The Colorado Rockies 2018 season isn’t over, but the era of being able to park directly across 20th Street from Coors Field in the lot off Wazee Street is gone for good.
Visitors to the ballpark neighborhood this week will notice that the so-called “west lot” at 1901 Wazee St., just south of the stadium, has been fenced off to public access. Light poles have been taken down and asphalt has been chewed up.
What was once roughly 300 parking spots is now being prepared to accommodate a proposed mixed-use development featuring condos, office space, restaurants, a hotel and a Rockies hall of fame in more than 450,000 square feet of new space. Plans call for an outdoor entertainment plaza with giant video screens to boot.
The lot was shut down Sept. 15, according to the Rockies. Club officials wouldn’t comment on the project further at this time because of how early in the development process it is.
General Contractor Hensel Phelps applied for a commercial construction permit last week but it has not been issued, according to city records. A rezoning application, which would convert the roughly city-block-sized site from an industrial property to a planned-unit development area is still in the works.
City staff in August recommended the planning board approve the rezoning request after finding the project proposal is largely consistent with long-range planning goals for the area and fits with the neighborhood context. The rezoning will require City Council approval.
Hensel Phelps has been granted a permit to remove more than 270 feet of sewer pipe under the lot and take out two manholes on the northwest side of Wazee Street, the earliest site work to clear the way for the 11-story and 13-story buildings the plans call for there.
The timing of the lot’s closure is consistent with what members of the development team have said in the past. Officials with Stantec, the architect on the project, said in June that work was expected to start in early fall whether the team was still playing or not. Work is expected to take around two years.
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The west lot has been slated for redevelopment since the Rockies signed a new lease for Coors Field in 2017. Along with a 30-year pact to keep the team playing at the ballpark, the arrangement netted the Rockies a 99-year ground lease for the west lot, which is owned by the state’s Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District. At the time, team owner Dick Monfort talked about building a project that would enhance fan visits to Coors Field and make it “the most unique experience in baseball.”
The Rockies have seven games remaining in the 2018 regular season, all at Coors Field. Entering play Monday, the club was 1.5 games out of a playoff spot.
