Lower Downtown: Denver, Colorado

Summary

From railroad boomtown to derelict warehouse district to trendy historic neighborhood, Lower Downtown (LoDo) owes its success to a combination of visionary leadership and political fortitude. Restaurants, clubs, art galleries, shops, and loft residences animate the 100-plus restored red-brick Victorian warehouse and commercial buildings.

Designated Area

Lower Downtown is bounded by Speer Boulevard to the southwest, Larimer Street to the southeast, 20th Street to the northeast, and Wewatta Street to the northwest.

Registered as a national and local landmark, Union Station is one of a few architectural gems in Lower Downtown. Photo courtesy of the City and County of Denver.

Planning Excellence

From railroad boomtown to derelict warehouse district to trendy historic neighborhood, Lower Downtown (LoDo) owes its success to a combination of visionary leadership and political fortitude. Restaurants, clubs, art galleries, shops, and loft residences animate the 100-plus restored red-brick Victorian warehouse and commercial buildings.

Comprising 24 blocks located near the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, LoDo is considered the historic heart of Denver. It contains several architectural gems — historic Union Station and the opulent Oxford Hotel among them — that serve as backdrops for special events and festivals.

Founded by General William Larimer, Jr., in 1858, LoDo retains much of its railroad and industrial past. The area, easily accessed via Union Station or the 16th Street Mall, is best enjoyed on foot. Pedestrians appreciate the distinctive street wall created by warehouse loading docks, some of which are used for outdoor dining or retail displays.

LoDo's 3,500 residents include families, young professionals, and empty nesters who appreciate the area's proximity to outdoor parks, the Pepsi Center, and Coors Field. Housing options range from stunning, million-dollar lofts to handsome, below-market-rate apartments.

The emergence of LoDo as a vibrant neighborhood stems from strong leadership and community support. A $240 million voter-approved bond issue in 1989 enabled the city to tear down viaducts and dramatically improve the streetscape. Although residents, shoppers, diners, and tourists have replaced miners, the legacy of Denver's past remains palpable in LoDo.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Historic Heritage

• Original settlement for City of Denver (1858)
• Fire destroys wooden buildings (1863); leads to use of characteristic red brick
• Nearly all 100-plus existing historic buildings are renovated for use as offices, hotels, and residences, many with ground floor retail
• Union Station is named national (1972) and local (2004) landmark. Larimer Square Historic District (1973) and Lower Downtown Historic District (1988) added to National Register. Lower Downtown Design Review Board established in 1988
• Design Guidelines for Lower Downtown Streetscape (1991) guide use of $240 million bond issue funds
• District-specific design guidelines (2002) supplement those for Landmark Structures and Districts (1995)

Strong Leadership

• Preservationist Dana Crawford sees possibilities for LoDo's transformation; turns Larimer Square's historic buildings into festive marketplace (1969)
• Mayor Frederico Pena (1983-1991) stays course during fight creating historic district
• Planning Director William Lamont, Jr., FAICP (1983-1991) provides political backbone; lets planners advocate for and develop coalition to support historic district designation opposed by property owners
• After leading Historic Denver, Jennifer Moulton becomes city planning director (1991-2003), ensuring district's protection through support of Lower Downtown Design Review Board
• Entrepreneur turned Mayor John Hickenlooper (2003-present) spurs redevelopment by investing in several LoDo restaurants (late 1980s)

This view from the intersection of 15th St. and Wynkoop St. illustrates the character of Lower Downtown's past as a warehouse district. Today, most of the red brick buildings have been adaptively reused as apartments, restaurants, shops, and galleries drawing people to Denver's historic heart to live, work, and play. Photo courtesy of the City and County of Denver.

Reliance on Planning

• Industrial zoning changed to mixed use (1974); premiums (increased floor area) encourage adaptive reuse, underground parking; building height limits imposed
• Downtown Area Plan (1987, updated 2007) reveals community desire to protect LoDo; instills political will to overcome property owners' opposition
• Lower Downtown Neighborhood Plan (2000) brings together elements from earlier plans and design guidelines into cohesive document with well defined strategies

Amenities

• Cherry Creek Trail provides safe access to nearby Cherry Creek Park; Centennial and Commons Parks located at northwestern boundary
• Home to Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (1996) and 30 art galleries
• Coors Field (1995) and Pepsi Center (1999) bookend neighborhood
• University of Colorado, Denver on LoDo's southern edge; also Denver School of Nursing and two culinary schools in neighborhood

Sustainability

• Transit and trails eliminate need for automobile. Iconic Union Station (1881) undergoing $480-million transformation, including construction of a 22-bay underground bus facility, light and commuter rail stations, and extension of the transit mall shuttle bus
• Nearly all LoDo housing is multi-family; inclusionary zoning (2002) requires new owner-occupied developments of 30-plus units to make 10 percent affordable. Restored Barth Hotel houses more than 60 low-income and disabled seniors
• LoDo selected for pilot project by Living City Block to create an environmentally and economically sustainable block within the urban landscape by 2014

Professional sports venues – the Pepsi Center and Coors Field – bookend the neighborhood and attract thousands of visitors to Lower Downtown. Seen above is a pedestrian plaza outside of Coors Field, home of the National League's Colorado Rockies. Photo courtesy of the City and County of Denver.