Best Imitation of a Small Town 2004 | East 29th Avenue Town Center | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Imitation of a Small Town

East 29th Avenue Town Center

They've been cropping up everywhere -- complexes that mix retail, offices and residences in a single project meant to serve as little downtowns. One's gone up in Englewood, and there's one at Lowry, one's under construction in Lakewood, and one's in the planning stages in Boulder. But architecturally, the pick of the litter of these mostly mundane prefab villages is the East 29th Avenue Town Center at Stapleton. This complex of substantial-looking neo-modernist buildings by Peter Dominick's Urban Design Group is laid out in a very formal, symmetrical arrangement in which every building is mirrored by an identical one. Taken all together, this center has plenty of curb appeal.

Best Imitation of a Small Town

East 29th Avenue Town Center

They've been cropping up everywhere -- complexes that mix retail, offices and residences in a single project meant to serve as little downtowns. One's gone up in Englewood, and there's one at Lowry, one's under construction in Lakewood, and one's in the planning stages in Boulder. But architecturally, the pick of the litter of these mostly mundane prefab villages is the East 29th Avenue Town Center at Stapleton. This complex of substantial-looking neo-modernist buildings by Peter Dominick's Urban Design Group is laid out in a very formal, symmetrical arrangement in which every building is mirrored by an identical one. Taken all together, this center has plenty of curb appeal.

Best Proof That We're Living in a Small Town

Tower Road message board

This past summer, the stretch of Tower Road between Hampden and Iliff avenues had become a notorious speedway. To encourage drivers to slow down, Sergeant Dan Courtenay, a twenty-year veteran of the Aurora Police Department, started posting cautionary warnings on an electronic message board that had previously been used to announce construction delays. Among the best:

Please drive safely

Life is too short

to spend in court.

And this instant classic:

Stop road rage.

Play Jimmy Buffett

songs in your car.

Best Proof That We're Living in a Small Town

Tower Road message board

This past summer, the stretch of Tower Road between Hampden and Iliff avenues had become a notorious speedway. To encourage drivers to slow down, Sergeant Dan Courtenay, a twenty-year veteran of the Aurora Police Department, started posting cautionary warnings on an electronic message board that had previously been used to announce construction delays. Among the best:

Please drive safely

Life is too short

to spend in court.

And this instant classic:

Stop road rage.

Play Jimmy Buffett

songs in your car.

Second-Best Proof That We're Living in a Small Town

Tauer Road

In appreciation of the new era of metropolitan cooperation that dawned with the election of two new metro mayors, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper temporarily changed the name of the road separating northeast Denver from northwest Aurora from Tower to Tauer Road, to honor previous Aurora mayor Ed Tauer and current Aurora mayor Ed Tauer Jr.

Second-Best Proof That We're Living in a Small Town

Tauer Road

In appreciation of the new era of metropolitan cooperation that dawned with the election of two new metro mayors, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper temporarily changed the name of the road separating northeast Denver from northwest Aurora from Tower to Tauer Road, to honor previous Aurora mayor Ed Tauer and current Aurora mayor Ed Tauer Jr.

Best Ode to Empty Space

Robert Bach, Grubb & Ellis

Robert Bach, national director of market analysis for Grubb & Ellis, appeared at an annual industrial- and office-property owners' meeting in Denver to deliver the bad news about this city's commercial-vacancy rate, which isn't expected to reach 10 percent until 2008. And that's going down. To soften the blow, he offered this song:

At the start of '03, landlords knew

it would be rough.

Tenants large and small,

there just weren't enough.

Yet the construction pipeline kept

delivering new space,

While leasing and absorption

could not keep pace . . .

Office landlords suffered and moaned,

but there was a silver lining.

Low interest rates and roller-coaster stocks

kept buyers pining

For Class A buildings with solid

rent rolls

And little rollover risk, that would be

investor's gold.

But what of '04, what does our crystal ball

tell us?

The market will improve, but not enough

to make tenants jealous

Of landlords (who) won't have much

bargaining power

Until 2005, when the market will be

less dour

So tenants make your best deals soon,

Lock in long-term low rates and whistle

a happy tune.

In 2004, landlords, you will begin to

climb out of your hole,

And you'll all feel better in 2005

When the Broncos win the Super Bowl.

Best Ode to Empty Space

Robert Bach, Grubb & Ellis

Robert Bach, national director of market analysis for Grubb & Ellis, appeared at an annual industrial- and office-property owners' meeting in Denver to deliver the bad news about this city's commercial-vacancy rate, which isn't expected to reach 10 percent until 2008. And that's going down. To soften the blow, he offered this song:

At the start of '03, landlords knew

it would be rough.

Tenants large and small,

there just weren't enough.

Yet the construction pipeline kept

delivering new space,

While leasing and absorption

could not keep pace . . .

Office landlords suffered and moaned,

but there was a silver lining.

Low interest rates and roller-coaster stocks

kept buyers pining

For Class A buildings with solid

rent rolls

And little rollover risk, that would be

investor's gold.

But what of '04, what does our crystal ball

tell us?

The market will improve, but not enough

to make tenants jealous

Of landlords (who) won't have much

bargaining power

Until 2005, when the market will be

less dour

So tenants make your best deals soon,

Lock in long-term low rates and whistle

a happy tune.

In 2004, landlords, you will begin to

climb out of your hole,

And you'll all feel better in 2005

When the Broncos win the Super Bowl.

Best Bus Stop With a View

104th Ave. and Federal Blvd.

At the corner where Westminster meets Federal Heights is a scene to ponder. Thanks to a notable plunge in elevation behind it, the bus bench on the northwest corner of the intersection has a panoramic view of the foothills, the Flatirons and the mountains beyond. And all that suburban sprawl in the foreground should make you feel all the more virtuous for taking the bus.

Best Bus Stop With a View

104th Ave. and Federal Blvd.

At the corner where Westminster meets Federal Heights is a scene to ponder. Thanks to a notable plunge in elevation behind it, the bus bench on the northwest corner of the intersection has a panoramic view of the foothills, the Flatirons and the mountains beyond. And all that suburban sprawl in the foreground should make you feel all the more virtuous for taking the bus.

Best Of Denver®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy Westword may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Denver Westword, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation