Boogie’s, Bidwell, Gap buildings among those pursuing new projects
The city of Aspen has received seven new downtown redevelopment applications in the last month, encompassing many prominent sites.
Included in the slew of new applications is a two-story redevelopment of the Bidwell building at the corner of Galena Street and Cooper Avenue; a plan to put a third-story penthouse on top of Boogie’s; scrape and replace projects at the Gap building, and on the Hyman Avenue mall at the site of the restaurant Zocalito; and a project developing a residential condo on the Susie’s consignment shop property.
There are also two new “Aspen Modern” applications, from properties seeking voluntary historic designation, but also some development incentives from the city. Those properties are at 610 E. Hyman Ave. — the offices of Charles Cunniffe Architects — and 720 E. Hyman Ave., which is the Aspen Athletic Club building.
Also, owners of the “Tom Thumb” building at the corner of the Hyman Avenue mall and Mill Street are seeking to demolish and rebuild a portion of the property.
“It’s been busy,” said city of Aspen senior planner Sara Adams. “The phone’s been ringing off the hook.”
She added that planning staff have been fielding calls from people curious about redevelopment opportunities who have not actually submitted any plans.
The increased activity appears to have been encouraged by Aspen City Council’s discussions since the first of the year about clamping down on height limits. On Monday night, council approved on a 3-1 vote new rules capping new downtown development at two stories. Council members said they plan to eventually establish criteria that would allow certain kinds of projects to be three stories tall. The new rules are effective 30 days from passage.
Here’s a breakdown of the projects that have been proposed:
Bidwell building, 434 E. Cooper Ave., submitted March 30. The Bert Bidwell Investment Corporation is under contract to sell this prominent property to 434 E. Cooper Ave. LLC, which is applying for the redevelopment. Unlike prior redevelopment plans that wanted to replace the two-story building with three floors and failed to gain city approval, the new proposal is for two stories and does not contain any residential development.
Boogie’s, 534 E. Cooper Ave., submitted March 30. Boogie’s, the clothing store and restaurant opened in the mid-1980s, is seeking to build a third-floor penthouse on top of the existing two-story building. The plan would also enclose the restaurant’s outdoor patio.
Zocalito building, 420 E. Hyman Ave., submitted March 9. The two-story building in the middle of the Hyman Avenue mall would go to three stories with a penthouse on top and affordable housing on the second floor under the plans submitted last month.
Gap building, 204 S. Galena St., submitted March 23. This redevelopment would see the existing one-story building housing the Gap retail clothing store torn down and replaced with a one-story building with a partial second floor containing a condo over a portion of the property.
Susie’s building, 623 E. Hopkins Ave., submitted March 23. Developers Greg and Jane Hills plan to refurbish two historic structures on the site and build a three-story, 2,290-square-foot residence on the back of the lot, much like their Conner Cabins project a block away.
Charles Cunniffe Architects building, 610 E. Hyman Ave., submitted March 28. This project is seeking a voluntary historic designation in exchange for the ability to build a two-story addition on top of a garage on the alley. The work would expand an existing residential unit in the building.
Aspen Athletic Club building, 720 E. Hyman Ave., submitted March 9. Also seeking a voluntary historic designation through the Aspen Modern program, this project would convert 800 square feet of the Aspen Athletic Club building’s second floor into an affordable housing unit, while third-floor space would be converted into two free market condos of 2,500 square feet and 2,750 square feet. There would be no additional development added to the building.
curtis@aspendailynews.com
