We thought we would share this article from The Atlantic titled “City Limits: A Conversation With Edward Glaeson” talking about how Skyscrapers and High Rises benefit cities. Here is a quick excerpt..

Edward Glaeser is high on cities. Very high, in fact. In “How Skyscrapers Can Save The City” (The Atlantic, February 2011) the Harvard economist puts the high-rise at the heart of a newly accessible, affordable, vital and sustainable metropolis. The city that doesn’t build up must build out, Glaeser points out, sucking up resources, lengthening commutes and putting pressure on undeveloped land. He sees densely populated, vertical cities not only as environmentally responsible, but as engines of innovation and prosperity — and the best hope for developing nations. Yet in cities around the world, Glaser’s lofty vision has bumped up against height limits and restrictive permitting. He spoke with The Atlantic from his home outside Boston about how measures aimed at saving cities may actually threaten their survival.

Read more…

Downtown Denver’s newest condo tower, SPIRE, has experienced phenomenal sales activity over the past nine months and has now closed on 204 units.  SPIRE’S lender has confirmed that it is the best performing building in their portfolio and thinks it is possible that the 42 story project is the best selling high rise condominium project in the United States.  Besides being an incredible addition to the Downtown skyline, buyers love the location, amenities, spectacular views, unit sizes, attainable price points, and that the project is LEED certified. (read more)

As we mentioned in our earlier post, this past weekend SPIRE was flooded with folks who wanted to learn more about our amazing residences in the heart of Denver.

What is it about living downtown that attracts so many people?  It’s many things, but this article from the Wall Street Journal takes a closer look at the home preferences of Generation Y.

SPIRE offers the best of both worlds.  Our homeowners get to have all the great features of a larger home including…

• Swimming pools
• Spas
• Movie theater room
• Guest Suites
• Sports zone
• Lounge areas
• Outdoor gas ranges
• Fire pit

Plus of course the location gives SPIRE homeowners all the benefits of living downtown including a lifestyle of walking, biking, or taking public transportation to enjoy Denver’s many restaurants, shops, and amenities.

Here is an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal Article “No McMansions for Millennials“.

Gen Y housing preferences are the subject of at least two panels at this week’s convention. A key finding: They want to walk everywhere. Surveys show that 13% carpool to work, while 7% walk, said Melina Duggal, a principal with Orlando-based real estate adviser RCLCO. A whopping 88% want to be in an urban setting, but since cities themselves can be so expensive, places with shopping, dining and transit such as Bethesda and Arlington in the Washington suburbs will do just fine.

“One-third are willing to pay for the ability to walk,” Ms. Duggal said. “They don’t want to be in a cookie-cutter type of development. …The suburbs will need to evolve to be attractive to Gen Y.”

Learn more about SPIRE or schedule your own private tour by contacting our sales center at 720-457-7550.

It was a great 2010 at SPIRE and we certainly enjoyed welcoming so many great homeowners… but we didn’t realize how much this stood out across the country!

In this most recent article from Inside Real Estate News John Rebchook talks about how SPIRE is outperforming other real estate opportunities not just in Denver, but across the country.  Here is a excerpt from this article..

From last April 19 – the day its lenders allowed it to start closing contracts – until the end of last year, 201 units have closed at the Spire, representing more than $60 million in sales. The sale price per square foot ranged from the high $200s to about $500. In addition, all 10,000 square feet of the ground-floor retail space has been leased in the LEED-certified building at 14th and Champa streets.

That is 328 percent more than all of the new home closings that took place during the time period at four of other condo buildings in Denver – One Lincoln, Pinnacle, Wynkoop Residences and Four Seasons – according to a study by Mark Co. Research. Closings at the Spire also have dwarfed the resale condo closings in One Lincoln, Glass House and Pinnacle during that period, according to the analysis.

“There’s a lot of ways to slice-and-dice real estate sales, but whether you look at the last six months or all of 2010, we were getting north of 75 percent of the local market, depending on how you measure it,” said Crosby, of Nichols Partnership, the developer of the 493-unit building.

There are a number of reasons why our new homeowners selected SPIRE for their home in the heart of Downtown Denver.   The article goes on to talk about SPIRE and the ongoing effect this will have on our great city of Denver as the building generates a new audience to draw in other restaurants, shops and amenities.  We love living in Downtown and wanted to thank everyone who helped make SPIRE such a success.  One last quote…

“It’s kind of a dream development,” Phetteplace said about the Spire.

Thank you, that was what we were going for! To learn more about SPIRE please contact the SPIRE sales team at 720-457-7550.

We all know that Colorado is a wonderful state.   Many of us relocated from another state to enjoy Colorado’s incredible weather, the beautiful mountains in our backyard, and of course the incredible city of Denver.

So it came as no surprise to read in the Denver Post that Colorado trails only Texas as a relocation destination, according to a report released Monday by Allied Van Lines.

Here is a quick blurb from today’s Denver Post article…

Analysts cited Colorado’s quality of life and relatively low unemployment rate as reasons that more people are moving to the state than are moving out.

Read more: Colo. exceeded only by Texas as 2010 relocation target – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_17003053#ixzz1A5riWbu6

We also thought this was a nice quote about the great entrepreneurial spirit in our state…

With so many great and creative businesses in our neighborhood, we know this spirit is booming.  Many such businesses will be opening their doors right at the base of SPIRE.

SPIRE, located in the heart of Downtown Denver and the theater district has become home to many of these new Colorado residents.  With a terrific location and amenities such as two pools, two hot tubs, fitness center, private theater room, sports zone, 24 hour front desk, and multiple lounges it’s a great way to enjoy the Colorado and Downtown Denver lifestyle.

To learn more about SPIRE or relocating to the Denver area,  please contact the SPIRE sales center at 720-457-7550.

I’m not talking about just a little busy… the sales team at SPIRE was swamped with folks stopping in to tour the building.

Maybe it was the beautiful weather, maybe it was the fact that SPIRE is now home to many wonderful residents who are sharing rave reviews about the pool, the fitness center, the views, or maybe it was the terrific article that appeared in the Denver Post this past weekend.   Now that residents have been living in SPIRE for several weeks, we have some great testimonials about their new SPIRE lifestyles to share.    For those folks who visited the sales center before the building was completed, this was an incredible opportunity to go from viewing a scale model to actually walking through the fitness center, pool deck, club lounge, sports zone, sky club, and of course floorplans that are now a reality.

And that’s just what a huge percentage of Denver did this past weekend, keeping our sales team busy sharing the great features of the building with the many visiting groups.  If you missed this weekend, feel free to stop our sales center or call 720.457.7550 to schedule your own exclusive tour.

Thanks to everyone who stopped in and we hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Look for more homeowner news here as well.

Thank you to the Downtown Denver Partnership and both welcome and thank you to the many, many new homeowners moving into SPIRE almost every day. Welcome to SPIRE and welcome to your Downtown Denver Neighborhood.

Video sponsored by Comcast, and produced by BurstMarketing and Direct Edit.

Denver Business Journal Book of Lists

So much has been discussed about the many awards SPIRE   has received as a residential tower that we almost forgot to mention what is happening in the world of commercial development.  The Nichols Partnership, Inc., developer of SPIRE, was recognized in the Denver Business Journal Book of Lists as #3 on the list of Denver Area Commercial Real Estate Developers.   With projects including Clayton Lane, Janus Capital Group World Headquarters, 1899 Wynkoop and 17th and Larimer, there are a number of reasons why.  Here is a list of some of the Denver projects by the Nichols Partnership that you may be familiar with.

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Clayton Lane by The Nichols Partnership, Inc.

Clayton Lane is Denver’s premier mixed-use development.  Emerging over four years from a 9.5 acre infill site, Clayton Lane transformed a 650-car parking lot into a dynamic and vibrant mixed-use district. The integrated development contains 700,000 sf of space including a corporate headquarters office building for Janus Capital Group, a 4-star JW Marriott hotel, unique lifestyle retail including Crate & Barrel, Whole Foods and 25 high-end residential condominiums. The quality urban design, architecture, mix of uses, building materials and the relationship of the buildings to the street and the Cherry Creek district, create an environment that is authentic, inviting, pedestrian-friendly and multi-dimensional.

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Janus Building by The Nichols Partnership, Inc.

Janus Capital Group – Home to the world headquarter offices of Janus Capital Group, this Class AA, 160,000 sf building established the Cherry Creek submarket as a premier corporate address.  The building is a modern composition of German limestone and metal fins over glass curtain wall and is located at 1st Avenue and Detroit Street, the entrance to Cherry Creek.

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1899 Wynkoop by The Nichols Partnership, Inc.

1899 Wynkoop – Completed in 2000 adjacent to Coors Field, this nine-story building offers 175,000 sf of prime office space. 1899 Wynkoop is recognized as a model for new development in Denver’s Lower Downtown Historic District.

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17th and Larimer by The Nichols Partnership, Inc.

17th & Larimer is an eight-story, 120,000 sf office building located in downtown Denver’s Central Business District.  Nichols Partnership is working to  revitalize this Class B asset through an extensive building renovation program which includes a facade redesign and reconstruction, complete remodel of all building common areas, and extensive upgrades to the building’s mechanical systems.

Upon completion, this LEED® registered project will qualify for LEED® certification.  The upgrades will combine to create an overall clean contemporary aesthetic enabling 17th & Larimer to re-brand and re-announce itself as a Class A corporate address in the 17th Street financial corridor.

The Nichols Partnership takes extreme care in every detail of each project.  From the various commercial or mixed use developments to the 42 story residential tower of SPIRE,  the building itself and the relationship within its community are part of a common vision to create value for the use and enjoyment of  residents, tenants and neighbors.  As we discuss SPIRE with its wonderful amenities and features,  we  encourage you to visit The Nichols Partnership, Inc . website (www.nicholspartnership.com)  and learn more about their long tradition of contributing quality development projects to Denver’s growth and improvement.

To learn more about SPIRE please contact our sales center at 720-457-7550 or visit www.spiredenver.com.  To learn more about The Nichols Partnership, Inc. please visit www.nicholspartnership.com.

• Great building
• Great location
• Great amenities
• Great prices
• Great market rates.

And now Homebuyer credit opportunities through June 30th for both new and existing homeowners have been approved by an overwhelming 98-0 vote in the Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives.

The existing $8,000 tax credit for new homeowners was already providing helpful assistance for new home purchases.  To qualify you needed to have not owned a house in the past 3 years.   That incentive has now been extended for contracts signed by April 30th and closed through June 30th of 2010.  With prices at SPIRE starting below $200K, this incentive opportunity creates a unique starting home possibility.

But the good news in the Senate announcement is not just for new home buyers.  It includes a $6,500 tax credit provision for existing home buyers who have owned a home in one of the past 5 years and with the same timelines.  This change puts smiles on so many potential new homeowners and creates one more reason to learn more about SPIRE’s residences in the heart of downtown Denver.

Contact our sales team at 720-457-7550 today to learn more about your own home opportunities at SPIRE and how the new homebuyer credit can benefit you.

SPIRE

Here is a blurb from the CNN article…

The legislation also would extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The controversial credit, which many say has boosted home sales in recent months, was set to expire after Nov. 30.

The Senate’s bill also created a $6,500 credit for those who buy a home after owning one for the last five years. That measure would apply to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The current credit defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a residence within the past three years.

www.spiredenver.com

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Enjoy the many SPIRE amenities

Terrific news was announced with plans to  extend  the $8000 tax through April 30, 2010, AND possibly expand the criteria to existing homeowners.  Here is a brief bit of the Bloomberg article and the associated link to Bloomberg.

Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) — The Obama administration endorsed plans to extend an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, saying it is helping stabilize the nation’s housing market.

The tax break, enacted earlier this year as part of the $787 billion economic stimulus package, has “brought new families into the housing market and contributed to three consecutive months of rising home prices,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today in a statement. The tax break will expire Nov. 30 unless Congress intervenes.

Senate Democrats have announced plans to extend the credit until April 30, while expanding it to include higher-income Americans and some who already own homes.

It appears that several other policies are moving into alignment for the benefit of current home buyers, including our new residents at SPIRE.  The Denver Post focused in on real estate in our own corner of the world last week and highlighted SPIRE along with the following…

Developer Randy Nichols is among those who believe the changes could be beneficial — at least in some cases.

He thinks his Spire project downtown at 14th and Champa streets could benefit under the new loan guidelines.

Spire is pre-approved for FHA loans, provided it reaches the sales threshold needed to qualify.

Spire is moving towards the current 51% sales threshold for FHA loans in order to commence closings.  New opportunities may allow for this threshold to be even lower.  The article continues with…

Pre-sale rule may change

However, the new guidelines are expected to reduce the required presales to 30 percent, according to speculation among people in the industry.

This is great news for our SPIRE homeowners. As one of the top performing high-rise buildings in the country, SPIRE is well on its way to that goal. There is something special about SPIRE. Visit us on the web at www.spiredenver.com, stop into our sales center, or call to schedule an appointment at 720-457-7550.

Your friends at SPIRE

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