The image above is one of the conceptual drawings Forest City has posted on their website to show possible future types of transit oriented development (TOD) in the area around the Central Park rail station.
Ever since the rail line to DIA and its stop in Stapleton were announced, community members have been asking what kind of development will be built around the rail stop. At the February Citizens Advisory Board meeting, seeing a conceptual drawing of the Stapleton TOD for the first time triggered Park Hill representative Jim Wagenlander to ask again. Tom Gleason, Forest City vice president for PR repeated what the group had heard many times before, “It’s very conceptual. It depends on what the market will bear but it’s a possibility.”
But a day later, on Feb. 20, The Denver Business Journal posted a brief interview with Forest City Senior Vice President Jim Chrisman…still no specific details, but encouragement that TOD at Stapleton is likely to get underway before the trains arrive.
According to The Denver Business Journal article, “DIA20: Development plentiful along the rail line to Denver’s airport,” by Molly Armbrister, Chrisman wants to include office, multi-family, retail and a hotel on the 34 acres around the station, but does not have a specific plan at this time.
According to The Denver Business Journal article, “The totals will be market-driven, Chrisman said, but the development could have between 1 million and 2 million square feet of office space, around 1,000 units of multifamily with ground-floor retail and a 150- to 200-room hotel, all organized around a “placemaking element.” That element could be some type of plaza, but there is no firm plan at this time.
The January Front Porch ran a brief article about the 61st and Peña Blvd TOD where Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company will locate a hub (http://frontporchne.com/article/panasonic-deal-along-east-rail-line-big-win/).
And the Urban Land Conservancy announced almost two years ago that they will develop 9.4 acres adjacent to the Colorado Blvd. stop into a mixed-use transit oriented development that will include affordable new homes.
