- MLK Extension Project Inches Forward. The environmental reviews for the Martin Luther King Boulevard extension project were complete as of the October 19 approval by CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration of the “FONSI”, or finding of no significant impact. Final design is now underway. Denver Public Works says advertisement for construction is expected in early 2018. Construction should start in mid-2018 with completion expected in 12-15 months. The $16.5 million project will extend MLK from Havana St. to Peoria St.
- Park Hill Golf Course Purchase Suspended. The city’s intended purchase of the 155-acre Park Hill Golf Course has been put on indefinite hold because the current lease-holder (Arcis, the golf course operator) may decide to exercise its option for two five-year lease extensions. This apparently reverses what Arcis told the property owner, Clayton Early Learning, earlier this year. However, the city will continue to seek acquisition of the northern-most portion of the property for its Platte to Park Hill drainage plan that is linked to the I-70 expansion project. While the city may need only 25 acres for the permanent drainage pond, it may seek a construction easement of as much as 90 acres, throwing into question how the golf course could remain open if Arcis decides to exercise its lease renewal options.
- City Park Golf Course Renovation Proceeds. Meanwhile, the City Park Golf Course has closed for up to two years as part of a $44.9 million makeover to allow construction of a stormwater detention facility in the northwest corner of the site and other improvement such as a new club house and expanded driving range. Denver residents had challenged the plans as a violation of the city charter, however a Denver District Court ruled at the end of October that the stormwater facility won’t change the core function of the site as a golf course. Resident opposition has been motivated in part by the perceived linkage between the so-called Platte to Park Hill drainage project and the I-70 expansion. Plaintiffs are evaluating whether to appeal the court decision.
- “Central 70” Project Survives Challenge. In early November, a U.S. district Judge in Denver dismissed three claims in a lawsuit linking city stormwater drainage projects to the I-70 expansion project dubbed Central 70. The plaintiffs were asking the judge to order CDOT to withhold money it owes the city for its portion of the drainage work. Judge William J. Martinez ruled that if he ordered CDOT to withhold $24.7 million it still owes the city, it likely would not prevent Denver Public Works from proceeding on the drainage work. CDOT now says Central 70 may begin construction in the spring on the nearly $1.3 billion project to rebuild and widen I-70 from Brighton Boulevard to Chambers Road in Aurora. Project features include replacing a 1.8- mile viaduct on the west end with a depressed roadway and 4-acre parkland cap as well as a makeover of the Quebec interchange (realigned ramps and widened Quebec Street underpass including new sidewalks). The Central 70 project still faces a legal challenge on air quality grounds.
- Fitzsimons Golf Course Closure Announced. On Nov. 21, the City of Aurora announced the permanent closure of the course it has operated since 1998 under a lease with the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA). The final round of golf will be Dec. 15. The FRA is charged with redeveloping the former base which closed in 1999. It has sold land to the University of Colorado which plans on developing land north of Montview Boulevard where the golf course is located. The immediate reason for the closure is the FRA plan on developing BioScience III, a 100,000-square foot building that would encroach on the first hole of the course.
- Denver Joins Campaign for 10-Minute Walk-to-Park Access. Mayors Hancock and Hogan (Denver and Aurora) have joined 125 other U.S. mayors to support a “10-minute walk” parks advocacy campaign to be led by the Trust for Public Land in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association and the Urban Land Institute. The campaign treats park access as a right, not a privilege and will develop “measurable policies and strategies to advance the 10-minute walk vision.” TPL is mapping park access for every city and town in the country through its “ParkServe” program. Denver’s participation coincides with Denveright, a new comprehensive plan for the city include “Game Plan” addressing park and recreation. Adoption of the plan is anticipated in 2018.
- Amazon HQ2 Bid Released with Sites Redacted. In October, Colorado submitted its bid for Amazon’s second headquarters site. Only a month earlier, Amazon announced the project and invited suitors to submit sites capable of hosting 50,000 employees in a complex, at buildout, of 8 million square feet on 100 acres of land. The Colorado proposal is titled “Welcome to Your New Frontier” and runs a mere 23 pages plus a 52-page appendix. When released publicly in response to open records requests, the document was heavily redacted by the state to not reveal potential financial incentives nor to impair Amazon’s ability down the line to negotiate with landowners. Two sites in Stapleton were included among the 30 sites submitted by cities and developers. Eight locations were featured in the proposal but were blurred out in the redacted proposal. Amazon has said a decision on HQ2 will occur sometime in 2018.
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