Updated
Updated · BusinessDen · Jun 10
CU Denver Seeks $35 Million for Independence Plaza Overhaul as $70 Million Plan Shifts
Updated
Updated · BusinessDen · Jun 10

CU Denver Seeks $35 Million for Independence Plaza Overhaul as $70 Million Plan Shifts

2 articles · Updated · BusinessDen · Jun 10

Summary

  • $35 million is the amount CU Denver plans to seek from the Denver Downtown Development Authority in a revised application due later this week for Independence Plaza.
  • The university wants to remake the 25-story, 567,000-square-foot tower into a workforce and innovation hub, using only part of it for classrooms and reserving space for startups, employers and public-serving functions.
  • The original filing put total project costs at $70 million and said DDDA funds would support renovations, the entrepreneurship hub and low-interest loans for companies building out office space, though CU says those figures will change.
  • Independence Plaza sits on a full downtown block and is only 21% occupied, giving CU Denver a large expansion site near its existing business school and administrative buildings.

Insights

What will it take for local startups to secure a spot inside Denver's new university-led innovation hub?
How will a 1970s office tower be transformed into a modern hub for both students and regional startups?
In a city with record-high office vacancy, can a university hub truly revive a struggling downtown skyscraper?