By Jim Theye, LoDo District, Inc. and Kentwood City Properties

… as published recently in the Downtown Denver News …

When the Mayor’s Office recently announced that the Bell Park site had been
“traded” to developer Buzz Geller to make room for the new justice center, the
reaction among downtown stakeholders was fairly predictable: what could the
Mayor have been thinking to give away such a prime site with historic
significance, a jewel of Denver City land between LoDo and Auraria, and the key
gateway parcel connecting historic Lower Downtown to our incredible mountain
skyline?

Well, thanks to the remarkable efforts of four dedicated individuals and a
host of stakeholders, the concept may soon guide smart development of a key
7-block parcel along Cherry Creek, including the site known as Bell Park. 
Bell Park sits at the western terminus of 14th Street, and where Larimer Square
pedestrians emerge from historic storefronts to contemplate views across Speer
Boulevard and the mountain skyline.  It is a piece of Denver’s history, the
site of one of the City’s first jails and newspaper, and a prominent gateway to
LoDo and all of downtown.  Any improvements there must create a visual
landmark for the city.

Currently, the land is under the protection of Historic District designation,
and the “swap” threatened to open it up to unrestricted development, disrupting
the pedestrian scale of the site.  At stake was a carve-out of the Lower Downtown Historic District,
which the Lower Downtown Design and Demolition Review Board (LDDDRB) was
created to preserve, and upon which the LoDo District, Inc. has based their
stated mission.  Residents from the Larimer Place and other buildings were
talking about giving up their views, and the “City Beautiful” Speer Blvd
corridor was about to be significantly impacted.

When the deal was first announced, the LoDo District, Historic Denver, and
concerned neighborhood groups rallied to become involved and establish a place
among the stakeholders.  The results appear to be positive for all
concerned; what was initially seen as an objectionable “land swap” has evolved
to what many view as a real opportunity for urban design, effective land use,
and community growth.  With cooperation from the architects and the
development team, the scope of the exchange has been expanded to modify the
zoning and create a special review district for the gateway strip of land
fronting Cherry Creek from Wewatta Street to Larimer.  Bell Park sits on
the eastern edge of the site, and includes two parcels on either side of the
creek.

Thanks go to Councilwoman
Montero for calling the initial meeting and instilling the need for
integrity and transparency throughout the process.  And from this readily
contentious assemblage, the group of Ron Straka, John Anderson, and David Owen Tryba emerged to forge a
design concept with a genuine chance of gaining widespread acceptance among the
many participants.  The agreement may not ultimately please everyone, but
as proposed by facilitator Steve Carbonneau during the recent Stakeholder
meeting, it is unlikely that the group could expect to achieve 100% consensus
among all those affected.  In the end, something in the area of 85%
consensus may be all that can be expected.

Under the proposed consensus agreement, development within the entire 7-block
parcel would be restricted under a new special review district, and guided by a
set of Design Principles currently under negotiation.  This is a truly
significant achievement, since each party is surrendering control of the
development process and agreeing to LDDRB review.  

The list of Stakeholders for the Bell Park site is significant, and includes
representatives from the development group (Buzz Geller and his team from
Paradise Land Company), Auraria
Higher Education Center, Councilwomen Montero and Wedgeworth, the LoDo District, Inc, the Downtown Denver
Partnership, Historic Denver, Larimer Square, LDDDRB, the City Planning Department and
Attorney’s office, various residential groups, and the Greenway Foundation,
stewards of our waterway park system.  Add to this the Architect team from
David Owen Tryba’s firm, and the group needed an oversized conference room just
to find room at the table.

John Anderson, attending on behalf of Historic Denver, and Ron Straka of the
LoDo District helped develop the series of Design Principles, providing a
framework for discussion.  These were used to help move the concept from a
simple planned urban development (PUD) as originally proposed to create a 4th
Special Review District within the historic zone.  During the stakeholder
meeting Ron Straka repeatedly called for “excellence in design, using principles
that exceed traditional design standards.  The site needs to add to the
experience as an entry to the Historic District,” he maintained.

Denver has an incredible sense of community, and LoDo seems to be the
epicenter of discussions on contemporary design.  The LoDo District is
hosting an architectural speaker series, in which incoming speakers share their
experiences working in other cities and historic districts.  Watch our
website at http://www.lodo.org/ for
information and speaker schedules.

The LoDo District remains active in your community, and we encourage you to
join our efforts.  As the Bell Park issue demonstrates, an opportunity for
good design and community growth has emerged from an abrupt
beginning.    John Anderson comments that “the stakeholders had
mutual respect for one another and love for the City.  The group sat down
together, listened to one another’s concerns, and maintained a willingness to
participate in a great solution.”  This seems to be how great cities are
made!

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