●EASTEAST COLFAXCOLFAX PLANPLAN ● EAST COLFAX CORRIDOR PLAN ● EAST COLFAX CORRIDOR PLAN ● MAY 2004 EAST COLFAX 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ◗ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS City Council City and County of Denver Other Agencies Elbra Wedgeworth, Council President, District 8 John H. Hickenlooper, Mayor Cesar Ochoa, Regional Transportation Rick Garcia, District 1 Peter Park, Director Community Planning & District Jeanne Faatz, District 2 Development Bill Hoople, Regional Transportation District Rosemary E. Rodriguez, District 3 Tyler Gibbs, Deputy Director for Planning Services Kathleen Brooker, Historic Denver Peggy Lehmann, District 4 Katherine K. Cornwell, Senior City Planner Marcia Johnson, District 5 and Project Manager Charlie Brown, District 6 Consultants Jason Longsdorf, Public Works City Planner Kathleen MacKenzie, District 7 Leland Consulting Group, Economic Specialist Analysis Judy Montero, District 9 Theresa Lucero, Senior City Planner Jeanne Robb, District 10 Matt Seubert, Senior City Planner Stakeholders Michael B. Hancock, District 11 Rich Carstens, Urban Design Architect Anna Jones, Co-Chair Carol Boigon, At-Large Eric McClelland, GIS Specialist Dave Walstrom, Co-Chair Doug Linkhart, At-Large Steve Gordon, Development Program Andy Baldyga Manager Josh Brodbeck Planning Board Steve Turner, Urban Design Architect Brad Buchanan William H. (Bill) Hornby, Chairman Jim Ottenstein, Graphic Design Brad Cameron Jan Marie Belle Dan Michael, Graphic Design Margot Crowe Joel Boyd Julie Connor, Graphic Design Shayne Brady Frederick Corn, P.E. Phil Plienis, Senior City Planner Melissa Fehrer-Peiker Monica Guardiola, Esq. Buzz Geller Daniel R. Guimond,AICP Jim Hannifin Mark Johnson, FASLA Michael Henry Barabara Kelley Harriet Hogue Joyce Oberfeld Greg Holle Bruce O’Donnell Wayne Jakino Jim Raughton Bret Johnson Carla Madison Tom Morris Jim Peiker Vicky Portocarrero Gail Stagner Ron Vogel Stacey Williams 2 BLUEPRINT DENVER AREA OF CHANGE: EAST COLFAX CORRIDOR PLAN ◗TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 5 Introduction 9 Project Partners & Plan Process. 10 Purpose of the Plan . 14 Relationship to Other Plans & Studies . 17 A Short History of a Long Street . 30 Population, Housing and Economic Characteristics . 49 Assessment of Existing Conditions . 55 Plan Vision 69 Framework Plan 73 Land Use . 76 Urban Form and Design . 82 Transportation. 93 Parking . 97 Economic Development . 100 District Plans 119 Colfax Identity & Geography of the Plan Vision. 120 Capitol Village District . 122 Midtown Colfax District . 126 Colfax Promenade District. 129 Transit Oriented Development Districts . 132 EAST COLFAX 3 Implementation Strategy 139 Land Use . 140 Urban Form . 142 Transportation & Infrastructure. 146 Economic Development . 150 District Specific Implementation Strategies . 154 Appendix 157 Guiding Principles. 158 SWOT . 160 Full-Length Vision Statement . 169 Glossary of Terms and Tools. 171 Map Appendix 187 4 BLUEPRINT DENVER AREA OF CHANGE: EAST COLFAX CORRIDOR PLAN ●EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● “The trouble with land is that they’re not making it anymore.” Will Rogers EAST COLFAX 5 60 acres of infill and redevelopment Forecasts estimate that Denver’s population will grow by 132,000 people, and that the metro-region will could add to East Colfax: grow by 800,000 people, over the next twenty years. In response to the anticipated growth, Blueprint ◗ 2,500,000 to 10,000,000 SF of mixed use Denver, the city’s award winning plan to integrate land use and transportation, identified Areas of Change development where the city should direct growth in order to connect people to jobs, housing and the transportation ◗ 2,000 to 8,000 new residential units system. Blueprint Denver defines an Area of Change as a place where growth and change are either ◗ 3,000 to 12,500 new residents desirable or underway. The plan identified East Colfax as a priority Area of Change for several reasons ◗ $2,100,000 to $8,500,000 in annual related to latent land development potential, access to and demand for enhanced transportation, residential property taxes proximity to downtown, opportunity to accommodate more housing (including affordable and low- income units) and ability to stimulate economic development, as well as reinvestment in significant historic resources. Existing zoning along the East Colfax corridor results in a development pattern inconsistent with its future growth and investment potential. Existing zoning throughout Denver has the capacity to accommodate 247,000 new jobs, more than twice the forecasted job growth. At the same time, existing zoning has the capacity for 69,800 new households citywide, just enough to keep pace with forecasted growth of 60,700 households, according to Blueprint Denver (pgs. 9-14). Without greater potential through regulatory incentives for housing, demand will exceed the community’s ability to produce affordable units. The majority of the commercial parcels along Colfax are zoned B-4, one of the city’s broadest business zone districts. Under the existing zoning, it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve a compact, mixed-use development pattern that includes residential units along the corridor. The permitted building intensity of the B-4 district is nearly unattainable when coupled with parking requirements and the limited size of the commercial parcels. The path of least resistance under this zone district is low density commercial such as auto-oriented franchises. Such development does not maximize the land’s potential to repopulate the parcels adjacent to this significant transit corridor, and consequently will not support the community’s vision for growth identified in Blueprint Denver. There are few residential units in developments on the parcels contiguous to the corridor relative to the density in the Census block groups adjacent to East Colfax (from Broadway to Colorado Blvd). In this area, density ranges from 60 to 80 people per acre and between 40 and 55 dwelling units per acre. The low-density scale of the corridor is out of proportion with its urban context. The Census block groups adjacent to this section of Colfax represent a fraction of a percent of Denver’s land area (0.25%), yet 3% of Denver’s population resides here. East Colfax is one of the highest performing transportation corridors in the city,carrying in excess of 6 BLUEPRINT DENVER AREA OF CHANGE: EAST COLFAX CORRIDOR PLAN 35,000 vehicles per day and 20,000 transit riders per day. Despite the high transit function, land uses are geared toward low density,auto-oriented commercial development. The transportation and land use systems along East Colfax do not balance each other. Estimates from 2001, suggest that approximately 62% of the trips in Denver either originated or ended outside of the city limits, according to DRCOG. As the city’s major cross-town arterial that connects Denver, Aurora and Lakewood, planning for transportation on Colfax must consider innovative ways to move more people over time through this corridor. Expanding the number of lanes is not a feasible solution. Increasing the supply of housing along the corridor is transit-oriented development that brings residents into proximity of transit service. It is not enough to bring more people to the corridor. Transit must be development oriented and capable of tapping and supporting increased riders. The street carries a significantly high level of traffic East Colfax at Steele - Chamberlain Heights throughout the day not just in peak traffic demand hours. In the Census block groups adjacent to the corridor over 40% of commuters use alternative modes of transportation. Consistent traffic and more non-peak traffic in a corridor with a strong alternative mode split are favorable indicators for enhanced transit technology. Potential exists for transit supportive infill and redevelopment of vacant or underutilized parcels along the corridor on approximately 60 acres of land. Model development at an achieved floor area ratio (development intensity) of between 2:1 and 4:1 could generate an additional 1,000,000 SF to 2,500,000 SF of retail and 2,500,000 to 10,000,000 SF of residential and/or office space. Model development patterns include Chamberlin Heights at Colfax and Steele (a 56-unit residential project mixed with 6,000-SF of first floor commercial uses and 79 structured parking spaces) or Baker Commons on Broadway at 3rd Avenue. Broadway at 3rd Ave - Baker Commons Two and a half million to ten million SF of residential space could generate between 2,000 and 8,500 new units and house upwards of 3,000 to 12,500 residents (based on an estimated household size of 1.5). Chamberlain Heights & Baker Commons are models of mixed-use development projects that bring new residents and businesses to Mixed-use development could bring between 2,000 to 8,000 new market rate units to the corridor and transportation corridors. could generate approximately $2,100,000 to $8, 500,000 annually in property taxes (assuming an average value of $200,000 per for-sale residential unit). Facilitating high quality development on the corridor with predictable regulatory tools will stoke Denver’s economic engine, as well as provide more opportunity to house people and connect them to the transit system. Today,the average sale price of houses within a 1/2 block of the corridor are roughly 70% of the average sale price in the stable, historic neighborhoods outside of a 1/2 block north and south of the corridor. Reinforcing existing housing stock with new units in mixed-use developments, especially on parcels where there is an inverse relationship between improvement value and land value, could upgrade the area and introduce more housing to the corridor. EAST COLFAX 7 Historic preservation may also spur investment and economic development in the corridor. A strong commitment to preservation means creating and tapping economic and regulatory incentives to maintain, restore and adaptively reuse architectural resources that add value and character to a place. Preservation need not be at odds with development. Flexible standards that focus on preservation of structures without prohibiting development in the surrounding area actually reinforces a vibrant, eclectic and diverse environment appropriate to the health of the urban corridor context.