1111 Tower LLC

The $350 million Four Seasons hotel and condo project under construction in downtown Denver has reached its full 45-story height, and its developers commemorated the milestone with a ceremony Thursday morning.  The 75-foot mast, which tops the structure was lifted into place.

The Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences, located at 14th and Arapahoe Streets, will include 230 hotel rooms and 102 condos priced at $800,000 to $10 million for a penthouse. It is the Denver area’s first Four Seasons property.

Carney Architects, a Jackson, Wyoming based firm, designed the building and HKS, Inc is the architect of record.

Construction on the Four Seasons started in September 2007 and is expected to be completed in early next year.

RTD

The redevelopment of Union Station is a key component of the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) plans for FasTracks.  The facility will serve as a hub for light rail, buses, shuttles, and possibly future heavy commuter rail.

“By reinvesting in our nation’s transit infrastructure, we are making our communities more livable, invigorating the local economy, and putting America back to work,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday.

The total cost for redevelopment of the transit facility is estimated at nearly $480 million and will be paid for by a variety of sources, including Federal money. The $18 million comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes $8.4 billion for transit improvements.

An 1894 fire destroyed the central portion of the orginal 1881 station. The replacement building was designed by VanBrundt and Howe.  In 1914, the current center portion was designed by Denver architects Gove & Walsh in the Beaux-Arts style.

Union Station has reclaimed its primary purpose as a central hub for transportion.

The store will include a larger cafe space than other locations in an effort to capture the coffee and lunch crowd.  The interior finishes are not overstated and will surely provide for a pleasant shopping experience.

MCG Architecture provided the working drawings with longtime store planner  and designer for Tony’s, Stanley Brown, AIA.  The Rosacci’s are a pleasure to work with and MCG is proud to have been part of the team.

The building features a two-story lobby space where nearly all the offices have a view to the customer areas, enhancing the personal commitment to the client.  A comfortable lounge area, with large fireplace and television, invites customers to come in, relax or get some work done, and enjoy a cup of coffee.  The full basement will be a future home to community meeting rooms and bank storage.  The second floor board room features windows to 12 feet high with inspirational views from Pikes Peak to Mt. Evans.

International Bank - Aurora, CO

The exterior of the building was inspired by the Eagles Nest development and its sweeping roof forms and trellises.  The use of natural and synthetic stone provides human scale elements and detail.

This project was very rewarding because it wasn’t a chain-bank typical location.  Not only was the client a pleasure to work with, the general contractor, GTC, did a great job executing the build out.

This article was in the Denver Post the other day.   Since then, we have completed the construction documents and permits are ready to be issued.