BY FREDA MIKLIN
STAFF WRITER
If the Denver City Council says yes, seven buildings and 3.8 acres of open space on 13 acres will soon become Cherry Creek West (CCW), a sustainable, health-conscious, $1 billion mixed-use development recently approved by the Denver Planning Commission and headed to the full city council next month for final scrutiny. The land for this development is currently being used as a parking lot.
In addition to its cutting-edge, people-driven design for becoming a “15-minute city,” about 12% of the housing at CCW will be affordable, reserved for those earning no more than 60% of the area’s median income.
A 15-minute city is defined as a place where people can fulfill their basic needs—live, work, shop, child care, fitness, personal service salons, etc.— by walking a short distance, biking, or using public transit.
A book titled, “The 15-Minute City—A Solution to Saving Our Time & Our Planet,” by Carlos Moreno was published in May and is described as, “A fresh and innovative perspective on urban issues and creating sustainable cities,” which offers, “techniques to change the habits of automobile-dependent city residents and maximize social benefits of living in a human-centric city.”
Developer East West Partners’ team for creating and bringing CCW to life includes Gensler, Design Workshop, BuildMark, and Cushman & Wakefield.
It was recently announced that Elways’ steakhouse in Cherry Creek is closing at the end of this month to make way for CCW. Tim Schmidt, co-owner of the restaurant with John Elway, was noncommittal in a recent interview about whether they will re-open in a new location.