The latest Cirque du Solei show to come to Denver is Corteo,
written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca. Corteo, which has been seen by
eight million people around the world, tells the story of a clown picturing his
own funeral, which takes place at a carnival and is witnessed by angels.
Corteo, which means “cortege” in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive
parade imagined by a clown.
Bouncing Beds: Like a gaggle of young kids playing in their grandparents’ room, six artists jump on two 600-pound beds that move on rotating platforms.
The show first premiered in 2005 under the big top in
Montreal and has been since updated for arenas in March 2018, keeping the
original story intact. The show features 51 performers, including acrobats,
clowns, musicians and actors.
Cirque du Solei has been entertaining Colorado audiences
since 1997. “We always have a great responsive audience there and we love to
perform in a place where people react well and enjoy our shows and I think it
adds a lot to the show,” said Max Batista, Tour Publicist for Cirque Corteo.
The stage has a unique setup as it will be set up in the
center of the arena and audience members will be on either side with good sight
views. Set Designer Jean Rabasse has divided the Grand Chapiteau and its
rotating stage in two, with each half of the audience facing the other half, so
they see not only the performance, but also have a performer’s eye view of the
audience. There is one turntable built into the stage, which is about 41 feet
long, and the track is almost 120 feet long.
This show also features six musicians and two singers who
are on stage with the performers. Typically, musicians and singers are hidden
from the audience but in Corteo, they are part of the show. “People can see us
all during the show,” said Eve Willems who plays the accordion, guitar, and
mandolin in Corteo.
Corteo: In this Cirque du Soleil a clown imagines his own funeral as a carnival of sorts, blending the ridiculous with the tragic. The show will be performed nine times from August 15 to August 22 at Pepsi Center.
The music accompanies the show and features different styles
of music including Spanish and Irish. Willems, who submitted her video
application to become a part of the show via Facebook, enjoys being part of
Cirque. “At first for me it was to discover all the different talents and I was
amazed to see all these people doing their tricks,” said Willems. “Now that we
have started, I like traveling with all these people and make people dream and
it’s really nice to be part of it.”
The show lasts two hours and 30 minutes (with a 20-minute intermission) and is packed
with death defying feats fans have come to expect from Cirque shows.
With the rising costs of airline tickets and all of the
expenses associated with traveling out of town, families are turning to more
economical trips to get away from the mountain of laundry and the yard work.
But what if you don’t want to spend seven hours in the car to take pictures of
the largest ball of twine in the U.S.? Consider the Gaylord Rockies Resort
& Convention Center which is less than 30 minutes away from central Denver.
Large Atrium: It is hard not to notice the Grand Lodges’ centerpiece the moment you walk in — the 75-foot-tall (eight stories high) atrium window offering spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains.
The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is near
Denver International Airport and is a Marriott property that opened in December
2018. The 486,000 square feet of convention space makes it the largest combined
resort and convention center in Colorado. It is the fifth Gaylord property to
open with the others located in Washington D.C, Nashville, Orlando, and Dallas.
Even though this rustic resort focuses on the business
traveler during the week, families are welcome as this hotel boasts 1,501 rooms
including 114 suites. The rooms start at $249 per night which is a bargain
considering you eliminate airfare and car rental expenses.
Sprawling Resort: Gaylord Rockies is situated on 85 acres and never feels crowded.
When you first walk into the resort, you will notice the
Grand Lodges’ centerpiece, a 75-foot-tall (eight stories high) atrium window
offering spectacular views of the Denver skyline framed by the Rocky Mountains.
Consider upgrading to VIP status as the check-in process is
smooth and the “Celebrity Services” staff are able to make reservations at one
of the eight restaurants with priority seating. The on-site restaurants serve
steak and American, Asian and Italian fares.
Lazy River: The 22,000 square foot water park features an outdoor lazy river.
This resort’s main attractions are the indoor and outdoor
pools (which includes an infinity pool), an outdoor lazy river, and three water
slides. This water park is spread out over 22,000 square-feet. The entire
resort is situated on 85 acres of land so it never feels crowded. Guests can
reserve a cabana if they want their own dedicated space. Or, they may snag a
chair by the lazy river and relax.
Inside the Mountain Pass Sports Bar is a 75-foot viewing
screen, the largest in the state. This screen plays cartoons on Saturday
morning during the Character Breakfast. The breakfast features a buffet of
breakfast foods and characters from the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
walking around to greet guests and pose for photographs. It is definitely worth
it for the little ones.
Sticking with the Wonderland theme, there is an escape room
which is fun for the entire family to experience. The “Hatter” gives clues while
people work as a team to solve the clues and escape the room. It runs $14.99
per guest. The resort also features an arcade, miniature golf, bike rentals,
pickleball, a market and more.
When you check in, be sure to ask about the free root beer
floats that are served daily. The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention
Center is located at 6700 North Gaylord Rockies Boulevard. For more information
about the resort or to make a reservation, visit www.gaylordhotels.com.
Czar Of Cherry Creek’s Conversion Into A NY Village Plans To
Create $30 Million 18-Hour-A-Day Nightlife Hub
Cherry Creek Czar: BMC Investments CEO Matt Joblon is spending $30 million to remake and reposition the Inn at Cherry Creek.
When Peter Weber built the Inn At Cherry Creek 15 years ago,
it was the district’s boutique hotel. It opened on Clayton St. at about the
same time the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek opened a block south at 150
Clayton Lane. That was when Cherry Creek North was still home to mostly
independently-owned boutique outdoor retail stores and dining destinations.
Then in 2014 the Denver City Council passed new zoning rules
for the district that reduced parking requirements, lifted restrictions on
building heights and allowed hotels in for the first time. Now most of the
independent retailers and dining destinations are gone, replaced by expensive
high-rise apartments and high-end New York retailers and restaurateurs. Three
new hotels — the Halcyon, Moxy and Jacquard — have been added. Matt Joblon —
CEO of BMC Investments and czar of the continuing massive Cherry Creek makeover
— built the Halcyon and Moxy and has a 99-year ground lease on the Inn at
Cherry Creek. The Halcyon and Moxy are both within half a mile of the Inn at
Cherry Creek. BMC has developed or is in the process of developing more than
$500 million in projects, all in Cherry Creek North.
The Inn at Cherry Creek continued to operate for a year, but
Joblon has now begun a year-long renovation or more accurately a makeover and
repositioning of the boutique site at 233 Clayton St. The existing building — a
four-story property with 37 hotel rooms, three residences and three commercial
spaces — is being gutted and 15,000-20,000-sq.-ft. of space added at an
estimated cost of $30 million. The MBC project is a collaboration with
hospitality and development industry veterans Aparium Hotel Group and
CHMWarnick.
Culture Makeover: A year-long renovation of the four-story Inn at Cherry Creek is underway on Clayton St. The hotel and three commercial spaces are being gutted and 15,000-20,000-sq.-ft. of space added at an estimated cost of $30 million.
Adding Fifth Floor
The renovation is expected to include a partial fifth floor
to the four-story hotel. The new space will be rebranded but fewer than a
half-dozen rooms are expected to be added.
The Inn’s original restaurant — The Weber Grill — was
shuttered by Joblon almost immediately after signing the 99-year lease. In its
place Joblon has promised “a great new space” that will be much larger, serving
three meals a day.
Joblon also plans to expand the hotel’s retail space. To do
that he is bringing in a third party to do an “experimental type of retail that
does not currently exist in Cherry Creek.” He has often referred to this
pro-posed space as an “upscale bazaar” similar to the Denver Central Market. Or
maybe something like the Greenwich Village Abingdon Square Greenmarket.
Boutique Beauty: For 15 years relatives of Valley families along with tourists to Denver stayed in the boutique Inn at Cherry Creek that featured 37 rooms.
Getting Party Going
You may think that Cherry Creek nightlife is dead but don’t
be fooled, Joblon plans to get the party going again at the renovated space. In
fact he wants to transform the hotel and the street from an “eight-hour-a-day
to an 18-hour-a-day community.”
Nightlife Epicenter: Renovated hotel will feature cocktail bars, music and entertainment similar to Café Wha? in New York City.
That means the hotel will feature music, food and other
amenities. “We want to do a project that is focused around the cultural part of
Cherry Creek to really grow and expand that part of it … for both locals and
people coming out and visiting,” Joblon says.
The renovated hotel’s nightlife — cocktail bars, music,
entertainment and art — will be inside so the neighborhood won’t complain.
Joblon originally planned for live music on the rooftop terrace at the Halcyon
Hotel but the neighborhood association squashed the notion because of the
hotel’s proximity to condos.
Culture Epicenter
He wants the new Inn at Cherry Creek to become its own
thriving, diverse community. Meeting rooms and community areas are being
designed into the hotel’s expansion. “The core of our vision is to create a
place that becomes the cultural epicenter for this neighborhood.”
Upscale Bazaar: Rebranded hotel is introducing a new type of retail to Cherry Creek similar to the Denver Central Market.
Think New York’s Greenwich Village or as New Yorkers call it,
“The Village.” He wants the hotel and Clayton Street to become Cherry Creek’s
bohemian capital, a spot with places like Greenwich Village’s Fat Cat and Café
Wha? He dreams of the Clayton block becoming an updated and stylish version of
Greenwich’s MacDougal St., where throngs flock to enjoy drinks, live music and
meet up with friends.
He believes the hotel has incredible potential to be a
destination in and of itself and thus help the neighborhood to thrive. He aims
for the hotel to draw all types of people with all kinds of stories. “That’s
what I think is going to make this place really special. Not to mention very,
very different.”
Marriage Of Money
The 30-something Joblon grew up in the Boston area — his
family owns Brittany Global Technologies — and moved to LA to work for an
individual real estate investor. That’s where he met his future wife Alissa
Alpert, daughter of Lee Alpert who has developed more than 44,000 acres of
Denver real estate. Joblon moved here in 2010, married Alissa and met Darren Everett
who at the time was VP of Operations for the Alpert Companies. Everett is a
founding partner of BMC Investments and President of BMC’s property management
affiliate, BLDG Management.
Party Cat: New space will be an 18-hour-a-day party animal designed to be similar to Greenwich Village’s Fat Cat.
Soon after moving here — Joblon lives in Cherry Hills
Village but has offices in a Cherry Creek building he built at 2nd Ave. and
Detroit — he began building a relationship with the Inn at Cherry Creek owner
Peter Weber. He says he wanted to make sure that another party didn’t beat BMC
to the deal and create a brand that would compete with his nearby hotels.
Earlier this year, of course, BMC sold the Halcyon Hotel to Ohio-based
Rockbridge Capital for $93 million.
The rebranded Inn at Cherry Creek will still face the same
problems as the other two hotels: attracting hospitality and retail workers!
Why? Cherry Creek North’s expensive parking and relative lack of public
transportation.
Funeral services were held for Joan Packard Birkland who
passed away on June 15, 2019. She was described as one of the greatest (if not
the greatest) female athletes in the history of the State of Colorado. She was
inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, Colorado Women’s Sports Hall of
Fame and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. The Joan Birkland Pavilion at the
Gates Tennis Center in Denver, headquarters of USTA Colorado, is named in her
honor.
Athlete Extraordinaire: Joan Birkland was for many years a top amateur golfer in all of Colorado, one of many sports where she excelled.
She was born on August 17, 1928, in Denver to well-known
surgeon Dr. George Packard and his wife. She was one of three sisters. With no
organized sports for girls she played baseball, football, basketball and tennis
with other children (mostly boys) at City Park near her home. After graduating
from East High School she went on to the University of Colorado in Boulder
where she met Ormand Birkland Jr., whom she married in 1948. The marriage
lasted over 50 years until his death in 1999.
The marriage, by all accounts, was a happy one,
notwithstanding (or perhaps because of) the fact Ormand was every bit as
mediocre in sports as she was outstanding. She took up golf as it was the one
sport he played and she was soon regularly beating him. She joined an AAU
basketball team (the Denver Viners) while at the University of Colorado where
she played with tennis great Phyllis Lockwood. They became an almost unbeatable
women’s tennis doubles team in Colorado. She competed on the Denver Vipers team
for eight years, becoming honorable mention All-American in the sport of
basketball.
The Birklands joined the Denver Country Club (DCC) in 1953
and she began to concentrate her athletic endeavors on golf and tennis. She
described her activities at the time as: “A typical day for me would be to hit
and shag balls, take a lesson from a DCC golf pro, play nine or eighteen holes
with Dorothy Major at Willis Case or meet Phyllis Lockwood and play tennis with
her in Boulder, and then we would shoot a few hoops at CU.”
Later in her career she generously gave her time and talents
to children with handicaps, including teaching golf at an amputee program at
Children’s Hospital, bowling with children with cerebral palsy and coaching
basketball for asthmatic kids.
She was also active with many women’s and sporting organizations including the United States Golf Association. Birkland co-founded Sportswomen of Colorado and served as that organization’s executive director for 40 years.
In 1957 she took on the number one female player in the
world Althea Gibson at the Colorado Open which, at the time, attracted many of
the world’s greatest tennis players. To the shock of the press and the gallery
Birkland began beating the world’s number one player. A reporter for The Denver
Post called in to his paper to hold the afternoon press as he might be
reporting “one of the greatest sporting upsets in the history of Colorado.” In
the end, however Gibson prevailed 8-6, 6-4.
By the 1960s she excelled at the highest levels at both golf
and tennis simultaneously, an athletic feat that is almost unheard of in the
annals of Colorado sports. She won the Denver amateur tennis title in 1960,
1962 and 1966 and the Colorado state tennis title in 1960, 1962 and 1966. She
garnered six singles and 15 doubles titles in Colorado and Intermountain tennis
tournaments.
On a friend’s dare Birkland in 1962 competed in and won both
the state tennis and golf championships in the same summer and repeated this
feat again in 1966. She was awarded the Robert Russell Prize for Colorado
Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1962.
Upset In The Making? Joan Birkland is shown here serving against the number one female tennis player in the world at the time, Althea Gibson, in an attempt to win a historic match.
She took the state women’s golf title seven times. At the
Denver Country Club she won 30 straight Ladies Country Club Championships from
1955 to 1984. Many of the victories were anything but easy sometimes winning at
the 18th hole or in sudden death in the match play format. She attempted to
retire from the competition several times but her competitors, some of whom
were themselves state golf champions, would hear nothing of it. As one of her
competitors said: “As far as I was concerned, no Joanie — no tournament.”
Even in her 90s Birkland could regularly be found on the
golf range at the Denver Country Club working on her swing while interacting
with golfers around her and trying to pick up tips to improve her game. Fellow
inductee to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, Gary Potter, stated: “She was
amazing. She cheerfully accepted the fact that the ravages of time severely
restricted her playing abilities, but she simply wanted to be the best she
could be with whatever limitations God had provided that day. She happily
picked up whatever tips or advice you may provide and incorporated them into
her play if they made sense to her. She was an extraordinary and truly
wonderful human being.”
Joan Birkland
While she never had any children herself Birkland is
survived by an extended family including her sister Evelyn McLagan, her
brother-in-law Neil McLagan, nephew Hugh Birkland and nieces and nephews, Tracy
Tempest, George Tempest, Scott McLagan, Tom McLagan and Ken McLagan and their
families.
Final Neighborhood Development Nears Conclusion; Retail, Signature Condo Completion Likely In 2020
by Glen Richardson
Lowry’s 70-acre Boulevard One — an infill site about the
size of Cherry Creek — has commenced construction of its retail zone and
signature condos with buildout likely by mid-2020.
Unlike the rest of Lowry, Boulevard One has been built with
very high-density and massive traffic concerns. Boulevard One is seen by some
as a way to maximize the profits for developers at the expense of the rest of
Lowry and surrounding neighborhoods.
Once the tail end of historic Runway One at the former Lowry
Air Force Base, the multimodal, mixed-use community features mostly rowhomes,
townhomes, attached homes and apartments. There are approximately only 130
detached single-family homes. According to developers, Boulevard One’s dense
urban hum is a new way of thinking about how to live, work and interact as a
community.
Bounded by 1st Ave., Monaco Parkway and Quebec St., it abuts
both the old section of Lowry to the east and south and the Crestmoor
neighborhood on the west that created community tension. There were 60-plus
public meetings and a lawsuit against the project. Originally planned as 10-12
story buildings and 1,200 dwelling units, it was downsized to 800 units with a
maximum of five stories for rowhomes, apartments and commercial space.
Massive Makeover: Lowry’s Boulevard One, an infill site about the size of Cherry Creek is nearing completion. The tail end of Runway One at the former Air Force Base is quickly filling with rowhomes, townhomes, attached homes and apartments.
Final Projects
A curving “main street” named Lowry Blvd. is now open
connecting Monaco Parkway to Quebec St. through the middle of the rectangular
development. Mixed-use projects soon will anchor each end of the street. The
Met, Boulevard One’s signature condominium community is already under
construction on the west side. It is designed to be the project’s “artfully
designed” gateway to Lowry Blvd. at Monaco Parkway. Located on 3.72 acres, it
will feature a public and private art collaborative showcasing various artists
within the project’s common spaces and communal grounds.
Two three-story buildings are taking shape on either side of
Lowry Blvd. at Mon-aco with a total of 90 upscale condominiums being built. The
one, two and three-bedroom homes will range from 1,000 to 1,850-sq.-ft. with
10-ft. ceilings, expansive windows and two-car underground parking.
A 350-unit luxury apartment block will face Quebec with
single-family and rowhomes dominating the western two-thirds of the site. A
five-acre community park forms the transition from the apartment block to the
rest of the residential area. Except at the Lowry Blvd. intersection, a landscaped
berm is being retained and will incorporate the site’s public art program. The
berm was built as a buffer to the Crestmoor neighborhood in the 1970s when
flight operations ended at Lowry.
Retail Zone Underway
Local firms Confluent and Kelmore Development broke ground
in April on The Boulevard at Lowry, the development’s retail and commercial
zone. The groundbreaking for the project coincided with the 25th anniversary of
Lowry’s transformation from an Air Force base. When completed the project will
have approximately 140,000-sq.-ft. of building space. The 1.5-block section is
designated for restaurants, retail, office and entertainment venues.
Boulder-based grocer Lucky’s Market will have 25,000-sq.-ft. on the ground
floor of a three-story commercial building in the commercial zone at the site.
Retail Launch: The April groundbreaking, at right, for the retail zone coincided with the 25th anniversary of Lowry’s transformation from an Air Force base. The 1.5-block section will have restaurants, retail, office and entertainment venues.
Situated on more than five acres at the northwest corner of
E. Lowry Blvd. and Pontiac St., it is the last zone to begin development thus
completion could be as late as the fourth quarter of 2020. Unlike the original
Lowry development, however, it will be the only commercial development at
Boulevard One.
Pedestrian trails throughout Boulevard One will lead
residents to the commercial core with restaurants, cafés, boutiques,
entertainment and other retail. The space will include professional offices
plus community work-play spaces. A mixed-use center will feature a plaza,
seating and public art.
Traffic Concerns Remain
Denver’s rapid growth plus the addition of Boulevard One has
increased traffic congestion concerns for Lowry, Crestmoor and the entire
northeast corridor. Quebec St. is a “high injury network” street according to
the city, and the area between First Ave. and Lowry Blvd. is a “pedestrian
priority area,” where families, seniors, children, people with disabilities,
transit riders and others are trying to get to various destinations. Safety
modifications are being completed at Quebec and First Ave. and at Quebec and
Lowry Blvd.
Traffic Trepidation: Boulevard One buildout plus the city’s rapid growth has increased traffic concerns for Lowry, Crestmoor and the northeast corridor.
LRA claims traffic volume and parking at Boulevard One will
be the same as the office use at the demolished Air Force Finance &
Accounting Center estimated at about 9,500 car trips. In addition they say car
trips will be dispersed by the numerous connecting streets. As for parking,
they say the same ratios have been applied at Boulevard One as the rest of
Lowry. LRA installed a new signalized intersection at Monaco and Lowry Blvd. on
the east side of Monaco Parkway. In addition to adding a neighborhood
connection it has somewhat dispersed area traffic.
Improvements such as wider medians extended through the
crosswalk to shorten the crossing distance; smaller turning motions for
motorists; elimination of bus pullouts; and slightly narrower travel lanes have
or will be made. These are not major changes but may improve pedestrian safety
while helping to accommodate a growing volume of vehicular traffic. When
completed the mixed-use center will include a mobility hub with bike racks,
scooter parking, car share parking and a meeting spot for Uber/Lyft or a future
shuttle. The “Flight Ride” art installation will be repurposed as a meeting
spot and waiting area.
Buildout Buildup: In addition to the final project, the pace of construction on units of all sizes is humming with intense energy as site’s completion nears.
Grand Finale
When completed Boulevard One will contain about 800
residential units housing more than 1,800 people. Upon completion the total
will include approximately 250 rowhomes and attached homes plus about 420
apartments. The total includes 14 townhomes and 72 apartments designated to
offer “affordable prices and rents.” Multi-story buildings located within the
interior of the site are rising a maximum of 4-5 stories.
Classy Condos: Construction has started on The Met, signature condos designed to be the project’s “artful” gateway onto Lowry Blvd. at Monaco Parkway.
Residents on the west side of Boulevard One will have an
easy walk across Monaco to the established Crestmoor Park, which has a great
trail that loops the park for power walks-runs. Crestmoor Park itself will
likely become far less quiet and intimate than it was in the past.
On the east side of Boulevard One, the original Lowry is
known for its green spaces, such as Sunset Park and Great Lawn Park, offering
playgrounds, meadows and summer concerts. Housed in a former aircraft hangar,
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum exhibits aircraft from different
eras. Big Bear Ice Arena has skate sessions and hockey games.
