New TAG restaurant coming to Denver tower

Brookfield Office Properties Inc. finalized negotiations to bring a signature restaurant to one of Denver’s tallest skyscrapers, 1801 California St., the company announced Monday.

TAG Restaurant Group, owned by chef Troy Guard, will open an American restaurant in 8,687 square feet of ground-level space in early 2014.
It will be the fourth Denver restaurant opened by Guard, who also owns the original TAG in Larimer Square,
TAG Raw and TAG Burger Bar.
Plans call for the largest street-level outdoor patio downtown, according to Brookfield officials, a 2-story glass wall facing 18th Street, an outdoor fireplace and lounge and “a wrap-around, open kitchen.”

The restaurant has not been named.

“Brookfield is thrilled that Chef Guard and his investors have chosen 1801 California for the newest addition to TAG Restaurant Group’s family of renowned restaurants,” said David Sternberg, senior vice president for Brookfield’s Midwest and Mountain Regions. “Chef Guard’s high-quality cuisine is a fitting addition to the other upgrades coming on line here with our $50-million renovation.”

Brookfield (NYSE: BPO), a subsidiary of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management Inc., paid $215 million for the 54-story former Qwest headquarters in December 2011. It took over the master lease from CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL) almost a year ago and has been renovating the 1.3 million square foot building.

It also recently announced Ink Coffee would be a ground-level retailer.

The new restaurant will “artfully showcase meat, poultry, and game through skillful culinary interpretations that offer house-crafted charcuterie and hand-made cheeses, an ultra-fresh raw bar, an in-kitchen rotisserie and wood fired grill,” according to Brookfield.

“With the exploding culinary scene here, there’s no place better than Denver to be a chef right now,” Guard said. “I’m really looking forward to expanding the restaurant scene downtown with our progressive American grill concept at 1801 California.”

Kelly Greene, president of Urban Legend, a division of Legend Retail Group, represented TAG while Brookfield was represented in-house by Peter Pavlakis and by Caroline Crowther of Legend.

Legend Retail Group
5150 E. Yale Circle, Suite 400 • Denver, CO 80222
720.529.2999 • www.ul-co.com

KING SOOPERS PULLS OUT OF CU HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT AT 9th & COLORADO

By Steve Raabeand Anthony Cotton The Denver Post The Denver Post

 

King Soopers is no longer part of the big redevelopment at Ninth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver.

King Soopers president Russ Dispense said he likes the location of the old University of Colorado Hospital but can't make a grocery store work under the current redevelopment plan from Fuqua Development.

The grocer was expected to be an anchor tenant for the mixed-use development on the 28-acre site of the former hospital.

"We continue to be interested in this site," Dispense said. "But due to the constraints of the current site plan, we didn't feel like we could create a functional store that would meet our customers' expectations and be reflective of this unique Denver neighborhood."

One of the grocer's problems with the site plan was that it proposed to locate the store's parking lot across the street from the store itself, potentially causing conflicts between shoppers and motorists.

The news comes as a blow to neighbors who fought against a proposed Walmart and had been ecstatic with the King Soopers announcement.

Walmart pulled out of the project last year after a campaign by neighborhood activists who were concerned about the impact of having the giant retailer in the area. The development plan proposes a mix of retail, restaurants and housing for the site that has been vacant since the hospital moved to the Fitzsimons Campus in Aurora in 2007.

City officials said in November that Fuqua Development was negotiating with King Soopers to take Walmart's place. It's too soon to tell whether King Soopers' departure will delay or even derail the redevelopment, city and neighborhood officials said.

"There's a certain level of anxiety that exists until the project moves forward," said Laurie Bogue, president of the Bellevue-Hale Neighborhood Association.

But Bogue said she and others are convinced that Atlanta-based Fuqua and its equity partner, Lionstone Group of Houston, are motivated to proceed and will make the development work despite King Soopers' pullout.

Denver City Councilwoman Jeanne Robb said the council is unlikely to approve a proposal for $21 million in
city-sponsored tax-increment financing without more detail on exactly how the project will be built out.

Robb said she would like to see more housing than has been proposed by Fuqua.

A representative for Fuqua did not respond to requests for comment.

"The economics just didn't make sense," University of Colorado president Bruce Benson said of the plan for the King Soopers store.

He said issues included the exposure that King Soopers wanted; a problem with how Albion Street runs through the property; and street-versus-underground parking.

"It's something you're not in control of. You're talking the city, the City Council, neighborhood groups — it's not an easy deal," Benson said. "We're going to get there — it just takes a long time."

Developer plans $160M mixed-used project near Anschutz Medical Campus

 

A development company announced plans Wednesday for a $160 million mixed-use project near Aurora's

Anschutz Medical Campus on East Colfax Avenue.

The complex, dubbed Block 21 and proposed by Waveland Ventures LLC, would include a six-story hotel and conference center as well as a four-story, 100-unit apartment complex; stores; restaurants; and an “urban park.”

Waveland — with offices in the Denver Tech Center; Austin, Texas; and Milwaukee — says the name is a tribute to the old Army Hospital 21 that stood at the nearby Fitzsimons Army Medical Center.

The site is on East Colfax between Potomac and Xanadu streets.
“This project will be extremely catalytic for future development on Colfax Avenue,” Rick Hayes, CEO of Waveland Ventures, said in a statement.

Block 21 will be developed through a partnership with Jackson Street Holdings LLC and Arrival Partners LLC, Waveland said.

It hopes to begin construction by late this year.

Plans call for a 200-room hotel with 30,000 square feet of meeting space and a 500-space covered parking structure. Developers said they expect to announce a franchise deal with a hotel chain next month.

The proposed project is near the site where Corporex Colorado LLC — a unit of Corporex Cos. Inc. of Covington, Ky. — is developing the 32-acre Fitzsimons Village. A 153-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel opened there in 2011, and Fitzsimons Village also features an office complex used by Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Corporex has filed plans with the city of Aurora for another hotel at Colfax and Xanadu.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, noting that the city is in negotiations with Corporex on those plans, declined comment on either proposal late Wednesday.

“I will say it is encouraging to see two companies interested in this part of the city,” Hogan said. “ It is a strong indicator of the changes occurring in Aurora, and is evidence of the urbanization of our community.”

Waveland, funded in 2002, specializes in venture capital and community development finance. It says it manages $800 million in assets.

Its community development arm has received $312 million in credits under the federal New Markets Tax Credit Program since 2007. The program aims to promote spur redevelopment in economically distressed communities.

Mark Harden directs print and digital news content for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "Broadway & 17th" blog. Email: mharden@bizjournals.com. Phone: 303-803-9227.

Construction starts on Denver Trader Joe's

Workers this week broke ground on the Trader Joe's store at East Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, six months after the grocery chain confirmed its plans to open its first Denver store.

Heavy equipment has been preparing the site, and a spokeswoman for the Monrovia, Calif.-based specialty grocer confirmed Thursday that construction is underway.

“Currently, the tentative Denver store opening is fourth quarter 2013,” Alison Mochizuki said via email.

Plans call for a new 18,000-square-foot building with a separate liquor store. Under Colorado law, it will be the only store in the company’s chain allowed to have a liquor license.

Jimmy Balafas, principal of Kentro Group, a Denver development company specializing in retail that is building the store, declined comment.

Trader Joe’s is also opening a store in Boulder, at 1906 28th St. on the west end of the Twenty Ninth Street mall. Construction on that store has not begun, Mochizuki said.

A company statement said the Denver store “will feature a festive décor that mixes traditional Trader Joe’s elements such as cedar covered walls and Hawaiian motifs, combined with a local flair that includes art celebrating the neighborhood.”

Trader Joe’s is known for stocking its own brands of trendy and affordable foods such as Thai lime-chili cashews, sea salt brownies and Belgium butter waffle cookies.

It’s also known for the inexpensive Charles Shaw brand wine — or Two- or Three-Buck Chuck, as loyalists call it.

Dennis Huspeni covers real estate and retail for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "Real Deals" blog. Phone: 303-803-9232.

Les Schwab Tire Centers opens 1st Colorado stores

Les Schwab Tire Centers said it will have its first five Colorado stores open by Thursday.
The Bend, Ore.-based tire retailer built all five stores since it announced it was coming to Colorado in March.

Customers might be taken aback at first by the chain’s service model, which harkens back to the days of full-service gas stations: A Les Schwab employee runs out to the car when a customer pulls on the lot.
“Sometimes they unroll their windows and ask if they parked in the wrong spot, but a majority of customers are excited and happy to be taken care of,” said Jeff Lowry, area manager for Colorado. “Our big deal is service.”

Since the Aurora store opened first on Sept. 21, Les Schwab officials used it for a training store for the 60 or so employees hired to work the five stores. Most of those hires were made locally, Lowry said.

Les Schwab has 374 company-owned stores nationwide, mostly in the western United States, including the new stores in Denver. The company has sold $1.4 billion worth of tires as of January, Lowry said.

The total number of Les Schwab stores is 440, with 6,660 employees.

The company picked metro Denver to open its first five Colorado stores because of the growing population and improving local economy, Lowry said. “It’s a great community and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Grand opening celebrations for the stores are planned for Thursday through Saturday, with free food, cake and soft drinks. Saturday, the company is giving away Denver Nuggets tickets and allowing local high schools to sell tickets to on-site food trucks for fundraisers.

Congratulations to Tami Lord and Peter Pavlakis of Legend Retail Group for their work in helping Les Schwab open their first stores in Colorado!

Legend Retail Group
5150 East Yale Circle, Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80222
www.legendretailgroup.com


The new stores are located at:
• 3430 N. Tower Rd., Aurora, opened Sept. 2.
• 2001 Federal Blvd, Denver, opened Oct. 15.
• 945 Sergeant Jon Stiles Dr. Highlands Ranch, opening Thursday.
• Littleton: 13331 W Bowles Ave., Littleton, opened Oct 5.
• Parker: 11265 Pikes Peak Dr., Parker, opening Thursday.

Denver Business Journal by Dennis Huspeni, Reporter
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 2:49pm MDT - Last Modified: Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 3:23pm MDT

New Belgium, Smash Burger team up to pair burgers and beer

Smash Burger and New Belgium Pairing Menu

• Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger & Fat Tire Amber Ale
• BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar Burger & 1554 Black Ale
• Colorado Burger & Ranger IPA
• Spicy Baja Burger & Sunshine Wheat
• Spinach and Goat Cheese Chicken Sandwich & Shift Pale Lager
• Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich & Ranger IPA

DENVER — New Belgium Brewing Co. has teamed up with Denver-based Smash Burger to reinvigorate the classic American beer and burger pairing.
At the restaurant’s 16th Street location in Denver, founder Tom Ryan and New Belgium sensory specialist Lauren Salazar unveiled six new beer and burger pairings last week.
When looking at brewers in Colorado that would fit well with Smash Burger’s menu, Ryan said New Belgium rose to the top based on its creativity and quality.
“Burgers and beer are a great American occasion,” Ryan said. “We are bringing great beer and burgers to the forefront.”
Smash Burger has launched the pairings at the Denver 16th Street location and at Fort Collins’ 2550 E. Harmony Road location.
Eventually, the menu parings, such as the Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger with Fat Tire Amber Ale, will be available at all 16 Colorado Smash Burger stores.
Salazar, who helped pair all of the beers, said craft food, such as craft beer, has lots of flavor. The burger’s ingredients can highlight the beer’s taste and vice versa.
For example, he said, the hops in the Fat Tire are understated and the mushrooms in the Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger help bring them out.
There are plans to extend the pairing concept to other states.

A NEW ANGLE ON WALMART SUPERCENTERS

News about Legend Retail Group's listing and client...

"It will look different from any of our other stores in Denver or Colorado.”

By John Mossman The Denver Post

 
The design of the proposed Walmart in the 9th-and-Colorado project will be a compromise between the developer’s upscale rendering and newer Walmarts being built in other urban areas, company officials said.    “I think it will look somewhere between the developer’s rendering and a store that obviously has our branding and at least a hint of our architectural signature,” said Josh Phair, Walmart’s public-affairs representative in Colorado. “It will look different from any of our other stores in Denver or Colorado.”    The proposed store will be similar to urban stores the company is building in Washington, D.C., and Chicago — “stores that look nothing like a suburban Walmart,” Phair said. He added: “It’s really dictated by the design guidelines for the project. In essence, the neighborhood has kind of built the store for us on the exterior.”     

Developer Jeff Fuqua’s plan to have a Walmart as the anchor of the $180 million, 28-acre redevelopment project has inflamed neighborhood critics. They say having a Walmart as the anchor of the project — on the old University of Colorado Hospital site — will destroy their middle-class neighborhood; increase crime, traffic and noise; and hurt small, local businesses. They also abhor Walmart’s labor and employment practices. Those sentiments have been expressed at various community meetings, most recently Wednesday night. Fuqua says the project can’t go forward without Walmart, a large sales-tax generator that is the only major retailer to agree to the stringent design standards.    The Walmart will have underground parking, with limited surface parking, and will blend in with the rest of the project, with no hint of the big-box look of most of its stores, officials say. “You could probably drive by on Colorado Boulevard and not know that is a retail store,” Fuqua said.

Walmart officials also said they’re still studying whether the store will be a 24-hour operation, pending a security analysis and community feedback, although the company’s “default” position is for round-the-clock hours.

Delia Garcia, media director for Walmart West, told The Denver Post that the store will be a Supercenter, despite its size of 119,000 square feet — modest by Walmart standards. “Supercenter refers to product mix, not size,” she said Thursday. “Everybody thinks it means super-sized, but it doesn’t. What it really means is you can have electronics and apparel and all those departments as well as a grocery. It’s about one-stop shopping convenience. There are some Supercenters that are 100,000 square feet and some that are 230,000 square feet.” Phair said the Supercenter will have sustainable features, including reduced greenhouse-gas emissions, low-flow water fixtures and energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Not planned are a tire and lube center, garden center, drive-through pharmacy, gun sales or liquor sales, except for 3.2 beer, Phair said.


Re-posted by: Legend Retail Group
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By John Mossman: 303-954-1479, jmossman@denverpost.com