At left, the latest rendering for a 39-story tower at 650 17th St. At right, a 2022 rendering for Greystar’s abandoned 47-story tower at the same site. (Courtesy development plans)
Greystar has abandoned an effort to build a residential tower on a downtown Denver corner, but the property’s owner continues to push development plans through the city’s review process.
A spokesman for the South Carolina-based apartment developer told BusinessDen last week that Greystar is no longer pursuing development of 650 17th St., a parking lot at 17th and California.
“Greystar is not involved with this development and offers no additional comment at this time,” spokesman Zain Abouseido said in an email.
An initial concept plan bearing Greystar’s name was submitted to the city in February 2022, calling for a 47-story tower with 342 apartments at the site. By September, a more detailed site-development plan, or SDP — again bearing Greystar’s name — had been submitted, this time proposing a handful fewer floors and units.
Greystar didn’t comment on the submissions at the time.
Then this month, another set of documents were submitted, this time for design review.
The latest document — which features a new, significantly different rendering — said the project is now proposed to be 39 stories and include a mix of apartments and hotel rooms. The plans were drawn up by Denver’s JNS Architecture + Interior Design, a change from the previous documents, which were crafted by Houston’s Ziegler Cooper Architects.
Abouseido confirmed Greystar’s lack of involvement after BusinessDen reached out, noting the company’s name was no longer mentioned.
The plans are now being moved forward by Harbinger Development, a firm based in the Boston area, which purchased 650 17th St. for $17.5 million back in 2019.
Eamon O’Marah
As its name suggests, Harbinger develops projects itself — primarily hotels, and typically in conjunction with another firm, according to the company’s website. But Harbinger, which has not previously developed in Colorado, also hired JLL back in 2021 to market the site for sale. Greystar had been under contract to buy it.
“Denver remains a top-tier, strong US city and we believe this property to be the corner of ‘main & main’ in downtown Denver,” Harbinger Managing Principal Eamon O’Marah said in an email. “We are excited with the project we are planning with JNS Architects and appreciate the coordination with the City of Denver as we complete our SDP process.”
The latest document regarding the proposed 659,500-square-foot building states it would have 223 hotel rooms on floors eight through 17, and 320 apartments on the upper floors. The ground floor would have restaurant and lobby space. Floors two through seven would provide parking.
The corner of 17th and California has long been viewed as one of Denver’s preeminent development sites, although it now sits in the more struggling end of downtown. The property gained prominence in 2018 when a New York developer, who ultimately failed to buy the property, briefly floated the idea of building an 81-story tower there.
At left, the latest rendering for a 39-story tower at 650 17th St. At right, a 2022 rendering for Greystar’s abandoned 47-story tower at the same site. (Courtesy development plans)
Greystar has abandoned an effort to build a residential tower on a downtown Denver corner, but the property’s owner continues to push development plans through the city’s review process.
A spokesman for the South Carolina-based apartment developer told BusinessDen last week that Greystar is no longer pursuing development of 650 17th St., a parking lot at 17th and California.
“Greystar is not involved with this development and offers no additional comment at this time,” spokesman Zain Abouseido said in an email.
An initial concept plan bearing Greystar’s name was submitted to the city in February 2022, calling for a 47-story tower with 342 apartments at the site. By September, a more detailed site-development plan, or SDP — again bearing Greystar’s name — had been submitted, this time proposing a handful fewer floors and units.
Greystar didn’t comment on the submissions at the time.
Then this month, another set of documents were submitted, this time for design review.
The latest document — which features a new, significantly different rendering — said the project is now proposed to be 39 stories and include a mix of apartments and hotel rooms. The plans were drawn up by Denver’s JNS Architecture + Interior Design, a change from the previous documents, which were crafted by Houston’s Ziegler Cooper Architects.
Abouseido confirmed Greystar’s lack of involvement after BusinessDen reached out, noting the company’s name was no longer mentioned.
The plans are now being moved forward by Harbinger Development, a firm based in the Boston area, which purchased 650 17th St. for $17.5 million back in 2019.
Eamon O’Marah
As its name suggests, Harbinger develops projects itself — primarily hotels, and typically in conjunction with another firm, according to the company’s website. But Harbinger, which has not previously developed in Colorado, also hired JLL back in 2021 to market the site for sale. Greystar had been under contract to buy it.
“Denver remains a top-tier, strong US city and we believe this property to be the corner of ‘main & main’ in downtown Denver,” Harbinger Managing Principal Eamon O’Marah said in an email. “We are excited with the project we are planning with JNS Architects and appreciate the coordination with the City of Denver as we complete our SDP process.”
The latest document regarding the proposed 659,500-square-foot building states it would have 223 hotel rooms on floors eight through 17, and 320 apartments on the upper floors. The ground floor would have restaurant and lobby space. Floors two through seven would provide parking.
The corner of 17th and California has long been viewed as one of Denver’s preeminent development sites, although it now sits in the more struggling end of downtown. The property gained prominence in 2018 when a New York developer, who ultimately failed to buy the property, briefly floated the idea of building an 81-story tower there.
