![]() A move that will drastically change the substance and purpose of a 155-acre sweep of land in one of Denver’s most historic neighborhoods has cleared an important process hurdle. The 18-hole Park Hill Golf Course is located at 4141 E. 35th Avenue and has been the subject for months now of studies and public input meetings reimagining the course, which closed in 2018, as a mixed-use development site. Now members of the Denver Planning Board have given their approval to a comprehensive proposal that will see the construction of some affordable housing at the site, as well as playgrounds, a splash pad, restrooms, a pet park, and athletic fields, among other amenities. Overwhelmingly, the plan, especially reflecting the desires of area residents, will emphasize open space. According to city documents, at least 100 acres will be set aside for parks and walking trails. The golf course was purchased in 2019 by the Denver-based Westside Investment Partners. Plans for the golf course, which was originally opened in 1931 on the site of the former Clayton College Dairy Farm, will now be reviewed by the Denver City Council. Voters in April may be tasked with a proposal to remove a historic conservation easement on the property in question that will allow for non-golf course development and construction. By Garry Boulard
0 Comments
![]() A long-discussed plan to extend a popular walking path in Santa Fe County could become reality if voters next week approve a $5 million bond to fund the project. As envisioned, the extended path would run from Siler Road to the San Ysidro Crossing, running adjacent to the Santa Fe River. At the San Ysidro Crossing, the trail would connect to an already-existing bike trail heading to nearby Romero Park. The project is officially called the Santa Fe River Greenway Trail. Out of the $5 million bond, exactly $3.2 million would go directly for the acquisition of property needed for the project as well as to the design and building of the trail. That figure would be bundled with another $3.5 million approved by county voters in 2020 to extend the path. That path, and the planned extension, is regarded as a multi-use trail, meaning that it is also used for pedestrians and those walking their dogs. The Santa Fe River Greenway project is ultimately designed to build 15 miles of trails. In a brief released by the Santa Fe Watershed Association it is noted that the completion of the trail project will “revive the traditional use of the corridor as a transportation route and focus community members and visitors on the historical role of the Santa Fe River” in connecting to adjacent communities. By Garry Boulard ![]() Job openings exceeded 10.7 million in September, according to numbers just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surpassing analysts’ expectations. It had earlier been thought that the number of job openings in September would drop to around 10 million, from the 10.7 million recorded in August. In its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, the BLS noted that while the 10.7 million job openings figure was high, “the number of new hires edged down to 6.1 million.” That 6.1 million was the lowest in that category since early 2021. The greatest amount of job openings was seen in the nation’s accommodations and food services industries, at just over 215,000; and in health care and social assistance, with around 115,000 openings. The transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector combined saw some 111,000 job openings. Job openings decreases were meanwhile seen in the wholesale trade sector, off by 104,000; and finance and insurance, down by 83,000. The job openings numbers have been nothing if not erratic since the early 2020 onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. One month after that outbreak, job openings stood at 4.7 million; increasing to 9.2 million a year later. Figures reached a peak in March of this year when the BLS reported 11.8 million job openings, only to watch that figure generally decline throughout the summer. Looking at the latest statistics, Forbes said it all underlines that the “demand for workers is strong and the labor market is holding up well.” The Wall Street Journal agreed, saying the new figures are “signs of a healthy labor market that has cooled slightly compared with the first half of this year.” By Garry Boulard ![]() The City of Phoenix has taken an important step forward for a project that could see the construction of a new state freeway. Members of the Phoenix City Council have given their approval to selling some 86 vacant acres of city land to the Arizona Department of Transportation in order build the proposed Arizona State Route 30. That new freeway, once built, is expected to considerably lessen congestion on the east-to-west Interstate 10. In so doing, the new route will also provide an alternative pathway between highway loops 202 and 203. The West Valley project has been in the talking and studying phase for well over a decade, with transportation officials saying the new route is needed to accommodate vehicular traffic in southern Arizona that has more than doubled since the year 2000. While both Phoenix and State of Arizona officials have said the selling of the 86 acres is crucial to the eventual construction of the freeway, funding for the project has not yet been secured. By Garry Boulard ![]() A prominent rescue mission based in Fort Collins that has served tens of thousands of residents in the last decade has revealed plans for the building of a new shelter facility. Located at 316 Jefferson Street, the Fort Collins Rescue Mission is tasked with providing meals, shelter, and rehabilitative programs for those without a permanent place of residence. Earlier this year, the organization announced plans to build a new shelter that will be opened 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on a site at the intersection of North College Avenue and Hibdon Court. As envisioned, the shelter will have enough room for upwards of 200 beds, doubling the group’s current capacity. A preliminary design for the project has now been submitted to the City of Fort Collins calling for a building with two wings surrounding a common space. One wing, on the south side of the facility, will house administrative offices, a cafeteria, and storage space. The second wing, on the building’s north side, will house the actual shelter space. Officials with the mission say the new space is needed to keep up with demand. According to a study released late last year by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 600 people were regarded as “chronically homeless,” in Fort Collins, a category up by 15% over 2020. Plans for the new Fort Collins shelter must be submitted to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. A timetable for when construction might begin on the new facility remains to be determined. By Garry Boulard ![]() Investment in non-residential structures has decreased once again, according to numbers compiled by the Associated Builders and Contractors, making up an overall annual decline rate of 15.3%. The decline marks the 19th such decrease going back 3 years. The decrease comes as the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis has just released figures showing that the overall U.S. economy expanded during the third quarter of this year at a 2.6% annualized rate. In a statement, Anirban Basu, chief economist with the ABC, noted that the “major increases in borrowing costs in 2022 has yet to make its statistical mark on much of the economy, but real non-residential investment in structures posted its steepest contraction since the pandemic.” That decline in fixed investment declined by 2.3% in 2020, only to return last year with a 7.4% gain. In the first quarter of this year, the numbers were up by 4.8%, only to fall by 5.0% this spring, and now, for July to August of this year, are off by 4.9%. Despite these trend lines, said Basu, “contractors remain somewhat upbeat about the outlook, and more than 47% of contractors expect their sales to rise over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.” Indeed, readings from that index released two weeks ago revealed contractor confidence in three crucial areas: sales, profit margins, and staffing. By Garry Boulard ![]() A former 250-acre golf course in Rio Rancho that has been closed for the last six years may be repurposed as a village center with both restaurant and special events space. Located at 500 Country Club Drive SE, the site was previously home to the Rio Rancho Country Club, a 27,000 square foot building that was destroyed in a fire in the fall of 2019. City officials and area residents have for years talked of either launching a new golf course, with a new club house, or repurposing the entire site. Now a local businessman is airing a plan to redevelop the site, with new recreational space, a wine and cocktail bar, and green space. “It’s not just a development for me, this is something that is going to be a landmark,” developer Steve Chavez recently remarked to the Albuquerque Journal. “It’s going to be special.” Chavez, managing partner of MDS Investments, which has spearheaded and overseen the massive Mesa del Sol planned community on the southeast side of the city, has already been in touch with Rio Rancho officials regarding his vision for the former course. What was officially known as the Club Rio Rancho Golf Course and Country Club closed in 2016 due to financial reasons. At the time of its closing, according to reports, the club owed nearly $360,000 in utility fees. Subsequent attempts to revive the course, including turning over half of the property for housing, went nowhere. Chavez has said that he is not interested in seeing the land given over to another golf course but noted that a study is currently underway looking at what uses for the large swath of land would most fit in with the surrounding residential neighborhood. By Garry Boulard ![]() Plans are moving forward for the construction of a new emergency management facility that will serve the residents of Dona Ana County. To date, at least three locations, down from an initial twelve, are under serious consideration for the new facility, which may require a site of at least 8 acres. ASA Architects of Las Cruces, working with the county on the project, recently suggested a fourth site, off the Tortugas Trail on property owned by New Mexico State University. According to county documents, the selected site will have to be located outside of a flood plain, with multiple road access points. The other sites under consideration are at the intersection of Northrise Drive and Roadrunner Parkway; a former landfill owned by the Bureau of Land Management off Sonoma Ranch Boulevard; and land, also on the Tortugas Trail, near NMSU’s driving range. It is not yet known what the total cost will be to build the facility, nor where all the funding for the project will come from. It is thought that at least $1.5 million in funding may be secured through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Additional funding might be found as a capital outlay to be passed next year by members of the New Mexico State Legislature. A timetable for when work on the new center will begin has not yet been announced. By Garry Boulard ![]() New hotel projects in the pipeline as of the third quarter of this year, represent a 10% gain over where things stood last year at this same point. So says a new industry survey released by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Lodging Econometrics, which also shows an increase of 6% in the number of new hotel rooms being planned over the third quarter of 2021. At the end of September, a total of 987 projects, representing just over 135,000 rooms, are already under construction. Plans for the next year, meanwhile, stand at a significantly higher 2,074 projection, for an aggregate total of just under 236,900 rooms. Such numbers represent what can only be described as a vibrant hotel construction market, particularly after the industry saw many projects cancelled or delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Lodging Econometrics press release, “lending rates have changed significantly in 2022 due to the Federal Reserve’s rate increases.” As a result, “ownership and management groups are finding that reinvesting in their current portfolios, whether that be renovating or repositioning to another brand, is a better return on investment right now.” Given such trends, it is perhaps not surprising that nearly 900 brand conversion room projects were undertaken in the last quarter, representing 99,474 rooms. At the same time the renovation pipeline, showing growth numbers not seen since the summer of 2018, has remained strong with 893 individual projects and 140,440 rooms. In the upper midscale chain segment, Home2Suites by Hilton had 494 projects in the talking stage this most recent quarter; followed by InterContinental Hotel Group’s Holiday Inn Express, at 297 projects; and Marriott’s TownePlace Suites at just under 300 projects. Among the upscale chains, Marriott’s Residence Inn led the way with 234 projects; followed by its Springhill Suites brand with 148 projects; and IHG’s Staybridge Suites at 125 projects. By Garry Boulard ![]() A 300,000 square foot industrial building that has long been used by the Arizona Republic as a printing facility is being listed for sale with an asking price of $47.7 million. Located at 19th Avenue and Williams Drive, the massive plant sits on a nearly 20-acre site in the Deer Valley neighborhood of northern Phoenix, and has been owned by the newspaper since 1987. Besides the Arizona Republic, the plant has also been used to print regional editions of the New York Times and USA Today, among several other daily publications. The Arizona Republic is owned by the McLean, Virginia-based mass media company Gannett, which in recent years has been consolidating its printing operations across the country. Four years ago, Gannett also sold a 10-story building in downtown Phoenix that served as offices for the Arizona Republic. After that sale, the newspaper kept its offices in that building. Launched in 1890, the Arizona Republic is one of the oldest and most successful continually operating newspapers in the West. The newspaper, which has a daily circulation of around 100,000, was purchased by Gannett in 2000. The printing facility is being listed by New York-based realtor BellCornerstone. By Garry Boulard |
Get stories like these right to your inbox.
|