DECEMBER 2014 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \
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Most successful and enduring dis-
tricts have a focal public space – in
America this is usually a busy “Main
Street”; in Europe, a plaza. Originally
built as a pedestrian mall linking the
district and shopping center, Fillmore
Plaza struggled to become the icon
that it originally was intended to be
because the foot traffic alone wasn’t
enough to support a thriving and
high-quality retail environment for
restaurants, in-line retailers and the
like. After numerous discussions with
adjacent landowners, businesses and
the city, the BID and the design team
made Fillmore Plaza a hybrid street,
serving both as a main street and as a
plaza. It is now the crown jewel of the
Cherry Creek North Shopping District
and the focal point of the five en-
hanced event streets in the district. In
2013, Fillmore Plaza was received the
Mayors Award for Public Space from
Denver Mayor Hickenlooper.
Fillmore Plaza is now a significant
entry point for cars and pedestrians,
as well as a destination for shopping
and events in its own right. As the
main venue in the district for a wide
range of events throughout the cal-
endar year, Fillmore Plaza required
special design focus and additional
facilities than the other enhanced
event streets in the district.
As one of the best spaces to show-
case the district’s “brand,” Fillmore
Plaza plays a central role in capturing
the attention of shoppers. As a hy-
brid street, it introduces cars and in-
creases retail visibility with on-street
parking. The physical improvements
to Fillmore Plaza increase pedestri-
an visitation and dwell time. Existing
boutique clothiers and lunchtime
restaurants are joined by additional
restaurants, and retail is beginning to
occupy the new and renovated adja-
cent buildings on the ground-floor
level. The building owners cite the
new design of the hybrid street as a
major attractor for retail tenants and
they’ve invested greatly in their real
estate projects that bound it. Resi-
dential condominiums and offices
above the first floor provide eyes into
the plaza. The energy of good retail
on Fillmore Plaza helps to sustain
businesses districtwide because of its
improved traffic, visibility, ambiance
and events.
The New North has achieved early
success. The district sales tax revenues
increased by 16 percent in the first
year after construction, more than
double the rates of increase for both
the city and entire Denver metro area
and retail vacancy rates decreased
from 13.6 percent in 2009 to 7.2 percent
in 2012. Additionally water and energy
conservation has resulted in approxi-
mately $30,000 of annual savings for
the BID.
Now better than ever, Cherry Creek
North once again has become Den-
ver’s premier outdoor shopping dis-
trict.
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BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TEAM
Cherry Creek North Business
Improvement District
PROGRAM MANAGER:
Nolte/ NV 5
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT/ LEAD
CONSULTANT:
Design Workshop Inc.
SIGNAGE/ ENVIRONMENTAL
GRAPHICS:
Communication Arts/Stantec
LIGHTING DESIGNER:
Patrick B. Quigley Associates
CIVIL ENGINEER:
JVA Inc.
ENGINEERING:
Monroe & Newell Engineers Inc.
Martin/Martin
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER:
Scanlon Szynskie Group Inc.
IRRIGATION DESIGN:
HydroSystems, Inc.
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER:
Fehr & Peers
PARKING CONSULTANT:
Desman Associates
Photos by Dale Horchner
FACING PAGE:
Design and upgrading was critical
to reinvigorating the Cherry Creek
North Retail District at many inter-
sections. The BID invested $18.5 mil-
lion on renovation improvements
that triggered another $195 million
in private redevelopment through-
out the entire 16-block district.
ABOVE LEFT:
At the center of Fillmore Plaza
is an architectural canopy that
provides an iconic landmark for
the district and provides a display
of colored lighting for people to
enjoy during special events like
block parties or the art’s festival.
TRENDS
in Landscape Architecture
