined with retail shops connecting to the new light rail station located along the consolidated main line (CML). Exhibit 3-4: LoDo and TOD Union Neighborhood Co. would complete all transportation and street-level improvements by 2011, including light rail, and an underground commuter rail station and regional bus facility. The cost of the public portion of the project is estimated at $420 million. The total development value of the site upon total buildout, which is expected by 2015, is estimated to be more than $1 billion. When RTD moves its headquarters to Union, the 1600 block of Market Street (which currently holds RTD s Blake Street headquarters building and the underground Market Street bus station) will potentially be made available for redevelopment. The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) Colorado Chapter s 2006 Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge asked student teams from The University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and University of Denver to respond to a mock RFP from RTD for either the purchase or joint- venture redevelopment of the site. The winning proposal, by the University of Denver team, estimated that RTD could receive $15 million for the sale of the site. Since RTD and its partners purchased Union in 2001, 1,009 housing units and about 470,000 square feet of office space have been built within a short walk of the station in the Central Platte Valley and in LoDo. Another 469 housing units, 14,000 square feet of retail, and 250,000 square feet of office space are cur- The Promenade Lofts (top) are one of several East West Partners projects in the Central Platte Valley behind Union. Market Street (middle) could be redeveloped into a mixed-use project after relocation to Union, as depicted in this rendering by University of Denver students. The EPA Regional Headquarters (bottom) is being built directly adjacent to Union. 3-3 February 2007

20 Transit-Oriented Development rently under construction. An additional 848 housing units, 171 hotel rooms, 65,000 square feet of retail, and 845,000 square feet of office space have been proposed. The vast majority of the residential development has occurred as part of East West Partners various Riverfront Park projects, while the office space has been accounted from several LoDo projects, such as the Legacy Building (Gates Corporation headquarters), 16 Market Square, and Regional 8 EPA Headquarters, with more planned at 1400 Wewatta, 1940 Delgany, and a project proposed by Hines. The recently completed Highland Bridge, a pedestrian crossing over I-25 and the last of three such bridges along the 16th Street right-of-way in the Central Platte Valley, will provide convenient pedestrian access to Union from the Highlands neighborhoods of north Denver. (See Exhibit 3-4 for some of these projects.) Civic Center With the possibility of new rail service, Civic Center is poised to become a multimodal center on the opposite end of the 16th Street downtown axis from Union. More than 1.5 million square feet of office space has been built around the station since it was opened in 1982 between the former Denver Post Tower joint development on the station s air rights, Denver s Wellington Webb Municipal Building, and the new Denver Newspaper Agency headquarters. Denver s proposed new Justice Center would add 320,000 square feet of institutional space to the mix, which also includes the City and County Building and State Capitol. Exhibit 3-5: Convention Center TOD The new Frederic C. Hamilton Building of the Denver Art Museum, designed by acclaimed architect Daniel Libeskind, is just across Civic Center Park, which will undergo a major renovation and redesign by the city. The proposed Clyfford Still Museum will enhance the area s cultural offerings, which already includes the Art Museum s North Building, Colorado History Museum, Denver Central Library, and the Byers- Evans House. Meanwhile, Libeskind s Museum Residences (built by Mile High Development) and Burgwyn s 1135 Broadway will bring residential uses to the area. Convention Center/Performing Arts The original 14th Street stations were moved in conjunction with expansion of Colorado Convention Center in 2004, which added 2.2 million square feet of convention and meeting space. The Hilton Garden Inn (top) and the new Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center (bottom) are the first of several projects planned near the Convention Center station 3-4 February 2007

21 Transit-Oriented Development The 36,000-square foot Ellie Caulkins Opera House was renovated at the Denver Performing Arts Center one block away a year later. The western edge of downtown Denver is now becoming a hot spot for high-rise hotel and residential development. Two new hotel projects under construction (The Curtis/Inn at Auraria and Hilton Garden Inn pictured at Exhibit 3-5) and another four proposed (The Inn at Denver Athletic Club, Four Seasons, Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites) will add 557 hotel rooms, while four other proposed hotel projects will add an additional 1,300 rooms within walking distance of the station. Three proposed residential projects in addition to the condo components of the hotel projects, will add 1,074 residential units to this station area The Spire (Nichols Partnership), Murano (Great Gulf Corporation), Bell Park (Buzz Geller). Downtown Denver (16th & California, 16th & Stout, 18th & California, 18th & Stout s) Since 1997, 1,040 residential units, 1,657 hotel rooms, and 430,000 square feet of retail have been built or are presently under construction within walking distance of the 16th and 18th Street stations located along California and Stout Streets. Several of these were loft conversions of historic buildings. Recent projects include the Hyatt Regency (see Exhibit 3-5), 1600 Glenarm, Marriott Residence Inn, and Ritz-Carlton Denver. Welton/Downing Corridors (20th & Welton, 25th & Welton, 27th & Welton, 29th & Welton, 30th & Downing, 34th & Downing s) Since 1997, 1,559 residential units, 85,600 square feet of retail, and 40,000 square feet of cultural space have been built along the Welton Street corridor. About one-quarter of the residential units are affordable, including the Villages at Curtis Park (a HUD HOPE VI project, see Exhibit 3-6), as well as several smaller projects by communitybased non-profit organizations. About 85% of the 601 residential units currently under construction in the corridor are market rate, including many small infill projects and renovations. A continued mixture of public and private, affordable and market-rate projects are also on the horizon for Welton and Downing Streets: the 677 proposed Exhibit 3-6: Welton Corridor TOD The Villages at curtis Park (top) is a successful redevelopment of a public housing project. Welton Place has been proposed for the 2200 block along the tracks. 3-5 February 2007

22 Transit-Oriented Development units are included in an additional HOPE VI project (Park Avenue redevelopment) and several small, private infill developments. Auraria (Pepsi Center/Elitch Gardens, Invesco Field, Auraria West, Colfax at Auraria s) The Auraria Higher Education Center campus is attended by about 38,000 students and is expected to grow in near future. While the campus is beginning to update its master plan, it is restricted from building any housing. Three new privately built housing projects near campus opening this year will provide housing for nearly 1,800 students, and are all near existing or proposed RTD stations: Campus Village at Auraria West on the Central Platte Valley Spur, The Curtis/Inn at Auraria at Convention Center on the Central Corridor, and The Regency at 38th/Inca on the Gold Line. DRCOG has recommended federal funding for Denver to conduct a station area plan at Auraria West, pending board approval in Campus Village, completed this year by Urban Ventures, will house 685 students in its 230 units. A second phase to the project is expected to built in conjunction with the relocation of the Auraria West station when construction of the West Corridor begins in Kroenke Sports Enterprises is planning to develop a retail, entertainment and housing project on 3.4 acres it owns between the Pepsi Center and the Invesco at Mile High station. 10th & Osage RTD has a contract with the City and County of Denver to sell two parcels comprising about 3 acres located between the 10th/Osage and the South Lincoln Park Homes. The City will begin the station area planning process later this year, and will be coordinating with the Denver Housing Authority on how the site could be used to prevent resident displacement if the South Lincoln Park Homes were to be redeveloped as a mixed-income project. Meanwhile, four private projects in the station area (Osage Lofts, Villa de Barela, and two currently under construction) have produced 153 new residential units and 12,000 square feet of retail. Alameda The City of Denver will begin a station area infrastructure master plan later this year for Alameda. The RTD Board has given staff the direction to begin exclusive negotiations with the Alameda LLC development group on the RTD-owned parcel at Sante Fe Drive and Alameda Avenue. Upon execution of a contract, Alameda LLC will have 90 days to conduct due diligence on the site and make a formal offer to RTD. As part of the sale, RTD will require the construction of a pedestrian bridge to connect the development site to the station. I-25 & Broadway Cherokee Denver is the master developer for the 50-acre Cherokee Gates redevelopment site. Cherokee is also in discussions regarding the potential for joint development on the 18 acres RTD owns around the current station, which includes the park-n-ride and bus bays. Buildout of the site is expected to total $1.1 billion and have between 2,000-to-4,000 residential units and 2-to-4 million square feet of commercial space, to be completed between 2015 and February 2007

23 Transit-Oriented Development The first vertical developer announced for the Cherokee Gates site is Illinois-based Joseph Freed and Associates (JFA), which has extensive TOD experience in the suburban Chicago market along the Metra commuter rail. The proposed JFA project at Gates, Metropolitan Gardens, will be located west of the rail alignment and have 1,500 residential units, 800,000 square feet of office space, and 300,000 square feet of retail. RTD is in discussions with JFA and Cherokee regarding a new pedestrian bridge to connect Metropolitan Gardens to the station platform, and hopes to break ground in 2007 Exhibit 3-7: I-25 & Broadway TOD Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) will also be a vertical developer on the block bound by Arizona Avenue, Broadway, Mississippi Avenue and the tracks, with Alexan Gates, a proposed 350-unit apartment complex (50 of which will be affordable) with 16,000 square feet of retail. TCR and Cherokee are coordinating with RTD regarding street alignment at the project site. Houston-based Lionstone (along with local partner McKinnon & Associates) is the master developer for the 28-acre Gates East redevelopment site, which is expected to total $540 million and have about 1,500 residential units, 100,000 square feet of retail, and 500,000 square feet of office space, to be completed by Lionstone has renovated the existing 300,000- square-foot former Gates Company headquarters as part of the office component. The first vertical developer at the Gates East redevelopment site is McStain Neighborhoods, which is building 43 infill residential units on the southern tip of the site for its Manor Homes at Platte Park project. (See Exhibit 3-7.) McStain plans to build between 140 and 200 condos in a second phase of the project. The Gates East redevelopment site is underway by Lionstone (top). A rendering depicts the possible buildout of the Cherokee Gates redevelopment site (middle). McStain has begun infill development at the southern edge of the Lionstone site (bottom). 3-7 February 2007

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25 Opened in 2000, this 8.7-mile extension from the original Central Corridor brought light rail service into south Denver, Englewood and Littleton (see Exhibit 4-1). The Southwest Corridor hosts the Denver region s first contemporary transit-oriented development, CityCenter Englewood, the product of a remarkable public-private partnership in which the City of Englewood redeveloped an aging, failing shopping mall and moved its offices and other public facilities to the new station. 4.0 SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 4-1: Southwest Corridor Map Situated in an active freight corridor, the Southwest Corridor has seen limited real estate development over the past 6 years other than at CityCenter Englewood. Four projects have been completed or are under construction at five stations totaling 480 residential units, more than 650,000 square feet of retail, and more than 300,000 square feet of office space including Englewood s city government offices. (See development summary for the corridor in Exhibit 4-2.) The completion of T-REX and passage of FasTracks which will transform the Southwest Corridor from a rail link to downtown jobs, shopping and entertainment to a regional lifeline that also serves the Tech Center, DIA, and Boulder has sparked a flurry of developer interest. Redevelopment potential exists at the planned Bates infill station in Englewood and around the downtown Littleton station, while large-scale projects are being discussed around Mineral the current end of the line and at the planned 2.5-mile extension to C-470/Lucent Boulevard. Exhibit 4-2: Summary of Southwest Corridor Development Status Use Under Completed Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units ,420 Hotel Rooms Retail SF 657, ,100,000 1,757,804 Office SF 50,000 10, , February 2007

26 Transit-Oriented Development Evans Some local property owners have been assembling land around the station area with an eye toward redevelopment opportunities, and have begun meeting with neighborhood residents and other stakeholders. The City of Denver plans to begin station area planning by Bates (planned) RTD staff are coordinating with the City of Englewood and the private development entity (landowners Winslow Crane Services and Barton Construction, and developer Barsocchi & Associates) on conceptual plans for the station and the adjacent development project. Under the agreement with Englewood, the cost of the station will be split among the three parties. CityCenter Englewood The Denver region s first contemporary transit-oriented development, CityCenter Englewood (Exhibit 4-3) today includes 438 residential units, 380,000 square feet of retail, 300,000 square feet of office space (including the city government offices, public library, municipal courts, and a cultural arts center), and a 2-acre public plaza with public art and performance space. Exhibit 4-3: CityCenter Englewood CityCenter Englewood was developed by a public-private partnership in conjuction with the opening of the Southwest Corridor in Oxford The Sheridan Redevelopment Agency has selected Miller Weingarten as its preferred developer for the 300-acre South Santa Fe Drive Corridor Redevelopment Area, located along the west side of South Santa Fe Drive, from West Hampden Avenue on the north to Oxford Avenue on the south, to just beyond the South Platte River on the west. Though the southeast corner of this large-format, auto-oriented retail project will be located about a half-mile from the Oxford, there is limited pedestrian access across Santa Fe Drive. Littleton Downtown Several infill redevelopment projects are in various stages of the development process around the Littleton Downtown station. In 2005 the 4-unit Prince Street Commons live-work project, demonstrating the viability of mixed-use projects near the station. Littleton Capital 4-2 February 2007

27 Transit-Oriented Development Partners took this concept further with Littleton, a 37-unit live-work project including 10,000 square feet of office space currently under construction. (See Exhibit 4-4.) Other developers are evaluating potential redevelopment sites near the station, such as the former Arapahoe County Sherriff Building. Exhibit 4-4: Littleton TOD The Littleton project is one of the first new TOD projects to be approved near the Littleton Downtown since it opened in Littleton Mineral RTD owns about 18 acres at the Littleton Mineral currently used for 1,227 surface parking spaces. In 2001, the Aspen Grove shopping center, with more than 300,000 square feet of retail, was built just north of the parking lot. The design of Aspen Grove, however, is not integrated with the station facilities. Various developers have approached RTD over the years with ideas for joint development on the parking site, but the need for locating temporary parking during any construction has posed a difficult challenge. However, recent development proposals have spurred intrest in trying to address this challenge. Landmark Properties Littleton Promenade proposal includes 300 condos, 300 hotel rooms, and 1.1 million square feet of office space on 133 acres south of the park-n-ride. Quadrant Properties Rivers Edge at Aspen Grove proposes 321 residential units on 17 acres west of Aspen Grove currently zoned for commercial uses. The City of Littleton and RTD in 2006 jointly funded an Urban Land Institute technical advisory panel (TAP) to evaluate development opportunities in the station area and propose a phasing plan that could accommodate the need for temporary parking. This report will serve as the foundation for a station area plan, which Littleton plans to conduct in the near future. C-470/Lucent Boulevard (planned) The Englewood Water District owns the land south of the C-470/Lucent Boulevard planned as a corridor extension as part of FasTracks. RTD is collaborating with the City of Englewood on conceptual plans to ensure development compatibility at the station. Douglas County is the local land use authority. 4-3 February 2007

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29 5.0 SOUTHEAST CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development A remarkable amount of real estate development has occurred in anticipation of the completion of the Southeast Corridor (See Exhibit 5-1 for a map of the corridor). Approximately $800 million worth of development has already been built or is currently under construction, representing more than 3,747 housing units, about 460,000 square feet of retail, and nearly 300,000 square feet of office space, in 17 projects at 9 stations. Another 15 projects have been proposed at an estimated value of approximately $1.7 billion. These projects represent more than 5,500 housing units, 600 hotel rooms, more than 1.2 million square feet of retail, and more than 1.1 million square feet of office space (see Exhibit 5-2 for a development summary). Exhibit 5-1: Southeast Corridor Map Eleven additional projects or later phases of the above projects have also been announced, although not formally proposed. These projects are more speculative with a longer time horizon for final buildout. These 43 projects do not represent the full potential for development along the Southeast Corridor. As the market absorbs the above projects, more FasTracks corridors begin service, and the Tech Center area continues to mature, even more projects are likely, including infill and redevelopment on underutilized properties as well as greenfield development. Exibit 5-2: Summary of Southeast Corridor Development (not including I-25 & Broadway ) Status Use Under Completed Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units 2,406 1,298 4,372 8,076 Hotel Rooms Retail SF 239, , , ,850 Office SF 0 294, ,000 1,157, February 2007

30 Transit-Oriented Development Louisiana The reconstruction of Trammell Crow Company s $9 million Louisiana Lofts is nearly finished (the project burned to the ground in January 2006 just weeks prior to completion). This infill project across the street from the station includes 29 condo units and 3,000 square feet of ground-level retail. (See Exhibit 5-3.) Demonstrating the strength of the regional TOD market, 23 of the 29 original buyers were willing to wait the additional months to rebuild even when offered a complete refund. Based on the success of this project, Trammell Crow is examining the feasibility of another infill project to the southeast. The City of Denver is conducting a station area planning process to engage the community on such issues as parking impacts and infill redevelopment in the adjacent Platt Park and West Washington Park neighborhoods. This plan is expected to be completed and adopted by mid A residential parking permit zone was created prior to the station opening to discourage transit parking in the area around the station. Exhibit 5-3: Louisiana Lofts Trammell Crow s Louisiana Lofts is across the street from the new Louisiana- Pearl. University Construction is underway on University Lofts, a $15.5 million, 5-story, 35-unit apartment building featuring 8,800 square feet of ground-level retail on the northeast corner of Evans Avenue and University Boulevard. The project is being developed by Romani Group Inc. for owner Pat Barron s University and Evans LLC on the site of a strip shopping center. Construction is expected to be complete in (See Exhibit 5-4.) 5-2 February 2007

31 Exhibit 5-4: University Lofts Transit-Oriented Development Construction has begun on the University Lofts project at University and Evans Avenues. Tonsing Properties has begun pre-construction sales for its $45 million, 7-story, 111-unit 1945 S. Josephine project. (See Exhibit 5-5.) Mile High Development has proposed building a 299-unit apartment building above RTD-owned drainage detention area for the station, and has initiated a rezoning process for the land. Exhibit 5-5: 1945 South Josephine Street Tonsing Properties touts the proximity of University in its billboard for the 1945 S. Josephine project. Colorado Boulevard Lincoln Property Group purchased the Colorado Center development on the northeast corner of Colorado and Buchtel Boulevards in February 2006, which includes about 5 acres currently used for surface parking that is available for development. Since it was zoned under a planned unit development (PUD) designation that prohibits residential uses, Lincoln has initiated a rezoning process to allow it to create a mix of uses at the site for an infill project. On the southwest corner of the same intersection, Evans Street Partners is planning to redevelop a strip shopping center formerly anchored by an Albertsons grocery store. Evans 5-3 February 2007

32 Transit-Oriented Development Street Partners had the site rezoned to a residential mixed-use (RMU) designation and is planning to reconfigure about 73,400 total square feet of retail on the 8-acre property over several phases while preserving the option of residential infill in the future. Construction is expected to begin this fall. The City of Denver will initiate a station area infrastructure plan in 2007 for implementing the goals of a station area framework plan adopted in RTD is contributing $38,000 to this effort. Denver will also be conducting a related TOD market study for this station area. Yale There has been interest in the vacant land west of the station. A developer has initiated discussions with the City of Denver about developing townhomes or multi-family housing on this site. Southmoor The District at Southmoor was completed by Pacific Properties in 2006 at the southeast corner of Hampden Avenue and I-25. This 7-acre, $45 million, mixed-use project has 291 apartments and 16,500 square feet of retail. (See Exhibit 5-6.) Exhibit 5-6: The District at Southmoor The District at Southmoor offers the convenience of retail amenities mixed with apartments near the new light rail station. The City of Denver this fall will initiate a framework infrastructure plan for this station area, and is conducting a related TOD market study. Dayton Trammell Crow Company is the master developer for the 100-acre Hampden Town Center site located north across the pedestrian bridge from Dayton, bound roughly by Hampden Avenue, Chester Street, I-225, and Dayton Street. This mixed use project, which is partially in Aurora, Denver and Greenwood Village, is expected to total $200 million worth of development when complete. 5-4 February 2007

33 Transit-Oriented Development The Savoy at Hampden Town Center (see Exhibit 5-7) was the first project completed near the station, in Legacy Partners built this 444-apartment development on 20 acres. The next to be completed was Hampden Terrace in 2002, a 50-condo project on 4 acres by Town Center Terrace Inc. In 2003, a 213,400-square-foot retail center anchored by Wal- Mart was built by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on the northern 15 acres of the site near Hampden Avenue. In 2003, Hendricks Communities LLC developed a $12 million, 132-unit affordable apartment complex for seniors on 5 acres. Town Center Terrace Inc. has nearly completed a second project on 11 acres comprised of 260 condos and 20,000 square feet of office. Trammell Crow is expected to offer the remaining southernmost 5 acres located closest to the station likely as a residential condo project. Exhibit 5-7: The Savoy at Hampden Town Center Legacy Partners Savoy at Hampden Town Center was the first of several multi-family projects to be built near Dayton. Nine Mile The City of Aurora will initiate a station area planning process this winter, and has begun a related TOD market study of the area. Belleview Continuum Partners has begun construction on the first phase of the Belleview project located northwest of Belleview Avenue and I-25 on about 20 of the 50 acres owned by the Bansbach family (see Exhibit 5-8). This phase of the mixed-use project, with an estimated value of $500 million, will have 1,900 residential units, 600,000 square feet of office, 160,000 square feet of retail, and about 400 hotel rooms. It is expected to be completed in The other 30 acres of the site will be developed in later phases and are projected to include an additional 1.4 million square feet of office and 90,000 more square feet of retail, with an estimated development value of $400 million. 5-5 February 2007

34 Exhibit 5-8: Belleview Site Plan Transit-Oriented Development Belleview will be built out over several years and phases. Re/Max is nearing completion of its new corporate headquarters office on 5 acres at the northwest corner of Belleview Avenue and Syracuse Street. This $50 million, 12-story building will have 250,000 square feet of office and 21,000 square feet of retail. (See Exhibit 5-9.) Exhibit 5-9: Re/Max Building Re/Max s new headquarters represents the first of several planned new office projects in the Denver Tech Center market near light rail stations. Fairfield Residential LLC has proposed three rental projects near the Belleview to be completed in The $70 million DTC III, located on the east side of Monaco Street near Tufts Avenue, would have 397 apartments on 7 acres. DTC IV West and East, each valued at an estimated $51 million, are proposed north of Union Avenue, to the west and east of Monaco Street. DTC IV West would have 270 apartments on 5 acres; DTC IV East would have 240 apartments on 6 acres. 5-6 February 2007

35 Transit-Oriented Development Orchard Construction has begun on The Landmark, Everest Development Company s $160 million mixed-use project located north of the Orchard. This 15-acre project will include 251 condos and 168,000 square feet of retail in two residential towers of 11 and 12 stories each (see Exhibit 5-10). While this phase is expected to be completed in 2008, Everest has announced a second phase called the Brownstones at Landmark, consisting of 160 townhomes and 10 single-family homes. Exhibit 5-10: The Landmark Condo sales are reported to be brisk for The Landmark. Everest Development has proposed a second phase of townhomes and single-family units. Arapahoe at Village Center Implementation is starting to move forward for pieces of the Village Center at Arapahoe Framework Plan, which was adopted by Greenwood Village in The plan envisioned a dense buildout with a mix of uses in the 110 acres surrounding the station, which includes holdings by major developer landowners such as Koelbel and Company, Shea Properties, and John Madden Company, as well as Greenwood Village and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). ING Clarion Partners has proposed a $75 million luxury hotel located on Fiddler s Green Circle just west of Arapahoe. The 200-room hotel would also include 25 luxury condos on a 15-acre site north of the Plaza One office tower. Across the street from the hotel, John Madden Company has proposed the Palazzo Verdi, a new 15-story, 285,000-square-foot office building expected to be complete in the spring of Rio Tinto Minerals, which decided to move its world headquarters to Greenwood Village in December 2006, announced it would relocate to a currently vacant 104,5000-square foot building in the Greenwood Corporate Plaza, about a half-mile west of the station. RTD has also participated in discussions with Forest City about reconfiguring the station bus drop-off area to better accommodate mixed-use development on land currently owned by Greenwood Village, CDOT, and Koelbel. 5-7 February 2007

36 Transit-Oriented Development Dry Creek Construction is underway at The Vallagio, a $194 million, 30-acre, mixed-use project on 30 acres southeast of Dry Creek Road and Inverness Drive West. The project, by Metropolitan Homes, will have 389 residential ownership units, 20,000 square feet of retail, and 24,000 square feet of office. It is expected to be completed in (See Exhibit 5-11.) Exhibit 5-11: The Vallagio The Vallagio by Metropolitan Homes is under construction near the Dry Creek light-rail station. Construction is also underway at Dry Creek Crossing, a $60 million residential project on 8 acres off the southeast corner of Yosemite Street and Dry Creek Road. The project, by Mountain View Homes, will have 248 condos and will be completed in (See Exhibit 5-11.) Exhibit 5-12: Dry Creek Crossing Dry Creek Crossing is visible in the distance from the Southeast Corridor at Dry Creek. Just north of Dry Creek Road from The Vallagio, Fairfield Residential LLC has proposed a $34 million, 219-unit apartment complex on 8 acres called Dry Creek Village. East of The Vallagio, on the southwest corner of Dry Creek Road and Inverness Drive North, Embrey Development Company has proposed AMLI at Inverness, a $30 million, 309-unit apartment complex on 10 acres. 5-8 February 2007

37 Transit-Oriented Development County Line RTD has held discussions with the owners of an 8-acre site across South Valley Highway Road from the County Line parking lot about the potential for joint development on the current surface lot. General Growth Properties Inc., the owner of the Park Meadows shopping center, is redeveloping the former Lord & Taylor mall anchor store as a 10-acre, pedestrian-oriented plaza with about 90,000 square feet of retail. The completion of the pedestrian bridge to Park Meadows, expected in late 2007 or 2008, will provide an opportunity for pedestrian access from the station. Lincoln Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) completed two projects just north of the station in The $54 million Alexan Lincoln is a 431-unit apartment complex built on 11 acres east of Park Meadows Drive. TCR already turned a profit on Alexan Lincoln, selling it for $66.5 million to RREEF, a San Francisco-based real estate-investment company, six months prior to the opening of the Southeast Corridor. TCR s $17 million Lincoln Square Lofts consists of 140 condos on 4 acres. Exhibit 5-13: Lincoln Square Lofts Lincoln Square Lofts is one of two projects by Trammell Crow Residential at Lincoln. Bradbury Properties, which owns 53 acres adjacent to the station on the west side of I-25, has partnered with Westfield Development on its proposed Lincoln project (Exhibit 5-13), a $700 million mixed-used development on 34 acres, with total buildout is expected in Construction is about to begin on Phase I on the 5 acres adjacent to the station, which will include 72 condos, 33,000 square feet of retail, and 200,000 square feet of office. Phase II, on the next 9 acres, is expected to include 200 apartments and an additional 300,000 square feet of office. Later phases could include an additional 600 residential units. 5-9 February 2007

38 Exhibit 5-14: Lincoln Site Plan Transit-Oriented Development Westfield Development and Bradbury Properties are planning significant new office development at Lincoln. Two other residential projects near the station were completed during the construction of the Southeast Corridor. AMLI at Park Meadows, across Park Meadows Drive from the TCR projects, is a 581-unit apartment complex built on 35 acres in The Crest at Lone Tree, located to the north of the TCR projects, is a 400-unit apartment complex built on 15 acres in 2003, including 9,500 square feet of retail. It was sold to CBRE/Melody in 2006 for $43 million. South of the station, Shea Properties has proposed Park Ridge Office Suites, a 93,000- square-foot office condo. RidgeGate Extension The three planned stations along the 2.3-mile Southeast Corridor extension, scheduled for completion in 2016, are all expected to be integrated into RidgeGate, a 3,500-acre, mixeduse, master planned community being built by Coventry Development Corporation in Lone Tree, with final buildout expected by The 600-acre first phase of RidgeGate, West Village, is currently under construction near Sky Ridge, which will serve the expanding Sky Ridge Medical Center. While most of the West Village projects are more than a half-mile from the station, Commonwealth Heights, being built by Century Communities and New Town Builders, is about a 10-minute walk from the planned station site. Century Communities will be offering a variety of housing types consisting of 330 condos, 200 apartments, and 17,000 square feet of retail. New Town Builders will add 120 townhomes and 9 single-family homes February 2007

39 6.0 WEST CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development The 12-mile, 12-station West Corridor will be the next addition to the RTD rail system and the first FasTracks corridor to be completed. Currently in final design, the West Corridor is scheduled to begin service in It will link downtown Denver and the Auraria Higher Education Center (whose three institutions have 38,000 students) to residential neighborhoods in west Denver and Lakewood, the Denver Federal Center (a 670-acre campus with 6,000 jobs and 4 million square feet of office space that is planning a major expansion), Red Rocks Community College main campus (which serves nearly 12,000 commuting students), and Jefferson County Government Center (a 180-acre campus with about 2,500 employees that will also expand in the near future). (See Exhibit 6-1 for a corridor map and Exhibit 6-2 for a summary of development.) Exhibit 6-1: West Corridor Map In the winter of 2006, RTD initiated a week-long workshop to maximize TOD potential in the West Corridor by coordinating land use planning among local governments and examining how well the project design integrates with the surrounding community. Participants included RTD staff, the City and County of Denver, Cities of Lakewood and Golden, Jefferson County, federal General Services Administration (GSA), Denver Regional Council of Governments, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (MDEDC), Colorado Department of Transportation, Auraria Higher Education Center, and other major stakeholders including utilities, landowners and developers. The workshop was sponsored by RTD and the MDEDC with financial contributions from the local jurisdictions. The workshop generated a report with recommended action items, responsible parties, and timeframes for implementation. Following the workshop, a corridor TOD working group was created by RTD and the local jurisdictions to implement the report s recommendations. Exibit 6-2: Summary of West Corridor Development Use Status Completed Proposed Grand Total Residential Units Retail SF 415,000 16, ,000 Institution SF 0 900, , February 2007

40 Transit-Oriented Development Federal-Decatur Denver will begin station area planning in 2007 and has initiated a related TOD market study. RTD is contributing $28,800 to the planning effort. About 30 acres of publicly owned land around the Federal-Decatur represent the potential for major redevelopment that could create a new transit-supportive neighborhood center. This includes the Denver Housing Authority s (DHA) Sun Valley Homes 300 units of subsidized housing on about 33 acres located 3 blocks south of the station as well as a City and County of Denver maintenance facility that is slated for demolition as part of the transit project. While it currently has no identified funding for the project, DHA plans to completely redevelop Sun Valley as a mixed-income community. Furthermore, land use restrictions on Invesco Field at Mile High will sunset when the Metropolitan Football Stadium District bonds are retired in 2012, creating the potential for development on the current stadium surface parking lots located north of the station. Knox and Perry s Denver adopted the West Colfax Plan in September 2006, which calls for a new urbanneighborhood-station zone to allow denser infill development to support transit near these stations. The City plans to amend its zoning code and remap the station areas by About a half-mile north of Perry is the current 16-acre St. Anthony Central Hospital campus, which will be available for redevelopment when the hospital completes its move to the Federal Center in The hospital and the City have created a task force to address the redevelopment of the site. The task force has recommended that the primary land use Exhibit 6-3: Sheridan Land Use in Lakewood on the site will be residential and that it could support higher densities. Some complementary neighborhood retail could be accommodated as first floor development, in combination with higher density residential, in a vertical mixed-use configuration toward the center of the site and toward Colfax Avenue. Sheridan Denver will begin station area planning this winter and has initiated a related TOD market study. RTD is contributing $15,200 to the planning effort. Lakewood, meanwhile, in November adopted a station area plan for its half of 6-2 February 2007

41 Transit-Oriented Development the station area (see Exhibit 6-3), and is expected to amend its zoning code and remap the station area by spring RTD is exploring the concept of a public-private partnership for building the planned 800- space parking structure with the potential for joint development on the site, which will be approximately 4 acres. Lamar Large industrial parcels to the north and south of Lamar make this area a strong candidate for redevelopment over time. The City of Lakewood is not conducting station area planning, but individual owners are expected to begin submitting rezoning requests. The Lakewood Housing Authority has purchased a 6-acre site south of the station where it is planning a high-density, mixed-income housing development. Wadsworth Lakewood adopted a station area plan in November 2006, and expects to amend its zoning code and remap the station area by spring It has hired a consultant to develop a more detailed implementation plan, for which RTD has contributed $30,000. Exhibit 6-4: Wadsworth Area Plan The City is planning to retain the services of a master developer in The station area is located in the West Colfax Avenue Corridor Reinvestment Area an urban renewal designation making it eligible for the use of tools, such as tax increment financing, to facilitate new development and infrastructure. This designation has spurred redevelopment along Colfax Avenue near the station, where several large-format, auto-oriented retail projects were recently completed, such as a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot. RTD will explore the concept of a public-private partnership for building its parking structure and participate with Lakewood s planning process with the potential for joint development on the site, which will be approximately 4 acres. Oak Lakewood adopted a station area plan (see Exhibit 6-5) in November 2006, and expects to amend its zoning code and remap the station area by spring RTD is in discus- 6-3 February 2007

42 Transit-Oriented Development sions with adjacent landowners regarding the potential for joint development that would include the site approved in the West Corridor EIS for a surface parking lot on the northwest corner of Oak Street and the railroad right-of-way. Exhibit 6-5: Oak Area Plan RTD owns more than 18 acres to the west of the station bound roughly by Colfax Avenue, Quail Street, 13th Avenue and Agricultural Ditch and is having discussions with adjacent landowners regarding the potential redevelopment of this property. Federal Center St. Anthony Central Hospital is planning to relocate from Denver to a site just south of the station, offering a major joint development opportunity in relation to the parking facility. Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) approved relocating the St. Anthony s campus a $440 million project on a 45-acre site comprising of 900,000 square feet of hospital space with 386 beds and an expected 1,500 jobs. CHI hired the Romani Group Inc. to oversee the project, which is expected to open in RTD is coordinating with CHI and Romani on a joint development, which would include structured parking and hospital-supportive uses like retail and medical offices. Exhibit 6-6: Union Boulevard Corridor Plan The GSA, meanwhile, is developing a new master plan for the remaining nearly 600 acres of Federal Center campus to iden- 6-4 February 2007

43 Transit-Oriented Development tify new development opportunities, better connect the campus to the surrounding community, and provide new transit-supportive development and TOD near the station. The Federal Center currently has 6,000 jobs and 4 million square feet of office space contained in 90 buildings of varying quality about 1.7 million square feet is in need of renovation. An additional 2 million square feet of office space is currently leased off site by federal agencies that could be moved to the Federal Center campus if there were available and adequate facilities. It is expected that at least 2 million square feet of mixed-use development could be built, with the potential for much more. Lakewood adopted a station area plan focusing on the Union Boulevard Corridor on the western edge of the Federal Center (see Exhibit 6-6) in November 2006, and is expected to amend its zoning code and remap the station area by spring Jefferson County Government Center The Jefferson County Government Center is a 180-acre campus with about 2,500 government employees, including the county s administrative headquarters, justice center and human services offices. The County is starting a new master plan for the campus to accommodate expansion of its courtroom space. Under an agreement with the County, RTD is committed to build a separate parking structure with 500 spaces for transit, plus approximately 124 spaces to compensate those displaced from the Administration and Courts Building. Discussions on shared use are ongoing. A developer is assembling property and entitlements for a proposed residential project on Golden Ridge, located directly south of the station across US Highway 6 in the City of Golden. Planning for this project is in the preliminary stages and pedestrian access across US 6 to the station (possibly to be built by another party) is needed to ensure that the project is supportive of transit. 6-5 February 2007

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45 Transit-Oriented Development 7.0 NORTHWEST RAIL/US 36 BRT CORRIDOR After suffering through the collapse of its office market in the first half of this decade, the US 36 Corridor market today has rebounded with an eclectic mix of large-scale developments under construction or on the planning board, most of which are located near planned rail and bus stations. On the office side, vacancy rates are down, lease rates are up, and existing buildings are selling to investors. But the introduction of residential uses, which has been encouraged by the passage of Fas- Tracks, has also reinvigorated the corridor market, offering residences for office workers and creating demand for retail. Exhibit 7-1: Northwest Rail Map Scheduled for completion in 2014, the Northwest Rail Corridor will extend 38 miles from Denver Union to Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Boulder and Longmont (see Exhibit 7-1). The Northwest Rail Environmental Assessment (EA) is evaluating additional stations at 88th & Sheridan, Broomfield, and 63rd & Arapahoe, and new locations for the end-of-line and penultimate stations based on recommendations from the Longmont Extension Environmental Evaluation (EE). The US 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor includes 18 miles of BRT service from Denver Union north along I-25 and northwest along US 36 through Westminster, Broomfield, and Superior to the Table Mesa park-n-ride in Boulder, where it becomes local bus service terminating at either the downtown Boulder Transit Center at 14th and Walnut Streets or the Boulder Transit Village at 30th and Pearl Streets (see Exhibit 7-2). The BRT will be built in two phases. Phase I, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008, will use slip ramps at park-n-ride locations for buses to leave the general purpose lanes to access the loading platforms, instead of leaving the highway as is now the case at Church Ranch and Broomfield. Parking is planned to be located on both sides of the highway. Phase II improvements are linked to the reconstruction of the highway by CDOT and will include median loading 7-1 February 2007

46 Transit-Oriented Development platforms at each of the park-n- Rides. Exhibit 7-2: US 36 BRT Map Nine projects have either been built or are under construction since the passage of FasTracks in November 2004 encompassing 914 residential units, 1.5 million square feet of retail, and more than 150,000 square feet of office. In addition to the above totals, Superior Marketplace which was completed in 2004 has an additional 670,000 square feet of retail located just adjacent to the McCaslin park-n-ride in Superior. Another 1,173 residential units, 160 hotel rooms, 160,000 square feet of retail, and 150,000 square feet of office have been proposed by three new projects and second phases of ones that are currently under construction. (See Exhibit 7-3 for a summary of development in the corridor.) Later phases of projects whose totals are counted above could add another 2,500 residential units, 970,000 square feet of retail, and 200,000 square feet of office, although these have not been formally proposed and therefore are more speculative. RTD is partnering with the US 36 Transit Mobility Organization (TMO) to conduct a corridor TOD workshop with local jurisdictions and other major stakeholders, such as landowners and developers, in December 2006 and January The purpose of the workshop is to coordinate land use planning along the corridor and provide input to the designs of the two transit projects. It will produce a series of recommendations with specific action items, responsible parties, and timeframes for implementing TOD in the corridor. 7-2 February 2007

47 Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 7-3: Summary of NW Rail/US 36 BRT Corridor Development Status Use Under Completed Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units ,173 2,087 Hotel Rooms Retail SF 1,222, , ,270 2,284,670 Office SF 0 159, , ,000 South Westminster Commuter Rail (71st & Lowell) Redevelopment and new development activity is occurring around the South Westminster commuter rail station. Two small shopping centers (LaConte and Northgate) on the 7100 block of Federal Boulevard just north of the proposed station recently rebuilt nearly 80,000 square feet of retail and are planning to add small amounts of office and residential uses. Harris Park Town Center, a 10-acre project located to the west of the station on 72nd Avenue being developed by Community Builders, will include 100 condos and 28,000 square feet of retail. The City of Westminster intends to conduct a station area plan in 2007, to which RTD is contributing $30,000. Additional expected projects include 150 single-family homes at England Park Village, southwest of the station on 69th Avenue; and a 90-acre site on the west side of the 7100 block of Federal, where the City is planning a mixed-use development that could include as many as 1,200 residential units and 450,000 square feet of commercial space. 88th & Sheridan Commuter Rail / Westminster Center BRT The Northwest Rail Environmental Assessment (EA) is evaluating an additional station at 88th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, less than one mile west of the planned Westminster Center BRT along US 36. Located between the two potential station sites is Westminster Mall, a 30-year-old shopping center suffering from high vacancy rates. The mall represents a major redevelopment opportunity for Westminster. Plans for a redevelopment led by Miller Weingarten are expected to be submitted to the City in Church Ranch Commuter Rail and BRT s The Shops at Walnut Creek, a 540,000-square-foot retail center (see Exhibit 7-4), opened in 2006 adjacent to the possible location of the Church Ranch commuter rail station. BRT Phase I improvements, new slip ramps and a new park-n-ride (located closer to the rail station and Walnut Creek), are currently under construction, and a new street tunnel now provides access from both sides of the highway. 7-3 February 2007

48 Exhibit 7-4: The Shops at Walnut Creek Transit-Oriented Development The Shops at Walnut Creek will be adjacent to the Church Ranch commuter rail station On the other side of US 36, the 7-story Myananda, a $50 million infill development in Westminster Promenade, will include 68 luxury condos, salons and shops, and the Rocky Mountain Chopra Center & Spa by late On 15 acres just north of Westminster Promenade, Urban Pacific Builders has proposed a $200 million mixed-use project called Axis. Construction is expected to begin in 2007 on the first phase, which will include 180 condos and 24,000 square feet of retail. Another 570 condos are planned for Phase II, which is expected to be built by Broomfield Commuter Rail and BRT s By the end of 2008, the Broomfield park-n-ride will be relocated to the Arista Grand Parkade, a facility shared by RTD with the Broomfield Events Center. With its evening and weekend programming including minor-league hockey and basketball and concerts the 6,000-seat Event Center is an ideal partner to share parking with commuters. The $45 million Events Center is part of Wiens Real Estate Ventures s planned 215-acre Arista project, which is expected to total 1,200 residential units and 800,000 square feet of retail at total buildout in 2011 (see Exhibit 7-5). Exhibit 7-5: Arista Place Rendering Arista Place will feature a two-block, pedestiran-oriented main street with a mix of uses. 7-4 February 2007

49 Transit-Oriented Development Construction is expected to start soon on the initial phase of Arista, which includes the Arista Place mixed-use project directly adjacent to the Parkade and multi-family projects by Trammell Crow Residential and Hibernia Holdings. Arista Place, the two-block main street pedestrian plaza, will contain 70,000 square feet of retail, 150,000 square feet of office, a 160-room hotel, and 13 live/work lofts. Radiating outward from Arista Place, Hibernia will build a 116-unit condo project, and TCR will build 200 condos, 246 apartments, and 7,200 square feet of retail. These Phase I projects should be complete in Flatirons & 96th Commuter Rail and BRT s Trammell Crow Residential is currently building a condo and townhouse development on 13 acres northwest of the interchange between Interlocken Parkway and US 36. Vantage Pointe Lofts will have 251 condos and Vantage Pointe Townes will have 99 townhouses (see Exhibit 7-6). Westcor, the owner of FlatIron Crossing shopping center located just across the highway from the planned BRT station, hopes to redevelop the former Lord & Taylor store site into a hotel. Hotel operators are also considering anchor space in the mall s outdoor village for a new project. Exhibit 7-6: Vantage Pointe Construction is underway at Vantage Pointe, Trammell Crow Residential s project near the FlatIrons & 96th commuter rail station. The 430-acre former StorageTek headquarters site is located about a half-mile from the station in the City of Louisville. Sun Microsystems put the land on the market after moving the 1,000-employee operations earlier this year to its Broomfield campus on the southwest side of the highway following its acquisition of StorageTek. Superior BRT The new McCaslin park-n-ride was completed in 2006, part of the BRT Phase I improvements. The new pedestrian bridge (see Exhibit 7-7) connects Louisville and Superior across the highway and has 464 parking spaces, a 132% capacity increase from the old facility. The bridge provides pedestrian access from the Louisvillle side to the Superior Marketplace, 670,000 square feet of retail completed in February 2007

50 Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 7-7: McCaslin Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge The new McCaslin Boulevard pedestrian bridge connects Superior and Louisville across US 36, providing pedestrian access to the Superior Marketplace. Louisville Commuter Rail In 2003 the City of Louisville adopted the Highway 42 Corridor Plan, which covers the City s historic downtown and proposed station area. The plan calls for mixed-use development in a 25-acre area east of the Exhibit 7-8: Boulder Transit Village Draft Plan planned station location. In December 2006 the City approved a proposed 230-acre urban renewal district around the station, which could be used a catalyst and implementation tool for TOD. Boulder Transit Village Commuter Rail and Bus s (30th & Pearl) In 2004, RTD and the City of Boulder purchased 11 acres at 30th and Pearl Street to relocate the Foothills park-n-ride and develop a new regional bus facility, whose construction will be funded by a $7.8 million federal grant. RTD and the City will begin the site planning process in early 2007, with construction expected to begin in The potential for joint development with a third-party is an option at this site. The $130 million, open-air Twenty Ninth Street shopping center opened this fall, most of which is located within a half-mile from the proposed bus facility. This 62-acre 7-6 February 2007

51 Transit-Oriented Development project, on the site of the former Crossroads Mall, features 805,000 square feet of retail and 150,000 square feet of office, including the national headquarters of Wild Oats. In 2006, ground was broken on The Peloton, a $142 million, mixed-use project on 10 acres of former industrial land located north of Arapahoe Road between 38th and 33rd Streets, just less than a half-mile south of the planned bus facility. The Peloton, being developed by Bancroft Capital, will include 390 condos and 17,000 square feet of retail and office space. The first half of the project is expected to be complete by fall The Boulder City Council in 2006 selected a preferred scenario for the Boulder Transit Village Area plan, which covers 160 acres around the planned commuter rail station located about a quarter-mile north of the bus facility (see Exhibit 7-8). The plan calls for new land use that would support 1,000 to 2,500 new residences and 1,500 to 2,500 new jobs. Plan adoption is expected in early 2007, with zoning changes to follow. RTD contributed $19,500 to this planning effort. Gunbarrel Commuter Rail The Longmont Extension EE completed in September 2006 recommended locating an intermediate station in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder, near the intersection of SH 119 and 63rd Street. This would replace the SH 52 identified in the FasTracks plan. Longmont Commuter Rail The Longmont Extension EE also recommended locating the end-of-line station at 1st and Terry Streets, two blocks from the core of downtown Longmont. This station location is adjacent to the historic Golden West Flour Mill, a 3-acre site that has not been in use since 1979 and offers an opportunity for adaptive reuse and/or redevelopment. 7-7 February 2007

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53 8.0 EAST CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development The East Corridor, scheduled for completion in 2014, will extend 24 miles from Denver Union through east Denver neighborhoods including Stapleton into Aurora (a transfer point to the I-225 Corridor), then along Pena Boulevard to Denver International Airport (DIA). (See Exhibit 8-1 for a corridor map.) The East Corridor Envrionmental Impact Statement (EIS) is evaluating additional stations at Colorado Boulevard, 64th & Pena, and 72nd & Himalaya. The latter two are the sites of proposed large-scale development projects: Denver International Business Center and High Point. (See Exhibit 8-2 for a summary of other development along the corridor.) Exhibit 8-1: East Corridor Map RTD will conduct a corridor TOD workshop with Denver, Aurora and other major stakeholders, such as the DIA Partnership, landowners and developers, in the second quarter of The purpose of the workshop is to coordinate land use planning along the corridor and provide input to the design of the transit project. It will produce a series of recommendations with specific action items, responsible parties and timeframes for implementing TOD in the corridor. Exibit 8-2: Summary of East Corridor Development Use Status Proposed Residential Units 24 Hotel Rooms 505 Institution SF 68,000 40th Avenue & 40th Street This station is expected to be a transfer point between the East, Central and possibly North Metro Corridors. The current land uses around the station are mostly industrial, but the City 8-1 February 2007

54 Transit-Oriented Development and County of Denver s River North Plan (adopted in 2003) envisions a major transformation of this area into a thriving urban neighborhood. The private sector has started this change with a number of small adaptive-reuse and infill projects slowly marching northeast from LoDo through the Curtis Park neighborhood that are bringing new life to this area. For example, the 60-unit Rock Drill Lofts were completed at the corner of 39th Avenue and Williams Street in a converted manufacturing building (see Exhibit 8-3). Denver will begin a station area planning process this winter and has started a related TOD market study. Exhibit 8-3: Rock Drill Lofts The Rock Drill Lofts residential conversion is an example of the adaptive reuse of a former industrial building near the 40th & 40th station. Colorado Boulevard This additional station is under evaluation by the East Corridor EIS. RTD staff will be working with Denver staff in 2007 to design the station park-n-ride facility to preserve opportunities for future TOD. The Denver Work Lofts has been proposed at Colorado Boulevard and 41st Avenue (see Exhibit 8-4). The west phase of Delwest s Park Hill Village is expected to add 152 residences and 21,700 square feet of retail south of the station on east side of Colorado Boulevard. Exhibit 8-4: Denver Work Lofts The proposed Denver Work Lofts is located near the Colorado Boulevard station. 8-2 February 2007

55 Transit-Oriented Development Stapleton RTD is planning to relocate its existing Stapleton park-n-ride to a 20-acre site to the northeast near the proposed commuter rail station. A federal grant of $2.5 million was awarded to RTD in 1997 to relocate the facility, and RTD has been holding discussions with Forest City Stapleton regarding the site. Denver plans to begin the station area planning process in 2007, with participation from Forest City and RTD. The new park-n-ride is expected to be completed by Exhibit 8-5: Stapleton Land Use Plan The Stapleton station area is located in the upper left corner of the site, designated by a pink transit-oriented, mixeduse land use color. Peoria & Smith This station will be a transfer point between the East Corridor and the I-225 Corridor, providing access to DIA from central Aurora. The City of Aurora will begin station area planning in th & Airport RTD contributed $30,000 to a station area planning effort by Aurora in 2006, which is expected to be completed and adopted in The Pauls Corporation is the major landowner in the station vicinity and has participated in this process. There is potential to integrate the station facilities, which includes an existing 1,079-space park-n-ride, through joint development with Pauls Corp. 64th & Pena Boulevard This additional station is under evaluation in the East Corridor EIS and could provide service to the Denver International Business Center being planned by L.C. Fulenwider Inc. (see Exhibit 8-6). The elements of the development nearest the possible station location include a February 2007

56 Transit-Oriented Development acre corporate campus and 50 acres of mixed-use commercial and residential development. Denver plans to collaborate with Fulenwider and RTD on a station area plan in There is potential to integrate the station facilities through joint development with Fulenwider, but additional funding will be needed to pay for the transit facilities and access roads, since this station was not in the FasTracks budget. Exhibit 8-6: Denver International Business Center L.C. Fulenwider s Denver International Business Center is expected to include a 100-acre hotel park and conference center, a 165-acre corporate campus, and 50 acres of mixed use with residential units. 72nd & Himalaya This additional station is under evaluation in the EIS and could provide service to the High Point Conference Center Resort being planned by LNR Property Corp. Elements of the project nearest the possible station location include a 68,000-square-foot conference center and 505-room hotel and the Uplands office/mixed-use development, but LNR is revising its master plan to take advantage of a station. There is potential to integrate the station facilities through joint development with LNR, but additional funding will be needed to pay for the transit facilities and access roads, since this station was not in the FasTracks budget. 8-4 February 2007

57 Transit-Oriented Development Denver International Airport Monthly passenger traffic at DIA topped 4 million in September 2006, a 16% increase from September 2005 and the 17th consecutive month of record use of the airport. Annual passenger traffic is nearing DIA s capacity of 50 million. The need for new capacity, ambitious new development plans around the terminal, and the integration of the end-of-line commuter rail station are being addressed in a new airport master plan, which is beginning in RTD staff is currently working with DIA to design the station as part of the East Corridor EIS process. Capacity expansion plans includes at least 8 new gates on Concourse C. Development plans include The Landings at DIA, a 17-acre project north of Pena Boulevard and southeast of the rental car lots that is expected to include a boutique hotel, 60,000 square feet of in-line retail and 5 to 8 retail pad sites; and a new hotel adjoining the terminal. Construction on The Landings is expected to begin in 2007; DIA expects to issue an RFP for the hotel developer by The ridership impacts of airport-area development differ from typical TOD, but the plans to increase airport capacity will result in more travelers using the rail system to access the metro area, and the new development will create ridership from additional airport employees and new workers at the airport-area developments. 8-5 February 2007

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59 9.0 GOLD LINE CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development The Gold Line Corridor is planned to extend 11 miles from Denver Union through north Denver before turning west into unincorporated Adams County, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge. Expected to be completed in 2015, the Gold Line will link historic Olde Town Arvada and the 68-acre former Ridge Home redevelopment site to downtown Denver. (See Exhibit 91- for map.) Alternative alignments are still being considered in the Gold Line Environmental Impact statement (EIS). Exhibit 9-1: Gold Line Corridor Map RTD will conduct a corridor TOD workshop with Denver, Adams County, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and other major stakeholders, such landowners and developers, in the fourth quarter of The purpose of the workshop is to coordinate land use planning along the corridor and provide input to the design of the transit project. It will produce a series of recommendations with specific action items, responsible parties and timeframes for implementing TOD in the corridor. The Gold Line has the distinction of being the only FasTracks corridor for which the local jurisdictions will conduct station area planning at every single station prior to completion of its EIS. (See exhibit 9-2 for a summary of development along the corridor.) Exhibit 9-2: Summary of Gold Line Corridor Development Status Use Under Completed Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units ,035 Retail SF 221,000 44, ,924 Office SF 0 19, ,372 38th & Inca There are several projects underway in the vicinity of this station. In 2006 the Auraria Higher Education Center completed the renovation of the former Regency Hotel. This 410-unit 9-1 February 2007

60 Transit-Oriented Development student housing apartment project has 700 beds. To the south of the station, the Railyard Marketplace is under construction at the corner of Park Avenue West and Globeville Road, which will include 26,000 square feet of retail. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has also proposed Renaissance Riverfront Lofts, a $12 million, 100-unit affordable housing development on 1.3 acres adjacent to the Railyard Marketplace. The City and County of Denver will begin station area planning this fall. A related TOD market study is also in progress. Pecos and Federal s Adams County will begin station area planning for both of these stations in Carma Colorado s proposed 180-acre Midtown at Clear Creek project is located just further than a half-mile to the east of the Federal, but with about 1,200 single-family homes should provide convenient access to the station. Sheridan, Olde Town Arvada, and Arvada Ridge s The City of Arvada is in the planning process for these three station areas. While the land uses around Sheridan (see Exhibit 9-3) are not expected to change dramatically in the near future, the existing pedestrian-scale of Olde Town offers an opportunity for transit-supportive growth that respects the neighborhood s historical context. In 2002 Arvada adopted a plan for Olde Town that anticipated a future transit facility. Exhibit 9-3: Draft Sheridan Area Plan The draft plan for Olde Town envisions infill development in the interior blocks and the eventual redevelopment of current auto-oriented uses south of Grandview Avenue (see Exhibit 9-4). There is potential for the joint development of a shared parking facility for the station and the retail and entertainment establishments in Olde Town. The nearly completed February 2007

61 Transit-Oriented Development unit Water Tower Village a mixture of townhouses and lofts located just southwest of the station was planned prior to the passage of FasTracks, but is an example of market demand near this station. Landon Enterprises s redevelopment of Grandview Plaza and Reno Place at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Olde Wadsworth Boulevard just down the street from the expected station location is currently under construction. This $8 million project will create about 20,000 square feet of retail and 20,000 square feet of office space. Exhibit 9-4: Draft Olde Town Area Plan Shea Properties has begun redevelopment of the 68-acre former Ridge Home site, which surrounds the planned Arvada Ridge (see Exhibit 9-5). At the southern edge of the site, a 221,000-square-foot retail center anchored by a Super Target was completed in Shea is also planning a 325-unit apartment complex to the west of the likely station site, and a 200-unit condo complex across Ridge Road from the station. There is also potential for joint development with Shea on the 5 acres directly surrounding the station. 9-3 February 2007

62 Transit-Oriented Development Exhibit 9-5: Draft Arvada Ridge Area Plan Ward Road In 2006 the City of Wheat Ridge adopted a subarea plan for the Ward Road station area (Exhibit 9-6). The plan envisions a mixed-use village with a slightly urban character near the transit station, gradually transitioning to a more suburban character as it extends outward to the north and east to blend with the existing suburban character of adjacent neighborhoods. Exhibit 9-6: Ward Road Area Plan 9-4 February 2007

63 10.0 NORTH METRO CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development The North Metro Corridor will extend 18 miles from Denver Union through north Denver into the Adams County cities of Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton (see Exhibit 10-1 for map). This corridor is expected to be completed in Exhibit 10-1: North Metro Map RTD will conduct a corridor TOD workshop with Denver, Adams County, Commerce City, Northglenn, Thornton and other major stakeholders, such landowners and developers, in the third quarter of The purpose of the workshop is to coordinate land use planning along the corridor and provide input to the design of the transit project. It will produce a series of recommendations with specific action items, responsible parties and timeframes for implementing TOD in the corridor. (See exhibit 10-2 for a summary of development along the corridor.) Exhibit 10-2: Summary of North Metro Corridor Development Use Status Completed Proposed Grand Total Residential Units Retail SF 57, ,000 Globeville/Swansea/Elyria or 40th & 40th The North Metro EIS is evaluating two different alignments for the first approximately 2 miles of the corridor. The proposed alignment identified in FasTracks along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe right-of-way (ROW) would serve the Denver Coliseum with a Globeville/Swan February 2007

64 Transit-Oriented Development sea. An alternative alignment along the Union Pacific Railroad ROW would serve the 40th Avenue & 40th Street, making it a transfer point between the North Metro, East and Central Corridors. The TOD projects and opportunities at 40th/40th are discussed in the East Corridor section. Commerce City The North Metro Corridor Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is evaluating station locations west of Colorado Boulevard between 64th and 74th Avenues. Commerce City is planning to begin a station area plan in There is significant new development and redevelopment occurring around Commerce City further from the station area, such as the new Colorado Rapids soccer stadium at Prairie Gateway near 60th Avenue and Quebec Street opening in th Avenue New Town Builders has proposed Welby, a $100 million new urbanist development to be located on 52 acres north of 88th Avenue and east of Welby Road in the City of Thornton. The 753 housing units would be a mix of stacked condos, townhomes, and single family homes, and include community retail. This project is still in the planning stage. 100th Avenue In 2006 Trammell Crow Residential completed The Reserve at Thornton at the northeast corner of Colorado Boulevard and Thornton Parkway, about a half mile south of the proposed station (see Exhibit 10-3). This project has 276 rental units. Exhibit 10-3: The Reserve at Thornton Trammell Crow Residential built The Reserve at Thornton about a half-mile south of the expected 100th Avenue station. 112th Avenue In 2006 the City of Northglenn rescinded a study that had declared the area of York Street between 104th and 112th Avenues to be blighted for its inclusion in the Northglenn Urban Renewal Area. An urban renewal designation would have made additional financing available tools to pay for infrastructure improvements needed to implement TOD near the station, but the city reversed course in the face of community opposition to the study. Subsequently, a City task force in August 2006 recommended that a station not be located at 112th Avenue. However, station locations will be decided through the EIS process February 2007

65 Transit-Oriented Development 124th Avenue In 2003 the City of Thornton adopted the Eastlake subarea plan, which anticipated a future transit station at this location. The plan envisions the historic character of the Eastlake community providing a context for future TOD that would revitalize the area. The City adopted an urban design framework plan and architectural design guidelines associated with the plan to implement this vision. The City also controls some large parcels in the station vicinity that could be made available for development. Thornton expects to begin a station area plan in th Avenue Thornton is expected to conduct station area planning in the future. 162nd Avenue Thornton Gateway Property is planning a 135-acre mixed-use development around the proposed end-of-line station. The project is in the early planning stages, but could support as much as 3,580 housing units and 275,000 square feet of commercial space. There is potential for joint development at this site to incorporate station facilities. US 85 & Bridge Street park-n-ride (Brighton) Although not on the commuter rail line, this park-n-ride provides regional bus service from Brighton to downtown Denver. Brighton Pavillions was built in 2005 with shared parking between bus commuters and the 57,000-square-foot retail project. This $17 million, 4-acre project was developed by Carlson Parkhill. Some 200 of the 860 spaces are used by RTD February 2007

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67 11.0 I-225 CORRIDOR Transit-Oriented Development The I-225 Corridor will extend light rail 10.5 miles from the existing Nine Mile north along I-225 through a new planned Aurora city center into the Fitzsimons redevelopment site (which will include the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora, Children s Hospital, Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center, and a mixed-use development project), ending at the Peoria & Smith, a transfer point to the East Corridor with access to DIA and downtown Denver. (See Exhibit 11-1 for map.) Exhibit 11-1: I-225 Corridor Map RTD will conduct a corridor TOD workshop with Aurora and other major stakeholders, such as landowners and developers, in The purpose of the workshop is to coordinate land use planning along the corridor and provide input to the designs of the transit project. It will produce a series of recommendations with specific action items, responsible parties, and timeframes for implementing TOD in the corridor. (See exhibit 11-2 for a summary of development in the corridor.) Exhibit 11-2: Summary of I-225 Corridor Development Status Data Under Construction Proposed Grand Total Residential Units 550 1,273 1,823 Hotel Rooms Retail SF 16, , ,000 Office SF 0 235, ,000 Institution SF 3,240,000 5,221,000 8,461,000 Iliff The City of Aurora will be conducting station area planning in Aurora City Center The City of Aurora is planning Avenues, a 65-acre, mixed-use development located between the Aurora Mall and the City s municipal complex, at the southeast corner of Sable Boulevard 11-1 February 2007

68 Transit-Oriented Development and Alameda Parkway (see Exhibit 11-3). Avenues could encompass nearly 1,000 residential units, 435,000 square feet of retail, 235,000 square feet of office, and a 260-room hotel. RTD is working with the Avenues project to transfer land to site a bus transfer facility that would be integrated into the future rail station. A temporary bus facility has been built to accommodate transfer activity associated with the opening of the Southeast Corridor in November Exhibit 11-3: Avenues Site Plan Avenues is planned to be a 65-acre mixed-use project near the Aurora City Center. 4th Avenue David J. Erb & Company has proposed a 15-acre, mixed-use development called Abilene at the southeast corner of Abilene Street and 4th Avenue. Though still in the planning stage, this project is estimated to include about 600 residential units in four-story lofts and 10,000 square feet of convenience retail. AMLI Development has also proposed a 288-unit apartment complex on 12 acres at the southwest corner of Sable Boulevard and 4th Avenue. AMLI is still in the preliminary planning stages. Aurora will be conducting station area planning in 2007 in conjunction with Fitzsimons South and Peoria & Smith s. Fitzsimons South and Fitzsimons Commons s Two stations will serve the former the 578-acre Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, which was closed in The Fitzsimons South will serve the $621 million VA Hospital, a 1.5-million-square-foot facility planned for 38 acres south of the station; and The Children s Hospital, a 1.4-million-square-foot facility currently under construction on 48 acres to the west of the station. The $540 million, 270-bed Children s Hospital is expected to be completed in fall Aurora will be conducting station area planning for Fitzsimons South in 2007 in conjunction with 4th Avenue and Peoria & Smith s February 2007

69 Exhibit 11-4: Children s Hospital Transit-Oriented Development The $540 million, 270-bed Children s Hospital is expected to be completed in fall The Pauls Corp. has begun construction on Fitzsimmons Commons, a $57 million, 15-acre, mixed-use project around Fitzsimmons Commons. It is planned to have 550 apartments and 16,000 square feet of ground-level retail. The 160-acre Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora is located to the north of the station. This $2 billion bioscience park, being developed by Forest City, will have 3.5 million square feet of development and an estimated 6,000 jobs when completely built out in Construction has begun on the $1.3 billion first phase of University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, which includes the Anschutz Centers for Advanced Medicine and the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute, located to the south of the station. Seven new educational facilities are expected to be completed by 2009, and the campus is expected to be fully operational by Exhibit 11-5: Fitzsimons Site Plan A 3-D model depicts how the final buildout of Fitzsimons might appear. Peoria & Smith Aurora will be conducting station area planning in 2007 in conjunction with 4th Avenue and Fitzsimons South s February 2007

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71 Appendix A: TOD Project Database February 2007