Right now, it’s a lot of open parking spaces serving attractions in downtown Denver.
But the owners of dozens of acres around Elitch Gardens and the South Platte River have big plans for the site’s future.
Revesco Properties is now sharing some of those plans for a 62-acre site named “The River Mile.”
A website for the project offers renderings and a video explaining some of the proposed development for a new urban neighborhood.
A spokesman for the project said the goal is a to build a place where families want to live and work. Plans include residences, schools, retail and restaurants. The project also includes access to the South Platte River, with a mile-long riverfront.
Phase one starts with the parking lots around Elitch Gardens, a spokesman said. Revesco Properties wants to add a multi-level parking deck with about 1400 spaces for visitors to the amusement park.
Elitch Gardens will stay for now. A spokesman said if and when the time comes to move the park for this development, the owners will find a better home.
The owners did not offer a timeline for the project, but say it could take 25 years to develop.
The plans also requires action from city leaders. A decade ago, Denver created a Downtown Area Plan to set a guideline for growth and development. This project requires an amendment to that plan, according to a spokesman for the City and County of Denver Community Planning and Development.
The city is reviewing that now, collecting public input, and the city council will have to pass the amendment before the project moves forward.
To read more about the development, you can visit the Denver Business Journal (paywall).
