Audio By Carbonatix
For real-estate porn voyeurs, 14th Street is a real wet dream.
The heart of the city’s newly designated Denver Theatre District is the site of three pricey residential high-rises that will put 750 new homes in the downtown market — enough to jump that population by 25 percent, even if only one person lives in each unit. And this before Buzz Geller adds his controversial sliver of a tower to the mix at the corner of 14th and Larimer streets. But with so much activity, it’s hard to keep all of these projects straight — much less decide which one to fantasize about. (Seriously, with most unit starting prices in the $700,000 range, it’s unlikely that most of us will ever see the inside of these properties.) So to help you track who’s doing what to the city skyline, we’ve created a clip-and-save comparison chart of their ultra-luxe amenities. But first, some background:
Four Seasons Private Residences (14th and Arapahoe streets): After years of anticipation, this high-priced project is about to get off the ground, with a fancy sales office already occupying the front of the Galleria building. Expecting to break ground later this summer, developers Jeff Selby and Michael Brenneman offer this “vision statement” of their project: “Life at Four Seasons Private Residences Denver is all about grand living under one roof, with first-class services and amenities…. Freed of the tiresome chores of everyday life, residents will have more time to spend as they wish, with an incredibly vibrant city literally at their feet.” With dog-walking services, spa and turn-down service, the Four Seasons would be ideal for wealthy status-seekers with finicky charges and Cherry Creek mavens looking for something new.
1401 Lawrence (14th and Lawrence streets): The first part of this building is already rising out of the ground, from a former parking lot behind Larimer Square, but there’s no scheduled completion date — yet. What the developers have lavishly announced, however, is that Dale Chihuly has signed on to create the public art for the complex, raising the $165 million project above the status of just another condo building and into something approaching cool. The infinity pool doesn’t hurt, either. Here’s how the Great Gulf Group is selling it: “1401 Lawrence stands as a testament to the power of creative thinking applied to the daily demands of metropolitan living.” With the art component, this would seem an appropriate address for high-net-worth scenesters and art lovers who like the glamorous side of life.
Spire (14th and Champa streets): The first of the three projects to launch — groundbreaking was in May — and most likely the first to be finished. The Nichols Partnership is certainly invested in downtown; after planning to spend $175 million on Spire, they also dropped $14.26 million for property behind Union Station, where they plan to build a grocery store/retail/condo complex. Spire is a downtown address without a hefty price tag — units start at $200,000 — but also without many of the amenities of the other, higher-priced spreads. As Randy Nichols sells it: “Spire was designed from its inception to provide a high quality dynamic living environment for a spectrum of owners from young professionals to empty nesters who desire to be connected to their community and to their city.” Ideal for aspiring status seekers and wannabe Hickenloopers.
Let the fantasies rise.
1401 Lawrence
URL: www.1401lawrence.com
Location: 14th and Lawrence streets
Opens: No completion date
Pricing: Starts at $720,000 ($600 per square foot)
Stories: 51
Units: 145
Size: 1,200 to 7,400 s.f.
Developer: Great Gulf Corp.
Architect: Peter Clewes
Interior designer: Cecconi-Simone Interior Design
Appearance: Tall block stacked on a squat block
Ground floor: Retail
Parking: Six floors of above-ground parking
Press kit: Basic but included a Dale Chihuly coffee-table book
Food service: Private dining room with daily breakfast service
Fitness center: Yes
Spa: No
Pool: Yes, infinity
24-hour concierge: Yes
Pet services: Dog-washing and -grooming station
Public media room: Yes
Outdoor space: Balconies; public fireplace and barbecue area
Unique: Two guest suites; Dale Chihuly-designed public art
Four Sesasons Private Residences
URL: www.fourseasons.com/private_residences/denver/
Location: 14th and Arapahoe streets
Opens: Winter 2009
Pricing: Starts at $800,000 ($829 per square foot)
Stories: 45
Units: 335 (102 residences; 230 hotel rooms)
Size: 965 to 6,100 s.f.
Developer: Teatro Tower
Architect: Carney Architects
Interior Designer: Clausen-Chewning Interior Design
Appearance: Tall block stacked on a squat block; spire
Ground floor: Hotel
Parking: Undergound; valet
Press kit: Elegantly packaged with photos and floor plans
Food service: Restaurant and 24-hour room service
Fitness center: Yes
Spa: Yes
Pool: Yes, rooftop
24-hour concierge: Yes
Pet services: Dog walking
Public media room: No (some floor plans have them in unit)
Outdoor space: Balconies; rooftop garden terrace
Unique: Housekeeping, turn-down service, 24-hour room service, dry cleaning
Spire
URL: www.spiredenver.com
Location: 14th and Champa streets
Opens: Summer 2009
Pricing: Starts at $200,000 ($273 per square foot)
Stories: 41
Units: 503
Size: 730 to 1,700
Developer: Nichols Partnership
Architect: RNL Design
Interior Designer: None announced
Appearance: Tall block stacked on a squat block; deco detailing
Ground floor: Retail
Parking: Eight floors of above-ground parking
Press kit: E-mailed with an attached photo
Food service: No
Fitness center: Yes
Spa: No
Pool: Yes
24-hour concierge: Yes
Pet services: No
Public media room: Yes
Outdoor space: Balconies; public fire pits and barbecue area
Unique features:Art gallery
