Reporting Suzanne McCarroll (CBS Denver)

DENVER (CBS4) ―Rocky Mountain Raffle is offering a chance to win a $1 million home, along with a slew of other prizes. The raffle ticket sales support the Boys & Girls Clubs

The $1 million home could be won for just a $100 investment.

“Tickets are only $100 and the grand prize winner can choose between a luxury home here at SPIRE in the Performing Arts District in Denver, or $1 million in cash,” Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver president John Arigoni said.

The luxury home sits on top of Denver’s downtown in SPIRE — a downtown high rise.

“We wanted to open up downtown living for a much broader demographic; young professionals, people that couldn’t otherwise live downtown,” said Randy Nichols, President of Nichols Parnership the developer of SPIRE.

Downtown living is made easy in the space. The home is 2,000 square feet and LEED certified for energy efficiency. The developers call it a “vertical neighborhood.”

“It’s a very easy way to live. If you leave on a trip, you just have to turn the key, walk out, you really don’t have to deal with anything else,” Nichols added.

Anything a resident could want is right in the building, including a gym, big screen TV room and swim space.

Get all of it for the cost of a ticket in the Rocky Mountain Raffle.

“The money goes directly to the Boys & Girls Clubs to help with their programming to help save and change the lives of the kids around the state of Colorado,” Arigoni said.

The drawing for the home is Sept. 24. Tickets will be on sale through Sept. 17. Rocky Mountain Raffle is holding several early bird drawings with prizes of up to $10,000 on July 23, Aug. 2 and Sept. 15.

Spire Building in Denver, CO

By Mark Samuelson, Denver Post:

Oil exec Garis Smith and wife Ines had lived in downtowns all over the world – Barcelona, Rio, Buenos Aires, even Tehran – when they set out to choose a lofty retirement pad in downtown Denver. In a year when buyers have lots of projects and prices to pick from, they looked at everything – old towers and new towers – before buying a spectacular 2-bedroom condo looking out at Long’s Peak and the D&F Tower, from the 27th Floor of Spire, along the 14th Street Theater District.

“It was more bang-for-the-buck,” Smith says, noting that they’ve already had family over three times since moving in last month, to enjoy the views, outdoor barbecue, and Spire’s poolside bar-lounge with big-screen basketball and movies. “We’re glad we did this,” he adds.

“Buyers just like the urban feel of Spire,” adds Erick Guigui, sales manager for Spire. That applies to younger buyers who are cutting their commutes to downtown employers (at prices from the high $200s, Spire has sold over 60 units since Jan. 1), as well as to older ones like the Smiths, lured by the dining, sports venues and the huge performing arts complex two blocks west.

Even if you saw Spire’s visitor center before the building was completed, you’ll want to return today (or Memorial Day) to see how these view-swept spaces really turned out: the creative architecture, blending some of the “loft look” with exposed concrete, to highly finished spaces in a contemporary urban style…as well as the 35,000 feet of community amenities, including ‘negative edge’ pool-deck overlooking the Convention Center; ‘The Zone’ lounge; and ‘Box Office’ theater.

For buyers who are reaching for luxury in downtown, Guigui and his staff will also give you a look at Spire’s 42nd-floor Sky Club Lounge, a private club for residents on the 33rd to 41st floors. And they’ll brief you on Spire’s super-sustainability, one of the most ambitious offerings in the nation: a registered LEDE® project with state-of-the-art energy and recycling features, and something you won’t find anywhere short of New York, London or Paris…a car sharing program by Hertz, offered from Hertz’s new offices in Spire, that lets you hop into a new Prius or Escape anytime you venture beyond walking distance, while totally avoiding the costs of owning a car.

“We really like what Spire is all about…very environmentally friendly,” says Paula R. Rivera, who heads up Public Affairs for Hertz. You can see all of that today, including the spectacular views. Take the Mall Shuttle to Champa and walk south to Spire’s visitor center between 14th and 15th.

WHERE:

SPIRE, sustainable downtown 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom condominiums with sensational views & amenities; green features; attainable prices, refreshments today. Furnished models & tour of pool deck and amenities, amid the 14th Street Theater District between Champa & Stout; take the Mall Shuttle to Champa, south 2 blks to visitor center.

PRICE:
1-bedrooms from high $2s, 2-bedrooms from high $3s

Four retailers have already signed up so the first tenants in the building shouldn’t have to wait to long for the conveniences of retail.  Those already signed are:

Revolution Cleaners
Ninety Plus Coffee
Connect by Hertz
Snarfs Sandwiches (really, really good sandwiches)

For a private tour of Spire call us at (303) 532-4742 or contact us here.  Active Spire listings can be viewed here.

Denver Lofts for Sale

OK, on to the important stuff.  I had a chance to speak with a lot of the Sales Executives at Spire.  Following is what I learned.

• 60% of the buildings 496 units will be one bedroom, 298 one bedrooms in all
• The 1 Bedrooms will start at $210,000, a great price point for First Time Home Buyer’s
• They will be FHA approved right out of the gates! Great news for people looking for FHA financing
• Move-ins will start in November 2009. They are doing this so that First Time Home Buyer’s can take advantage of the $8,000 Tax Credit (deadline for the credit is Dec 1, 2009)
• By the way, most people don’t realize they can claim the tax credit against their 2008 Income Tax Return, and can use credit as their down payment.  Read more about this here.
• Multiple people said that construction was ahead of schedule. This is due to the slow economy and the abundance of construction labor to fast-track the project
• 30% percent of the units will be priced under $300,000.
• The one bedroom model got a ton of great feedback. The design was very functional, and looked amazing. More on that later in the post
• The level of finishes in the models were well appointed for such an aggressive price. This was achieved by purchasing all of the finishes all at the same time for discount pricing
• The two bedroom units start at $290K, another great entry point for a 2 bedroom floor plan
• Parking is offered as deeded spaces starting at $26K and going up to $50K for premium locations in the garage.
• 200 channel Direct TV and ultra high speed internet package for $75/month! This is way cheaper than purchasing as a direct consume
• Many people were concerned about the HOA and early reports put them at 30 cents per square foot. This is a great deal considering the over the top amenities in this resort style complex
• The building is documented at 42 floors, but since there is no 13^th floor the building actually has 41 floors. None of the units have 13 in the number

I am going to post more about the amenities in the next few days.  In the meantime, below are some pics from the event:

SPIRE-tini is served

Wow, what an event last night and what a launch for the Spire in Denver.  The only thing better than the SPIRE-tini cocktail, and the performance art, was the actual model condos we got to tour.  The one bedroom got rave reviews, and at that price point, theres a lot to like.  I will be posting some more info about the party and some other things I learned last night about the Spire.

Here is a post from the Westword:

Spire, the 42-story condo tower going up at 14th and Champa streets, is all about the cool. From its energy-efficient design to its so-called attainable unit prices (60 percent of its cushy units will go for less than $400,000) to its strikingly illuminated facade, this ain’t your granddaddy’s high-rise.

That was clearly the message at the swanky launch party last night for the opening of Spire’s marketing center in the Colorado Convention Center, located across the street from where the 483-foot residential tower (the largest built around here in decades) has now been topped off. The shindig, in an adjacent convention center space, was the place to be, with suited-up power players strutting their stuff and the gossip flowing more freely than the complimentary booze. Performance artist Brian Olson, known for his impromptu paintings of famous dead people, whipped off an enormous, colorful portrait of the Spire to go alongside his renderings of Jimi and Marilyn. It felt like Denver circa 1987, quipped one observer, when the idea of any new building was reason enough for a party.

Read the rest of the Westword article here

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Search all Denver Real Estate and Homes for Sale at www.360dwellings.com
Denver’s Best Map Based Search Engine.

The ad reads “Save the Date for an InSpired event.  Celebrate the launch of Spire .  Enjoy live music, cocktails, and appetizers.  Visit our new sales center & view Denver’s most exciting new high rise!”

If you would like to join me at this event, please Contact Us and make sure to put  “Spire Party” in the subject line.  I will take as many as I can.

Other Spire articles:

Spire Denver Cam

Spire Building Update

Marketing to Start in 2009 for Spire Project

I didn’t notice this the first time I was at spiredenver.com.  They have a construction cam showing real time progress of the construction of the Spire Building

You can check out the cam directly here: Spire Denver Construction Cam

Still no word on when we are going to get a sneak preview and when sales will officially begin, but the last I heard was that sales will officially begin in March 2009.   So, while we are waiting, at least you can tune into the cam to see the latest.

Spire Denver

Posted by Ryan Penn, Denver Real Estate Consultant, Dec. 17th, 2008

I have been following this project very closely because of the impact this building will have not only on the Denver skyline but also the 14th street district.  It’s fun watching each day as they add another story and you see the building coming together peice by piece.  It really is an exciting time for downtown Denver Real Estate, despite the “rough” economy.

So here is an update on the project:

• There are now 496 units, down from 503 (floor plan changes)
• Exposed concrete ceilings
• Building to be fully erected with all floors by Jan 2009
• Sales center in the Convention Center by Feb 2009
• First tenants move in by 4th quarter 2009

Spire Denver Overview:
Located directly across the street from the Denver Convention Center, the 950,000 sq.ft. Spire will include 41 stories, 8 of which will incorporate parking, retail and amenities, and the rest a variety of living units ranging from affordable to penthouse. There will be a variety of unit configurations from one and two bedrooms to penthouse units. Once completed, Spire will include a social club, fitness center; pool/hot tubs, media/screening rooms, business center, 24-hour concierge, full time doorman, and assigned parking for every unit. In addition, there is first floor retail, and a high rise club level that is especially designed for the upper floor units.

Unique features:

• The building is intended to reach the first time home buyer, young professional who is looking for a “hip” and exciting urban environment, and those wishing to live, near transportation, close to work, and in the heart of the revitalized Silver Triangle District of Downtown Denver.
• Units will feature floor to ceiling exterior glass windows, granite countertops and pre-wired high speed internet throughout.

Spire Denver

The Spire Building is a gorgeous high rise project being constructed in downtown Denver at 14th & Champa.  Below are some of the project details:

• $175,000,000 high-rise residential condominium project.
• 41 stories (483 feet high) and 503 homes (714 bedrooms).
• Spire will be one of the tallest residential buildings in the Western United States.
• Spire is the first new residential high-rise to be built in the central business district of Denver in decades (24 years).
• The building will be built at 891 14th Street (14th and Champa Streets), directly across the street from the Denver Convention Center, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and a few blocks from Larimer Square, Lower Downtown, the Pepsi Center, the Cherry Creek bike path, and the 16th Street Mall.
• The building will feature a 33-story residential tower arising from an eight-story parking podium with ground-floor retail.
• Spire will include first-class amenities such as: 24/7 concierge and security services, virtual art gallery, ground-floor retail and reserved parking. A two-level amenity area will include a state-of-the-art health club facility, media room, pool-side club room/bar, billiards room, and landscaped outdoor terrace with grilling areas, fire pit, outdoor pools, hot tubs and wireless internet. In addition, the 41st floor will feature the SkyClub, a spectacular penthouse level amenity.
• Residents will benefit from unobstructed views of the Denver skyline as well as the Rocky Mountains
• Spire homes will have 10′ ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass, balconies, slab granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, European-style cabinetry, ultra-high-speed structured wiring.

It was announced this week that marketing for the residences would start in 2009.

“We’re in premarketing now … and we’ll kick off marketing at the start of 2009,” Nichols said. “We’ll be nine months from occupancy at that point. With this type of product, you want to be close enough to the finish line to create momentum.”

The 503-unit, 42-story Spire building, located at 891 14th St., started construction in May 2007, and expects to be completed in late 2009. Plans call for residents to start occupying units in December of next year.