Denver development firm Nichols Partnership, which often adapts old buildings instead of tearing them down, purchased the property last month. Randy Nichols, the president and founder of the firm, was the one who came up with the new name, somewhat inspired by the Capitol Records building in Hollywood.
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Jodi Kopke owns Renew Communications, the PR company hired by Nichols Partnership. She says the finished project will include a pool, a lounge on the top floor for all the residents to use, a workout facility, and covered bike storage. All that packed neatly into thirteen floors.
From the Nichols Partnership site, the perks of Turntable Studios will include "walking distance to light rail, immediate access to I-25 and adjacency to downtown Denver." With only 150 parking spaces between 179 apartments, access to public transportation is a definite plus. But, in anticipation of many bike-riding tenants, a bike storage structure big enough to hold 150 bikes is also part of the plan.
Of the 179 apartments, 158 of them will be 330-square-foot suites. Four will be 685-square-foot one-bedrooms, whole seven will be 820-square-foot two-bedrooms.
Every unit will have a typical bathroom, kitchen and balcony. Some even boast skyline or mountain views. In order to save room, there will be no stove in the kitchen, but a convection microwave instead.
This is Denver's first attempt at creating a micro-space living project. Larger cities like New York and Boston already have a few thousand micro-apartments being rented.
Boutique Apartments will soon have the Turntable Studios listing on their site, and will be starting a waiting list for those interested in the idea of compact living. "They're going to have a super-efficient layout and design," Kopke says. "In order to maximize the space."
When they say "under $1,000 a month," what they mean is somewhere between $850 and $950, depending on how good the view is. One reason the rent can be kept under $1,000 is because the building is basically being recycled.
"Our total cost would have been significantly higher if we had to start from scratch," Dan Schuetz, the project manager from Nichols Partnership, says. Instead they stripped the structure down to the existing concrete, and will be rebuilding on top of it. Not only does this save money, it's more environmentally friendly.
Approximately half of the apartments, and all of the amenities, are expected to be done by next June. For those looking to room with their furry friends, pets will be allowed. Have a tip? Send it to [email protected].