Fillmore Plaza Update from the BID
February 23rd, 2008 Posted in Business, Neighborhood DisruptionsAt Wednesday night’s Cherry Creek Steering Committee Meeting Julie Bender, the CEO of the CCN Business Improvement District (BID), gave a brief Fillmore Plaza (FP) development update, and several issues were discussed.
The firm, Design Workshop, was selected and will work with CommArts, the original firm that created the garden district plan for the business district and FP. Since the BID has spent a significant amount of money on design work with CommArts, it makes sense that the two firms should be working together to create an improved development plan for the entire BID as well as FP.
Since Western Development is presently constructing Phase III of North Creek on the west side of FP, the construction will be tearing up the western parts of Fillmore Plaza, and Western Development has offered to remove all of the FP concrete surface at the same time. Even though it was not clear what would happen after FP surface demolition, several ideas of temporary planted grass, artificial grass, or some other type of surface were discussed to replace the removed concrete surface until a final design plan is approved and ready for implementation.
CCNNA has advocated that present construction efforts should improve FP instead of correcting construction demolition effects by putting FP back in the same or worse condition before demolition occurred, so these suggestions of temporary grass and other improvements is on the right track. In addition to the main FP surface, there were also questions concerning the connection between FP and the 1st Aveneue crosswalk construction that is presently underway.
Several CCSC members asked if both Western Development and the Sturm Group, the developer on the east side of FP, would be reimbursing the BID for the use of the plaza for construction and cost of the temporary surface. Julie Bender responded that this monetary contribution from the developers on both sides of FP is being discussed. At the beginning of the FP discussion two years ago, both developers did not want to make any investments int o FP, so I am pleased to see this investment attitude has changed.
As you can tell from this update, there are many issues to be addressed. At least the improvement of FP is underway, and there could be temporary changes made by the end of this year. The FP Design Work Group, upon which Dan Dahlberg and I represent CCNNA ,will continue to monitor the FP design process. We will continue to keep you informed on its progress.
If you should have any questions, please let me know at newleeway@msn.
Wayne New, CCNNA President
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