Governor's Park becomes new epicenter in Denver's growth debate

High-density developers are targeting Governor’s Park in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood as a prime place for new projects — but not without sparking opposition.

Why it matters: The area has become the new epicenter in Denver’s ongoing old-versus-new growth debate.

Driving the news: A Denver City Council committee this week advanced a plan pushed by three residents who want to preserve the Denver7 news building as a historic landmark.

• The use of historic designation is becoming the main tool for residents who want to fight projects in a city divided between preservation and continued urban development.
• The designation would keep the building from being demolished and replaced by a new apartment complex. A New York-based developer is under contract to buy the 2.3-acre parcel.
• Denver7 management opposes the designation, arguing the building’s Brutalist architecture is "dated and foreboding, offering little to the neighborhood beyond concrete walls and security fencing."

The state of play: Within the last five years, two eight-story apartment buildings have sprung up within a block of each other nearby — and more are on the way. Meanwhile, other projects are amplifying the redevelopment challenge.

• An eight-story apartment building at 757 N. Grant St. is currently under construction, and another was recently proposed directly across the street, the Denver Business Journal reports.
• A plan for a massive apartment complex up to 13 stories high on the lot of the old Racine’s restaurant is under city review and already stirring up opposition from a resident-led group called "Save Governor’s Park."

• A block of restaurants led by chef Frank Bonanno faces demolition after the property owner deemed it was more lucrative to explore their option to sell.

What they’re saying: "It's disappointing, but that's all it is," Bonanno told Westword. "It's just business. Times are changing — Capitol Hill has changed."

What’s next: Denver council members want Denver7 and the residents who oppose the redevelopment plans to reach a compromise. Should they fail, the full council is scheduled to vote on the historic landmark designation next month.