Progress at the Walgreens Site

Quite a bit of work has already been done at the new Walgreen's site.

The Walgreens will be two stories, and it looks like it will do a good job of filling in the northeast corner of Alameda and Wadsworth. Immediately to the east, the foundation has been laid for the Key Bank, which will also be two stories. A third building will sit to the north of the Walgreens, fronting Wadsworth. No construction has started there, and it's my understanding that no tenant has been identified, but the building is planned to be between three and five stories.

I'm happy that the buildings will all be at least two stories high, and that parking will be on the interior of the block. Taken together, this will allow the buildings to front the street in proper New Urbanist style.

Key Bank Site

Walgreens at Alameda & Wadsworth

Walgreens Development Site Plan

Bustle on Block 9

A quick walk today around Belmar's Block 9 revealed lots of bustle. Eight homes are framed up and getting windows and siding. Four foundations are going in. At this rate, I would guess the entire KB Home development will be built out in just a few more months. 

Cityscape at Belmar to Open in 2015

Another large vacant parcel in Belmar is Lot 37 of Block 12. This land is directly to the northeast of Block 14, and will eventually be the site of Cityscape at Belmar, an affordable housing solution for seniors.

Belmar Block 12, Lot 37

Recently the developer, Metro West Housing Solutions, has put some information up on their website, describing the planned development as "dynamic and elegant senior living."  Their website goes on to say that the development will be a "new mixed-income senior community with affordable and market rate apartments," and that "the community is planned to open in 2015."

This is the first time I've seen a date attached to the development of Lot 37, so this is good news, although the 2015 date is pretty far off. However, it does appear that things are moving, as a bid has been put out for the project.

Belmar Blocks 13 and 14 Under Contract

Belmar Block 14: Still a Vacant Lot as of 2012

Belmar's Block 13 and Block 14, which sit at the intersection of S. Saulsbury St. and W. Virginia Ave., are under contract, according to the website of brokers Moran and Company.

I looked into this after noticing yellow and orange flags on the property (showing the location of underground utility lines?) and a drilling rig taking a core sample of the property.

Does this mean that development of these parcels in coming soon?

Well, I don't know, because it turns out that it's not just Block 13 and Block 14 that are for sale. Both parcels are listed in combination with the Belmar II apartment complex at 7133 W. Virginia Ave. If the sale goes through, let's hope that the buyer is interested in developing both Block 13 and 14 in short order, and not just acquiring the existing apartments.

Viet Hoa Supermarket

Where to grocery shop when you live in Belmar?

Well, downtown Lakewood has both a King Soopers and a Whole Foods Market. But living in Belmar also gives you choices you wouldn't have if you lived in a newer, less-ethnically diverse suburb. 

For this post I want to focus on the Viet Hoa Supermarket. If you haven't ever been, it's on Alameda, just 1 mile east of Wadsworth Blvd, and it's my go-to store for Asian noodles, hot pepper sauces, fresh basil and frozen dumplings. They also carry a decent kimchi, perfect for homemade Korean tacos.

It's a big store, located in a more or less decrepit strip mall. The vast, empty parking lot is not sexy. There's no where to lock your bike, even though the location is very bike-able (it's connected to Belmar by bike path). It's pretty much the antithesis of smart urban design.

But thank goodness it's here, as it often saves me a trip across town to H-Mart, when I'm in need of a specific ingredient for a dish I'm craving.

Update March 2013

Viet Hoa has moved from the location mentioned here, but thankfully just a little bit down the road. The new location is at Alameda and Sheridan, on the northwest corner of the street.

Belmar: What's in a Name?

Why Belmar?

It's a strange name for a neighborhood in suburban Denver, with its Latinate suggestion of "beautiful" and "sea." When you google it, Belmar, New Jersey pops up as often as not. So where did the name come from?

A century ago, the area that is now downtown Lakewood was considered the country-- and just the right distance from the hustle and bustle of Denver for a quick weekend getaway. May Bonfils, daughter of Denver Post magnate Frederick Bonfils, chose the location for her 750 acre country estate, which she named Belmar.

According to biographer Jeanne Varnell, Belmar was "a private paradise," with a ornate wrought iron gates, a fountain, and a twenty-room mansion modeled after the Petit Trianon palace at Versailles. "Peacocks paraded on the lawn," and "swans floated on Grassmere Lake." She drove a Rolls Royce, "the costliest car ever sold in Colorado," and "her 70.2-carat diamond, the Idol's Eye, was one of the world's great diamonds."

May furnished the mansion with exotic furniture and art from her travels in Europe. Again, according to Varnell, May "brought back a Marie-Antoinette bed, a piano said to have been played by Chopin, and a gold chair bearing Queen Victoria's crest.

After her death, her antiques and jewelry were sold. The mansion went to the Catholic Church, which in turn sold it off to developers. The house was demolished and replaced by a nondescript office building and a parking lot. All that remains today is a series of stone steps that lead down to Kountze Lake.

Photos of May Bonfil's Belmar in it's glory days are available here: http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/8643/rec/9

Firestone Auto Center At Belmar

I'm not sure how I missed this, but a Firestone Complete Auto Care will be going in a 575 S. Vance Street in Belmar. This is the vacant parcel on the northwest corner of West Center Avenue and S. Vance Street, just south of the proposed Chick-fil-A and across the street from KB Home's residential development.

Case Number:	SP12002
Project Name:	Firestone Tire Center at Belmar Site Plan
Address:	575 S Vance St
Applicant:	Mays and Company
Owner:	Block 9 Asset, LLC
Project Status:	With Applicant 3rd time
Last Status Date:	08/17/2012
Description:	Construction of new 8,800 s.f. Firestone Tire Center

Yes on 3A & 3B

On November 6th, residents of downtown Lakewood (and all residents of Jefferson County!) will have the chance to shore up the damage done to our local school system by the recession.

Good schools are essential to protecting property values and encouraging businesses and people to relocate to our area. For decades the Jefferson County Public Schools enjoyed a reputation as the best school system in the Denver metro area. Declining revenues over the last decade, however, have resulted in cut after cut-- and that was before the recession that started in 2008. Since then, per pupil funding has dropped an additional $761, and is now $100 below the state average. And folks, the state average in Colorado is $1400 below the national average!

Such a low level of funding is corrosive. Essential maintenance is being deferred. The school year is being shortened via furlough days. Programs like music and libraries are being eliminated. Class size is up, and schools are having trouble recruiting and retaining the best teachers.

A yes vote on 3A & 3B is a vote to stop this slide. Good schools are as essential to successful urban renewal as good planning and good design.

Connecting Downtown Lakewood

Anyone who lives in Belmar knows that crossing Wadsworth on foot is an unpleasant task. It's too many lanes and too many cars, and as a result, downtown Lakewood is effectively cut in half.

So it was nice to read in the Lakewood Sentinel that the city is finally taking seriously the need to unify Belmar, Lakewood Commons, Belmar Park, and the Lakewood Civic Center.

The City of Lakewood has also put up a web page for the Downtown Lakewood Connectivity and Urban Design Plan, announcing a series of public workshops.

Perhaps most promising of all, the city's webpage states that the "study will evaluate transit options in the area, as well as possible connections to the West Corridor light rail stations at Wadsworth and the Federal Center."

Chick-fil-A Proposed Site Plan

Here are the draft plans for the proposed Belmar Chick-fil-A. The building sits on the corner of S. Vance and W. Virginia Ave, with the drive-through lane wrapping around the building. Drive-through patrons would order on the northeast corner and pick-up on the west side of the building.

You can see that the planned buffer between the drive-through and the residential property on the other side of S. Vance is a 3 foot screen wall, along with varied trees and other landscaping.

Although I would not want to live across the street from a drive-through fast food restaurant, the property is zoned 4-C, which is different from the rest of Belmar's PD (planned development) zoning. According to the City of Lakewood, 4-C allows for "larger commercial uses such as bowling alleys, shopping centers, supermarkets or museums." I would hope that anyone buying a home across the street from vacant 4-C land would go into it with their eyes open.

My concern is the vast amounts of parking that this plan calls for. Does a Chick fil-A really need almost 50 parking spaces? It's two thirds of the site, and no matter how well landscaped, it's a parking lot that will likely be vacant most of the time.

This is especially problematic when you consider the vast amount of under used parking that exits on the 1st Bank property immediately to the west of the Chick-fil-A site.

Oceans of asphalt are simply not good urban planning, and not what we need if the intersection of Alameda and Wadsworth is truly to become downtown Lakewood.

Chick-fil-A Proposed for Belmar

ZC3 has filed a plan with the city of Lakewood to put in a Chick-fil-A with drive through at the corner of S. Vance St and W. Virginia Ave (details below).

Wow. Unless thoughtfully designed, this seems likely to put a damper on sales of the KB Home duplexes that are immediately opposite-- I can't imagine walking out my front door to see cars idling in a fast food drive-though. There's also the issue of the odors generated by fast food restaurants.

And of course the fact that the last thing the world needs is another Chick-fil A.

At any rate, pictures of a depressingly suburban Chick-fil A built by the applicant in Aurora are available here.

Case Number:	SP12017
Project Name:	Chick-fil-A at Belmar Site Plan
Address:	565 S Vance St
Applicant:	ZC3, LLC
Owner:	Continuum Partners LLC
Project Status:	1st Submittal
Last Status Date:	08/10/2012
Description:	New 4,688 sq.ft. restaurant with drive-through in 4-C district

Geico Building Demolished

The Geico Building is gone. I was surprised how different the intersection of Wadsworth and Alameda looks without it, even though it was set back behind a large surface parking lot and did little to contribute to a defined streetscape. Work is supposed to begin shortly on the new Walgreens and Key Bank.

The plans call for the Walgreens to sit close to the street corner, with parking behind and to one side, which should create a strongly-defined street wall.

Now, any chance the demolition guys could take out the Olive Garden on the north side of the street before they finish up?

Festival Italiano 2012

Cooler weather made for a really nice Italian Festival this year in Belmar. The sky was clear, but it felt like fall. The shade trees along Alaska St. and Teller St. have grown and filled out in the last seven years as well.

There also seemed to be a noticeable improvement in the quality of the street food. Marco's Coal Fired Pizza was a good example of this. Lines were long at their booth, but their pies were head and shoulders above the other vendors. Dolce Sicilia, my favorite north Denver Italian bakery, was also present.

 As always, there were big crowds to watch the flag throwers, the Bocce tournament, and lots of kids stomping grapes. It's a big event, with lots to see and do.

Living in Belmar, I didn't feel the need to get out and do everything at once. Instead, it's nice being able to wander over, grab a coffee and a bite to eat, then come back again later in the day to listen to some live music and sip a glass of wine.

Walking to a Concert in Belmar Park

 

When I used to live in downtown Denver, one of the great things was being able to walk to concerts-- there was the Fillmore Auditorium, the Ogden, even the Pepsi Center, where I saw a particularly good performance by U2.

U2 won't be playing in Lakewood anytime soon, but I'm not nearly as interested in rock music as I used to be.

Walking to concerts is still a possibility, however, as it turns out there's a fantastic summer concert series in Belmar Park, put on each year by the city of Lakewood. The bands this year include bluegrass, alt-country, soul, and Celtic. I went to see the bluegrass band Harpeth Rising last week.

The outdoor amphitheater where they played is just a couple of blocks from downtown Belmar, on the west side of Wadsworth, so no driving was involved. My family and I packed a picnic dinner and a blanket, walked over, and found a spot on the grass. We listened to the music and watched the sun go down. It was a blast!

Roosters Men's Grooming Center Coming to Belmar Block 5

Work is ongoing in this vacant space under the Whole Foods parking lot. A sign in the window of 455 S. Vance Street lists RG2 Grooming #2 as the tenet, but it appears this will be home to a Roosters Men's Grooming Center. 

Sounds great. One little critique: their website lists this location as in the "Belmar Mall." 

Please, no. 

 

Fusion Federation Opening in Belmar

Fusion Federation, a fashion retailer specializing in women's clothing, has a sign up in an empty Belmar storefront on Alaska Drive. It looks like the plan is to open in August.

From the look of their webpage, their clothes are fashion forward (and to my eye, a little bit Goth), with prices just a bit above Forever 21 or H&M. 

Belmar Sign at Alameda and Wadsworth

I noticed a while back that Continuum had requested a replatting of Belmar Block 1 to shrink the size of Lot 1. It looks like this was a prelude to putting in a sign on the corner of Wadsworth and Alameda, which the corner certainly needs. Of course, what I would like to see is a building on that corner (and not a Best Buy parking lot), but a big, bold sign would be a start.

Work is now underway on the sign, as you can see in this photo:

Update: Here's a photo of the finished work. The sign pulses from blue to orange, but in a generally good way. It's not as tall as I'd have expected, but it works.

Las Margaritas Restaurant Closes

A sign in the door says the Belmar location of Las Margaritas is closed for good.

This is the second Mexican restaurant to not make it in Belmar, following the departure several years ago of the upscale Chama.

Chama had tasty food but absolutely lousy service. Crowds dwindled, which apparently led management to staff less servers, which led in turn to even lousier service. It was a downward spiral.

Las Margaritas always seemed to have a decent crowd, but there was never a waiting list. In my view, the food was mediocre but the patio awesome. It was a fine place for a beer and nachos, but perhaps that wasn't enough to pay the rent.

Belmar World of Beer Applies for Liquor License

Signs

I love the lettering on the Whole Foods and Nordstrom Rack signs in Belmar, the way the words hang there, open to the sky. They have a retro feel that reminds me of the famous Public Market Center sign in Seattle above the Pike Place Market. It's a classy way to advertise.

The tastefulness of these two signs is readily apparent when compared with the obnoxious sign at the neighboring Best Buy. Good lord! Make it stop!

World of Beer Coming to Belmar Plaza

It doesn't look like any construction has started, but all the kiosks in downtown Belmar have been updated to show the World of Beer in this spot, between Baker Street Pub & Grill and the Ohio Center for Broadcasting on the main plaza in Belmar.

As of yet, there's nothing on the World of Beer website, and no timeline other than the "Summer 2012" given on the Belmar webpage.

The Weakest Link

If there's a weak link in the effort to make an urban, walkable neighborhood out of central Lakewood, it's the Belmar Best Buy.

The site violates all sorts of new urbanist principles. Instead of defining the corner of Alameda and Wadsworth, the Best Buy sits back behind a massive parking lot. It presents a blank wall to the tree-lined sidewalk on W. Alaska Dr. The building has no windows. The list goes on.

Continuum allowed it during the darkest days of the recession, presumably under the assumption that bad development was better than no development.

Alas, this is not so, at least not for anyone who wants to see good urban planning in downtown Lakewood. The only bright spot is that there's plenty of talk in the financial world of Best Buy going belly up. Perhaps then this terrible building and its oversized parking lot can be repurposed by a retailer interested in something other than rehashing the greatest hits of 90's strip mall suburbia.

Mini-Construction Boom

Sold!

On a quick walk around the Belmar KB Home site today I counted 16 sold signs. With 60 total units planned, that puts the development at a little over 25% sold after just a few months on the market. Wow!

Belmar Library

Located on the southwest side of the Wadsworth and Alameda intersection that forms the crux of downtown Lakewood, the Belmar library is one of the things that gives the neighborhood a new urbanist vibe.

In addition to books, the Belmar branch of the Jefferson County Public Library has a wide subscription of periodicals and a large children's collection. Spanish language materials are readily available, as Belmar, like the rest of the Denver metro area, is home to a large and diverse community of Spanish speakers. An open computer area in the center of the library providing internet access sees heavy use. Reflecting the larger community, the library offers computer classes for seniors and story time for young children.

Most importantly, at least for the idea of Belmar as a walkable urban neighborhood, Belmar residents can easily walk or bike to their library, although it does require crossing Wadsworth at grade (this is reason #1 why we need a pedestrian bridge).

KeyBank To Replace Ghost Bennigans

Callison Architecture has submitted a plan to the Lakewood planning commission for a 4600 square foot KeyBank at 7425 W. Alameda, the location of a defunct and ghostly Bennigans restaurant.  This location was re-zoned for a bank with drive-through last year, but this is the first time I've seen the name of the potential bank. (The empty Geico office building next store is slated to be replaced by a Walgreens.) I've been meaning to get some photos of our ghost Bennigans before it gets torn down. I suppose I'd better get to that sooner now rather than later.

Belmar Park

When I used to live on Capitol Hill, one of the highlights was going for a walk or a run in Cheesman Park.

Belmar has a pretty good park, too, on the west side of Wadsworth, behind the Lakewood Cultural Center and the Belmar Library. 

Unlike Cheesman Park's Beaux Arts sensibility, Belmar Park is 127 acres of open space, with three small lakes, a creek, a forested hill, and a grassy low area. A combination of paved and gravel paths loop around the park, along with an equestrian loop. Only the northwest corner of the park is neatly trimmed bluegrass. The rest is prairie grass. 

The south side of the park is home to the Lakewood Heritage Museum, which houses a collection of standard-issue antique farm implements and a collection of old buildings rescued from demolitions over the years. It's also home to an outdoor amphitheater and a summer concert series. Plus, this end of the park is where the annual Chili Harvest Festival and Lakewood Cider Days take place. Parking for these events is always crazy, but since the park is literally just across the street from Belmar, it's a short walk for locals.

KB Home Installs Bike Racks and Pocket Park

Construction is well underway on the new KB Home neighborhood in Belmar. Four of the paired homes have finished exteriors, and the foundation of a fifth has been poured. It looks like at least one of the units is already owner occupied.

On a quick walk through the area today, I counted seven or eight sold signs, mostly on the units that open onto the interior of the development. Much of the landscaping is also in, including sidewalks, trees, grass, a small pocket park and a row of bike racks. The quality of the landscaping is good, and in fitting with the rest of the Belmar development.

Although I had originally hoped to see higher density development on this parcel, I'm feeling good about this bit of infill. I think it'll encourage walking in the neighborhood, and it's certainly good to see new construction happening again in Belmar.

World of Beer Coming to Belmar

World of Beer, a Florida-based chain of bars, opens this summer in Belmar, according to the happenings page of Continuum's Belmar website.

No other information is provided, but a quick look through Google Image gives the basic outline: 50 beers on tap, flat panel TVs, live music, female bartenders in sleeveless tank tops. Plus a long row of refrigerator cases lined with bottled beer. It's unclear if WOB (the abbreviation seems unavoidable) serves food or not.

Either way, it seems solidly middle-brow, and will probably do well in Belmar, creating middle-brow synergy with The Rock pizzeria and Baker Street Pub & Grill.

Continuum hasn't made public which location WOB is slated for, but other WOBs appear to be in the 3000 sq. foot range, so that doesn't leave too many options, unless there are plans for new construction. Perhaps the space under Whole Foods and across the corner from The Rock and Nordstrom Rack? Or the spot between Ohio Broadcasting and Baker Street?

Construction Underway on KB Paired Homes in BelMar

KB is moving relatively fast with their development of Block 9 at BelMar. The two model homes are finished, and two more paired homes (4 units) have roofs and windows. Sidewalks and utilities are in, along with some of the common landscaping.

Paciugo Gelato & Caffe

The windows are in at Paciugo Gelato & Caffe, along with cafe tables and upscale glass tile. The general contractor tells me the store will be opening as soon as a glass display case arrives from Italy (it's currently at sea).

Peeking through the windows, the general feel is upscale and classy-- and I love the garage-style door in the front! I can imagine the buzz this will create in the summer, when the neighborhood craves frozen treats. The stylish interior of Paciugo is also a far cry from the sickly green and strawberry crush interior of the Belmar Zinga!, which begs you to run, run away.

No, this new Paciugo looks like exactly the kind of ice cream shop Belmar needs. Or at least, it looks like the next best thing to getting a Liks or a Sweet Action (I'm a realist; I know the rents are too high in Belmar for a local shop ice cream shop to make it). Paciugo itself is a national chain with 38 locations, and its other locations have pretty good reviews on Yelp.

I don't have any information on why the Belmar Ben & Jerry's closed (it seemed to do a brisk business), but if the gelato is any good, Paciugo will do well.

Working With Artists Plans Eventual Move From Belmar

It looks like Working With Artists, the Belmar non-profit that offers classes in photography, is going to follow The Lab and move to a new location.

The Lab, as you may recall, moved from Belmar after merging with the Denver Musuem of Contemporary Art.

Now Working With Artists, which merged last year with the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, is looking for "new digs."

The details are buried midway through this DU Today blog post, but it looks like another disappointing loss for the Belmar's art scene and the Block 7 studios.

Ice Sculptures on the Plaza