The Golden Triangle’s Midas Touch

The 35-block area has seen more than 1.5 million square feet of construction valued at more than $250 million in the past 12 months

Martin Willie //December 19, 2017//

The Golden Triangle’s Midas Touch

The 35-block area has seen more than 1.5 million square feet of construction valued at more than $250 million in the past 12 months

Martin Willie //December 19, 2017//

The Central Business District of downtown Denver, where buildings tower along the 16th, 17th and 18th street corridors, is circled by some of the city’s trendies neighborhoods. RiNo, The Highlands and Five Points are some of the steady climbers in popularity and growth. Another neighborhood seeing rapid redevelopment is the Golden Triangle Creative District. 

This 35-block space is bounded by Speer Boulevard, Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street. The Golden Triangle includes Civic Center Park, the City and County of Denver offices, the Colorado State Capitol, Denver Art Museum, U.S. Mint MuseumClyfford Still Museum, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, among other iconic cultural institutions, state and federal offices, as well as hundreds of unique business, retail, dining and thousands of residents.

In June 2016, the Golden Triangle was designated and certified as a Colorado Creative District by the State of Colorado. This Creative District designation advances the Triangle as an internationally celebrated arts and culture destination – by encouraging urban revitalization, economic development and support for innovative individuals and businesses.

But that’s not all. Over the past 12 months, more that 1.5 million square feet of new construction – valued at more than $250 million – have been completed or broken ground. Local, national and even international business interests have discovered the Golden Triangle, making it a desirable place to develop new properties, invest in existing ventures or relocate a company. The Golden Triangle has found its own Midas Touch.

Recent highlights include:

  • The grand opening of the EVIVA on Cherokee luxury apartment building at 1250 Cherokee Street. Developed by The Integral Group, Charter Realty Group and Wanxiang Real Estate Group, this unique property features 274 units, including studios, one- and two-bedroom plans, and eight two-story walk-up townhomes. EVIVA on Cherokee is one of several EVIVA-brand offerings in development in key markets across the United States, including Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • The new Kirkland Museum is under construction and due to be complete in spring 2018. The Vance Kirkland Museum of Decorative and Fine Art, outgrew is former location on the corner of 13th Ave. and Pearl Street in Capitol Hill. It only made sense that they looked to the Golden Triangle Creative District for its new home.
  • The Shift Workspace opened its second location on the corner of Bannock and 10th streets, and serving the neighborhood a collaborative workspace. Developed from an old electrical-supply warehouse, Shift supports more than 40 small and startup companies in multiple fields of business.
  • Temple Nightclub, SneekEazy Bar + Kicks and Element Kitchen & Cocktail opened in fall 2017 in the former City Hall Event Center and adjoining buildings, adding to the numerous restaurant, lounge and nightlife offerings in the Golden Triangle Creative District. Temple Nightclub was launched in San Francisco and Denver is its second location. Temple San Francisco is part of the Zen Compound concept, which incorporates a nightclub, a coffee bar/art gallery and a co-working space all in a single facility. The owner is planning a similar concept for Denver.
  • The Art Hotel and FIRE restaurant opened in spring 2015, giving the Golden Triangle Creative District much needed hotel inventory, and yet another destination for tourists and locals alike. The hotel features a curated collection of original works of art set in a modern, stylish environment. Conde Nast Traveler rated The Art Hotel as the No. 1 hotel in Colorado for 2017.

The Golden Triangle is benefitting from the Golden Triangle Creative District (GTCD), a nonprofit organization formed from the merger of the Golden Triangle Association, a volunteer residential neighborhood association, and Golden Triangle Museum District Association to create one organization representing all residential, business, civic, cultural and community stakeholders. GTCD works on District advocacy, programming & events, neighborhood beautification/maintenance, mobility/transit, neighborhood branding, marketing & communications, and small business and residential support.

While the development that is occurring in The Golden Triangle doesn’t come as a surprise to most, the size and scope of all that’s happening here may be news to many. The Golden Triangle is yet another example of the neighborhoods and communities that circle downtown Denver’s CBD, and are driving the growth and vitality of the city.