A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report
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University of Denver Denver, Colorado June 12–17, 2016 Advisory ServicesReport Panel A ULI University of Denver Denver, Colorado Empowering DU: Recommendations to Capitalize on Existing Assets to Create a Thriving Institution June 12–17, 2016 Advisory Services Panel Report A ULI A ULI About the Urban Land Institute THE MISSION OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE is ■■ Sustaining a diverse global network of local practice to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in and advisory efforts that address current and future creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. challenges. ULI is committed to Established in 1936, the Institute today has more than ■■ Bringing together leaders from across the fields of real 39,000 members worldwide, representing the entire spec- estate and land use policy to exchange best practices trum of the land use and development disciplines. Profes- and serve community needs; sionals represented include developers, builders, property owners, investors, architects, public officials, planners, ■■ Fostering collaboration within and beyond ULI’s real estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, membership through mentoring, dialogue, and problem financiers, academics, students, and librarians. solving; ULI relies heavily on the experience of its members. It is ■■ Exploring issues of urbanization, conservation, regen- through member involvement and information resources eration, land use, capital formation, and sustainable that ULI has been able to set standards of excellence in development; development practice. The Institute has long been rec- ■■ Advancing land use policies and design practices that ognized as one of the world’s most respected and widely respect the uniqueness of both the built and natural quoted sources of objective information on urban planning, environments; growth, and development. ■■ Sharing knowledge through education, applied research, publishing, and electronic media; and Cover photo: Wayne Armstrong. © 2016 by the Urban Land Institute 2001 L Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036-4948 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission of the copy- right holder is prohibited. 2 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services THE GOAL OF THE ULI ADVISORY SERVICES program to provide recommendations in a compressed is to bring the finest expertise in the real estate field to amount of time. bear on complex land use planning and development proj- A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ability ects, programs, and policies. Since 1947, this program to draw on the knowledge and expertise of its members, has assembled well over 600 ULI-member teams to help including land developers and owners, public officials, sponsors find creative, practical solutions for issues such academics, representatives of financial institutions, and as downtown redevelopment, land management strate- others. In fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land gies, evaluation of development potential, growth manage- Institute, this Advisory Services panel report is intended to ment, community revitalization, brownfield redevelopment, provide objective advice that will promote the responsible military base reuse, provision of low-cost and affordable use of land to enhance the environment. housing, and asset management strategies, among other matters. A wide variety of public, private, and nonprofit or- ULI Program Staff ganizations have contracted for ULI’s advisory services. Thomas W. Eitler Senior Vice President, Advisory Services Each panel team is composed of highly qualified profession- als who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen for their Beth Silverman Senior Director, Advisory Services knowledge of the panel topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a holis- Paul Angelone tic look at development problems. A respected ULI member Director, Advisory Services who has previous panel experience chairs each panel. Daniel Lobo Senior Director, Awards and Publications The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is intensive. Kathryn Craig It includes an in-depth briefing day composed of a tour of Senior Associate, Advisory Services the site and meetings with sponsor representatives; a day of hour-long interviews of typically 50 to 75 key commu- Kladé Hare Senior Associate, Advisory Services nity representatives; and two days of formulating recom- mendations. Long nights of discussion precede the panel’s Steven Gu conclusions. On the final day on site, the panel makes an Associate, Advisory Services oral presentation of its findings and conclusions to the James A. Mulligan sponsor. A written report is prepared and published. Senior Editor Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for signifi- Manuscript Editor cant preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending extensive briefing materials to each member and arranging Betsy Van Buskirk Creative Director for the panel to meet with key local community members and stakeholders in the project under consideration, Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising Design participants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are able Graphic Designer to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’s issues and Craig Chapman Senior Director, Publishing Operations University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, June 12–17, 2016 3 Acknowledgments ON BEHALF OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, the ees; Provost Gregg Kvistad; Vice Chancellor Craig Woody; panel would like to thank the University of Denver (DU) University Architect Mark Rodgers; and Allan Wilson, for its invitation to address questions on how DU should Assistant Director of Facilities Management and Planning. evolve in the future and ensure its ongoing success as a The panel would also like to thank ULI Colorado, which can prestigious institution of higher education. continue to be a local resource moving forward. With gratitude, the panel thanks Chancellor Rebecca Most especially, the panel would like to thank the approxi- Chopp and Vice Chancellor David Greenberg for their mately 70 leaders and representatives from the greater DU efforts to make DU an even better university for students, community who participated in this endeavor by sharing alumni, faculty and staff members, visitors, and commu- their perspectives during interviews with panel members. nity members alike, as well as Fatima Rezaie and Paulo Homem de Mello for the tremendous work they did in advance of and throughout the panel week. The panel also thanks the Chair, Doug Scrivner, and DU’s Board of Trust- 4 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report Contents ULI Panel and Project Staff ...............................................................................................................................6 Background and the Panel’s Assignment ..........................................................................................................7 Study Area and Surrounding Context ...............................................................................................................11 Placemaking: Improving DU’s Sense of Place .................................................................................................13 Mobility: Moving around the Campus and the Region .......................................................................................21 Development: Envisioning Housing, Retail, Office, and Hospitality Opportunities ................................................27 Community Engagement: Achieving “One DU” .................................................................................................35 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................40 About the Panel .............................................................................................................................................42 University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, June 12–17, 2016 5 ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair Riki Nishimura Director of Urban Strategies Glenda Hood Woods Bagot Founding Partner, triSect LLC San Francisco, California Former mayor, City of Orlando Orlando, Florida Danny Pleasant Director Panel Members Charlotte Department of Transportation Charlotte, North Carolina Richard Galehouse Principal Emeritus Tamara Zahn Sasaki Associates President Watertown, Massachusetts Zahn Associates Indianapolis, Indiana Shawn Gehle Principal BNIM ULI Project Staff Los Angeles, California Beth Silverman Senior Director, Advisory Services Jeremy Hudson Partner and CEO Kathryn Craig Specialized Real Estate Group Senior Associate, Advisory Services Fayetteville, Arkansas Jeff Kingsbury Managing Principal Greenstreet Ltd. Indianapolis, Indiana 6 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report Background and the Panel’s Assignment THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER (referred to as “DU” throughout this report) is the oldest and largest private in- stitution of higher education in Colorado and the greater Rocky Mountain region. DU’s 125-acre campus overlooks the scenic Rocky Mountains and is located six miles from bustling downtown Denver, adjacent to the University Park neighborhood. DU’s campus is admired for its architec- tural and natural features, including an arboretum that is home to more than 2,000 trees and a pristinely kept cam- A view of the University pus green and gardens—all set within the fastest-growing ARMSTRONG WAYNE of Denver campus.