RiNo Art District today announced a new $100,000 donation from Colorado-based real estate investment, development and management firm McWhinney. RiNo Art District is also receiving a contribution of $25,000 from San Francisco-based Carmel Partners, a leading multifamily investment and development firm. These contributions will support the second phase of RiNo ArtPark, a new creative hub for innovation, education, small business, and community located at 3400 Arkins Ct. in the Five Points neighborhood.
Phase two, underway now, encompasses the adaptive reuse of an existing 5,500-square-foot building on the site. The former Interstate Trucking depot will become an open-plan, flexible community pavilion equipped to host a variety of events – from visual art exhibitions to performance art, community meetings and city outreach events, health and wellness classes, language classes, small business networking events and more.
“With the first phase of ArtPark, we were able to bring in much-needed green space, support a new branch of Denver Public Library, affordable artist spaces managed by RedLine Contemporary Art Center, and a new café and accelerator program from the folks behind Comal Heritage Food Incubator,” said John Deffenbaugh, senior director of strategy and projects with RiNo Art District. “With McWhinney’s and Carmel Partners’ generous donations, we will make the second phase of our vision for ArtPark a reality, taking this closed-off, disused building and transforming it into an asset that is open and accessible to the entire community.”
The new Interstate Building, designed by Tres Birds, will include a large, unobstructed programming space, public restrooms, and a new opening in the western façade which will offer views of the park and South Platte River. Ceiling-level structures will support flexible lighting, sound, and partitioning, and back-of-house space will be available for those participating in programming, including a dedicated restroom and kitchenette. The building will be operated by RiNo Art District and made available for reservation for community events when it opens in 2023.
“We are committed to developing thoughtful, vibrant and sustainable communities that deliver a true sense of place, foster belonging and enable connectivity for residents,” said Kirsty Greer, senior vice president of Multifamily and Urban Mixed-Use Development for McWhinney. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to support RiNo Art District’s work here at ArtPark to fill a need in our community and provide creative spaces for all to enjoy.”
McWhinney is currently developing FoundryLine, a luxury apartment community within RiNo Art District as well as a mixed-use property at 34th and Brighton in partnership with JE Dunn.
“We are committed to the neighborhood’s growth as a creative hub,” said Jeff Panek, senior vice president of development with Carmel Partners. “The phase two expansion at RiNo ArtPark will help the district thrive and provide the new cultural gathering spaces sought by the RiNo community. We are excited to participate in RiNo’s growth, and we are confident our mixed-use projects under development will contribute to the spirit and history of the neighborhood.”
Carmel Partners has developed multifamily projects in Denver for more than 25 years. The firm has several active projects underway in RiNo including DriveTrain, adjacent to ArtPark, which welcomed first move-ins in November, and Forge, a mixed-use property under construction nearby. Additional support for the Interstate Building is being provided by a Colorado Community Revitalization grant, as well as RiNo Art District’s ongoing Capital Campaign.
