{"id":469,"date":"2025-05-11T11:01:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T11:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sewellconsultancy.com\/?p=469"},"modified":"2025-05-12T03:20:50","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T03:20:50","slug":"if-development-is-a-threat-to-denvers-outdoor-ethos-river-mile-denargo-and-speer-projects-are-the-answer-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sewellconsultancy.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/11\/if-development-is-a-threat-to-denvers-outdoor-ethos-river-mile-denargo-and-speer-projects-are-the-answer-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"If development is a threat to Denver\u2019s outdoor ethos, River Mile, Denargo and Speer projects are the answer (Opinion)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve called Denver home for most of my life, and like so many others, I\u2019ve seen the city dramatically transform in recent years. With more than 100,000 people and growing in downtown Denver and a mix of stadiums, retail districts, and strong transit infrastructure, we should be thriving. But we\u2019re not there — at least not yet.<\/p>\n

Whether you believe that transformation has been for the better or the worse, we all can agree that Denver\u2019s downtown has struggled since the pandemic, with office buildings sitting half-empty and housing demand far outpacing what\u2019s available. The city now has a chance to take control of these changes and direct its future with developments that embrace Denver\u2019s outdoor ethos and support green spaces amid its growing skylines, keeping intact the identity that makes us special. As far as urban planning goes, River Mile, Denargo Market, and a reimagined Speer Boulevard and Cherry Creek Trail will allow this city to boom without losing our character.<\/p>\n

Our residents are caught in a Catch-22: they want to see downtown revitalized, but are worried about the direction development will take. The city\u2019s relatively progressive base of voters rejected the mayor\u2019s plan to raise millions for affordable housing just this past November, with The Denver Post reporting that skeptics of the ballot measure cited a lack of a clear plan<\/a> from the city, and a fear that unchecked growth could introduce problems not yet characteristic of Denver. After all, growth often brings to mind high-rises, traffic congestion, and endless construction, eroding the very natural beauty that makes Denver special.<\/p>\n

\"Bill
Bill Carroll, with his niece Presley Hunt, 4, right, takes pictures during the South Platte RiverFest at Confluence Park on June 25, 2017, in Denver. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The question shouldn\u2019t be whether growth is happening, but how we can welcome it without sacrificing the spirit of the city. We\u2019re a city built on an outdoors ethic — one where access to trails, parks, and views of the Front Range aren\u2019t luxuries, but expectations. It\u2019s why we\u2019ve protected viewplanes and pushed back against development that feels disconnected from the landscape we love.<\/p>\n

City planners and developers need to think beyond traditional development models and reimagine downtown in a way that builds on our strengths — a place where development supports community, character, and nature — while fostering economic growth and addressing housing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an easy job, but some developments are already pointing the way. Take The River Mile, an ambitious, first-of-its-kind project, which, once completed, will be the largest commercial project in the region, combining development with restoration work to breathe new life into the river corridor. Prioritizing green space and sustainable, multimodal transportation over car traffic, it\u2019s designed to encourage people to actively engage with their surroundings.<\/p>\n

Denargo Market similarly was designed to not just exist alongside the river but actively embrace it through a sprawling network of pedestrian-centric streets and seamless connections to the surrounding trail systems. The development will introduce more than four acres of public spaces connected by purposeful vertical development, including three million square feet of residential, retail, office, and hospitality space.<\/p>\n

These two projects are slated to transform the historic South Platte riverfront into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood, bringing jobs, housing, and long-overdue investment, while preserving the connection to the outdoors that defines us.<\/p>\n

\"Denargo
The Denargo Market development project site is seen from above on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. When completed, the development will cover 17 acres and add 3 million square feet of commercial and residential space in the River North Art District. (Photo by Hyoung Chang\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n