The Colorado Rockies are continuing to push a proposed development near Coors Field, with a broad slate of amenities planned for the project.
The site of the west lot parking area across from Coors Field is being eyed for the development. As part of the proposal, a pair of buildings–one 11 stories, another 13–would be constructed to house a variety of features. Some of the amenities that could be part of the project include condos, hotel, dining, office, and retail space. Also part of the proposal is a Rockies Hall of Fame and event space, as well as a circular plaza between the buildings.
Plans for the development were first announced in December, and there is still work that has to be completed to move the project forward. The Rockies and design firm Stantec turned in a site plan to the City of Denver last month, an important step in a longer process that will include the consideration of a request to rezone the property for the development. Discussion over the proposal is expected to continue over the next several months. More from The Denver Post:
The west lot’s bulldozing is not imminent. City planners are reviewing the documents submitted by Stantec now, Laura Swartz, a spokeswoman for the Denver Development Services office said Monday. The Rockies have requested to change the lot’s zoning from industrial to planned unit development to clear the way for mixed-use construction. That’s typically a four- to six-month process, Swartz said.
[Stantec’s senior principal on the project John] Yonushewski estimated work could begin in early fall — whether the Rockies are still playing or not. Construction is expected to take up to two years.
Downtown groups like the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association have already had opportunities to weigh in. The Rockies and team owner Dick Monfort held the first or several meetings with local stakeholders last summer, said Andy Davis, the neighborhood association’s president. Davis said Monfort and Co. listened to neighbors’ feedback about public space on the block and design elements they wanted to see to help the project blend with its LoDo surroundings. The plans call for more than 41,000 square feet of public open space — when including the existing Wynkoop Plaza park that runs along the lot to the west — and includes four colors of brick on its materials list.
The site targeted for the development is owned by the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District, but is being leased by the Rockies as part of a 99-year, $125 million agreement. That is part of a larger arrangement finalized in 2017 that also saw the Rockies extend their Coors Field lease agreement through the 2047 season.
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