Winter 2015 News Inside Hospital Redevelopment Carefully Moving Forward World-Class Films 2 by Lisa L
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Congress Park Winter 2015 www.CongressParkNeighbors.org News Inside Hospital Redevelopment Carefully Moving Forward World-Class Films 2 By Lisa L. Bingham New Walking Tour & 3 Short-Term Rentals Continuum Partners, the developer for the the plan that have come about after commu- 9th & Colorado project, held a community nity feedback: “Backpack Friends” 4 meeting at the end of September to provide an update on the 26-acre project, the former • The pedestrian plaza between 8th Avenue Teller Elementary 5 UCHSC campus. and “New Ave.” has been decreased from Waldorf Bids Farewell 6 120 feet to 60 feet in order to make it a At this meeting, Denver Urban Renewal more active space. (As a comparison, the Holiday Decorating & 7 Authority provided an update on the redevel- 16th Street Mall is 80 feet wide.) Denver Rec Centers opment’s public finance package, anticipating • They have added 17,000 square feet of approvals for the Urban Renewal Plan Amend- open space, including some green space at Stop Junk at Its Source 8 ment, Cooperation Agreement, and Redevel- 8th & Colorado. Compost Program & 9 opment Agreement in early to mid-December • The composition of the project continues Galaxie Body Upgrade this year following a public hearing on the to be tweaked; current estimates call for issue. Continuum still anticipates closing on close to 1000 units of residential, 235,000 Breathe Easy 10 the land by the end of December, and plans to square feet of commercial space, and Crime Map 11 start remediation and demolition in January. 112,000 square feet of office space. • Continuum has done a traffic study Botanic Gardens & 12 On its website, Continuum’s mission asserts and maintains that there will be 10,000 CPN Pooches an interest in creating mixed-use, large scale fewer daily trips to the area than when projects of “sustainable human habitats with the University Hospital was an active SideWalk Talk 13 extraordinary character and enduring value.” campus. Improvements will include turn Share the Love 14 Demonstrating their commitment to adaptive lanes along Colorado Boulevard and 8th of Skiing re-use, the design seems to be preserving the Avenue, as well as improving intersec- nurses’ dormitory, the parking garage and the tions along 8th. Biz Directory 15 five-story bridge across 9th, which may be converted to a unique hotel. Mr. Cannon also announced that Continuum is seeking community input on what the project Congress Park’s Vision Neighborhood participants in should be called. They are considering historic (1995 Neighborhood Plan) the discussions have consistent- uses of the site, the role of the site in the neigh- ly voiced their concerns with borhood, community character, and other factors. Congress Park is a traditional city neighborhood with a small-town parking, traffic, and the choices Names can be submitted at upcoming meetings atmosphere. Here, people of diverse cultures, and mix of retail tenants. (dates will be posted by ages, colors and economic backgrounds share Congress Park Neighbors) a sense of community, value older homes and In line with its use of the or sent to frank.cannon@ mature trees, and enjoy the convenience of city term “urban village,” Cannon continuumllc.com. living amid the stability of a outlined the modifications to thriving neighborhood. 2 Congress Park News :: Winter 2015 World-Class Films in Congress Park Congress Park News is By Ann Charles a quarterly publication of Congress Park Neighbors, e are so lucky to have a world-class film In the spring, mark your calendars for the Inc. A network of volunteers center in the neighborhood. Every year, VOICES Women+Film festival. Along with a produces and distributes W the Sie FilmCenter on Colfax offers the most carefully curated selection of films spotlighting it to a circulation of more than 4,500 residents and tantalizing selections of movies during its Starz women’s issues, it will again include a special businesses within the area Denver Film Festival, and this year will be no showing sponsored by the Zonta Club of Denver bounded by Colfax Avenue, exception. The 37th SDFF, November 12-23, (www.zonta-denver.org) to mark International Sixth Avenue, York Street will invite audiences to “Step Into The Story” Women’s Day (Sunday, March 8) and raise funds and Colorado Boulevard. through over 200 titles among local, national and for local organizations that improve skills and www.CongressPark international independent films, industry panels, opportunities for at-risk women and girls. Neighbors.org workshops, achievement awards and tributes. Check the website (www.denverfilm.org) for the The SDFF main box office location is at the Sie Film Congress Park News festival program. Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80206. P.O. Box 18571 Denver, CO 80218 Editorial Board: Wendy Moraskie Natalie Nickolas Advertising Coordinator, Layout & Design Editor: Michelle Warwick michelle.murphy@ congressparkneighbors.org Your Congress Park Neighbors 2014 Volunteer Board of Directors 720-231-0475 Distribution: Tom Conis—President And we thank these committed neighbors: Volunteers Needed [email protected] Carolyn VanSciver—Congress Park Historic Your articles, letters Myles Tangalin—Treasurer Preservation and Education Committee [email protected] 303-377-4913 and advertisements are [email protected] always welcome. Maggie Price—Website 1465 Fillmore; 303-333-5478 Lisa Bingham—Hospital District Redevelopment Neighborhood meetings are [email protected] held every other month Crime Action (August, October, Decem- Wendy Moraskie—Newsletter [email protected] ber, February, April and 1475 Milwaukee St.; 303-355-3735 June), on the third Wednes- [email protected] Denver Botanic Gardens Liaisons day, at 7 p.m. in National Bill DeMaio; [email protected] Jewish Hospital’s Heitler Victoria Eppler Myles Tangalin Victoria Eppler Hall. Watch the newsletter and the email blasts for Do you have a suggestion for your Board? featured speakers. Don’t get Your elected, all-volunteer Congress Park Board the email blasts? invites you to attend the open meetings at National Send hints and help to Sign up at www.congress Jewish Hospital on the third Wednesday every [email protected] parkneighbors.org. other month (Feb., Apr., June, Aug., Oct., Dec.) at 7 p.m. in Heitler Hall. Two slots are open for CPN members to represent This newsletter is printed on the neighborhood on the Botanic Gardens Neigh- 100% recycled paper with borhood Advisory Committee. Submit a letter of soy-based ink by Lots of other neighbors help with communica- interest to [email protected]. tions, membership, and more, and generally Signature Offset make Congress Park a great place to live—you The CPNews has a need for a volunteer who know who you are and how much we depend on can visit with CPN professionals and busi- you—Thanks! nesses about advertising in the neighborhood newsletter. Call Wendy at 303-355-3735 for more information. Winter 2015 :: Congress Park News 3 New Walking Tour Option for Tourists and Natives New Short-Term Rentals Increasing istoric Denver launched Historic Denver HTours, a new historic walking tour program, ombine rental units with on-line booking ser- this summer. According to a recent attendee, “The Cvices and recreational pot, and you get a need Lodo Walking Tour provides Denver history and for a discussion about short-term rentals. City architecture in a lively tour that brings to life the Council recently heard from Portland, Oregon, buildings I have passed by many times in LoDo. which has adopted a short-term rental ordinance. I highly recommend it, and now want to go on On Dec. 6 at the Park Hill Library on Montview many more walking tours!” from 9:30-11:30 a.m., Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman will be present to discuss her ideas of a The tour program debuted with the LoDo Walk- “sharing economy.” All are welcome to attend. ing Tour, which tells the story of Denver’s found- The meeting contact is Margie Valdez. She is ing, the arrival and impact of the railroad, the very interested in speaking with persons who live way buildings grew up around Union Station, near short term rentals and learning about the im- and the transformation of the neighborhood – pact to the neighborhood. Her contact information now a national model for how to balance preser- [email protected] and phone 720-887-0757. vation and development. Historic Denver Tours, modeled after the award-winning Chicago Architectural Founda- tion tours, provide just the right mix of history, architecture and fascinating stories to bring Denver’s history and personality alive. Histor- ic Denver intends to roll-out a robust roster of tours of diverse neighborhoods across the city over the next several years. Locals and tourists are invited to take part in a LoDo Walking Tour to get a sense of what it felt like to arrive in and live in Denver at the turn of the 20th century, learn the reasons the neighborhood became a hot-spot, and under- stand the architecture that still makes Lower Downtown unique. All tours are be led by pas- sionate and carefully trained docents who are experts in all things Denver! The LoDo Walking Tour starts and ends at the historic Denver Union Station, lasts approxi- mately 75 minutes and covers about one mile of walking. For more information visit www. historicdenver.org, or call 800-979-3370. 4 Congress Park News :: Winter 2015 “Backpack Friends” Meeting Immediate, Local Need CPN Events On Web By Shelley Wood hen Sandy Parker and her husband learned Last time, Congress Park News featured an article Once again, CPN’s that some students at Teller Elementary about the program and two volunteers stepped for- wondrous webmaster W Maggie has outdone (our neighborhood school) were going hungry, she ward as a result! This time, the organizers of the herself.