RiverClay Construction Blog ||| opening June 2008

Closing and Move-In

2008-06-19T23:38:00.002-06:00

::: Hey Everyone and Future Neighbors!

Hope all of you have had successful final punches and closings on your condos. I'll be moving into #301 early next week. My appliances have been delivered and the walls are painted. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you in the corridor, elevator, or parking garage, or just knock on my door. Short of a final RiverClay PAN, this will be my final post. It's been a long journey and thanks to everyone for following along with me from Day 1 through this point. I encourage everyone to scroll through the weekly PANs that I have posted. It's quite incredible how far we have come!

Cheers,
Fred

RiverClay Preview Opening

2008-03-28T20:54:00.013-06:00

::: For those of you who missed the RiverClay Preview Opening event on March 14th, like myself, or those who want to relive the event, here are a few photos of the model unit (#603).

::: Also here is a link to more photos from the party:

http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid19263949&pathID=1944049

The password for the album is "River Clay"

March 26th

2008-03-27T23:17:00.034-06:00

::: By Owners' requests, here are progress photos of some individual units:

:::FotoCap 1: Individual storage compartments have been started in the upper parking level.

:::FotoCap 2: Unit #209 (Jeanne) - sorry, the front door was locked so I couldn't get any photos of your unit.

:::FotoCap 3: Unit #300 (Jeff and Pat) - Main Living Room area

:::FotoCap 4: Unit #300 - Kitchen area

:::FotoCap 5: Unit #300 - Guest bathroom wall tile

:::FotoCap 6: Unit #300 - Full length deck

:::FotoCap 7: Unit #301 (My Unit) - Kitchen area

:::FotoCap 8: Unit #301 - Dining nook

:::FotoCap 9: Unit #301 - Master bath tub deck

:::FotoCap 10: Unit #301 - Main deck

:::FotoCap 11: Unit #303 (Scott and Michelle) - Art niche and Kitchen space

:::FotoCap 12: Unit #303 - Guest bathroom (awesome mosaic tile floor!)

:::FotoCap 13: Unit #303 - Kitchen area

:::FotoCap 14: Unit #303 - Huge deck

:::FotoCap 15: Unit #304 (Ian) - Guest bathroom

:::FotoCap 16: Unit #304 - Kitchen cabinets

:::FotoCap 17: Unit #304 - Kitchen cabinets - the other half

:::FotoCap 18: Unit #304 - Exterior deck

:::BONUS: Unit #304 - Video footage of the Master Suite

:::FotoCap 19: Unit #403 (Jesse and Josh) - Living/Dining area

:::FotoCap 20: Unit #403 - Kitchen area

:::FotoCap 21: Unit #403 - Master tub/shower (Love the dark tile!)

:::FotoCap 22: View from the 5th Floor deck (Unit #501)

:::No Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN this week

March 19th

2008-03-27T22:16:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the delay in getting the blog updated. I've been going through some issues this past month that have sidetracked my efforts, including having to rebuild my computer. Anyway, I bring you the belated report from March 19th:

:::FotoCap 1: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

:::FotoCap 2: View looking west from River Street.

:::FotoCap 3: View looking at a bay of the west elevation.

:::FotoCap 4: View from Clay Street looking at the south elevation.

Observations:::
The weather has warmed up and most of the plastic wrap is now off of the building exterior, revealing the brick and stucco'd facades with metal balcony railings and details. Most of the work continues to be focused inside the units as we get closer to the opening date.

Stay tuned for this week's current post which will include photos of the units per request.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

FUTURE SITE VISIT REQUESTS

2008-03-10T16:39:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone,

As the building interiors are quickly progressing, I wanted to welcome any requests from the homeowners and my future neighbors to have me take and post photos of your units for the blog. Otherwise, to respect everyone's privacy, I will continue to post the interior photos, but without labels for any individual unit unless specified.

Thanks,
Fred, #301
Blogmaster

February 27th

2008-02-28T22:22:00.012-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking at Unit Plan 'M' Living Room.

:::FotoCap 2: View looking at Unit Plan 'M' Kitchen.

:::FotoCap 3: View looking at Unit Plan 'D' Kitchen.

:::FotoCap 4: View looking at Unit Plan 'D' Master Bath.

:::FotoCap 5: View looking at Unit Plan 'D' Master Closet.

:::FotoCap 6: View looking at Unit Plan 'C' Kitchen.

:::FotoCap 7: View looking at Unit Plan 'C' Master Bath.

:::FotoCap 8: View looking at Unit Plan 'J' Kitchen.

:::FotoCap 9: View looking at the photovoltaic panel installation on the Roof Level.

Observations:::
Very exciting news from this week's site walk: Work continues on the exterior stucco and brick columns. On the interior, individual unit finishes are being installed on the 2nd Floor which includes kitchen cabinets and countertops, bathroom cabinets and fixtures, and closet doors. On the 3rd Floor, drywall is almost done and being prepped for unit finishes to begin. On the Upper Floors, wall insulation and drywall are progressing. On the Roof Level, photovoltaic panels are being installed along the west and east sides.

:::No Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN this week

February 13th

2008-02-13T22:21:00.006-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking at the exterior stucco on the south elevation from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: Close-up view of the decks from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 3: View of the east elevation from River Street.

Observations:::
Another drive-by this week. Brick veneer continues to be applied to the upper column locations. Finished stucco has begun on the west elevation setbacks and deck ceilings. Finished stucco work continues on the upper floors of the south elevation. Brick veneer continues on the east elevation as well. Celloluse insulation continues to be fed into the Third Level.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

January 30th

2008-02-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking at the exterior stucco on the south elevation from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: Close-up view of the west elevation from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 3: Close-up view of the decks on the west elevation.

Observations:::
From this week's drive-by, work continues on the exterior decks. Brick veneer is being applied to the column locations and the scratch coat of gray stucco is being placed on the west elevation. Finished stucco is mostly complete on the south elevation. The rest of the building is still being covered with plastic wrap.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

Read up on Cellulose Insulation

2008-01-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Currently being used in RiverClay exterior walls and corridor walls:::

From Green Building Insider: Cellulose is a green investment

January 23rd

2008-01-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

The construction meeting in Longmont for my real job ran over today so no report this week.

January 16th

2008-01-16T23:21:00.001-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the First Floor Fitness Room

:::FotoCap 2: View from a Second Floor Balcony.

:::FotoCap 3: View in a typical corridor.

:::FotoCap 4,5: Views into one of the lower interior units.

:::FotoCap 6: Views into one of the lower corner units.

:::FotoCap 7,8: If you are lucky enough to have a Penthouse unit, here are your views.

:::FotoCap 9: View from the Roof.

Observations:::
This is the first week that I have toured inside the building in a while so there is much progress to report. The First Floor retail spaces and fitness room are enclosed. The Second Floor units are mostly complete with drywall, taping, and mudding. The Third Floor is continuing to be drywalled. In the meantime, celloluse insulation is being pumped and sprayed into the walls where possible. This is mostly in all of the exterior walls and corridor walls. Unfortunately, since there is no backing in the demising walls between units, this method could not be used. The cellulose product excels in filling all of the gaps between the wall studs and has a slightly better R-value and provides better sound insulation than regular batt insulation. On the roof, the white EPDM membrane is in place. On the exterior, the brick is complete on the north elevation. The masons will move onto the east elevation next to maximize the available daylight hours. Stucco is being applied to the south elevation.

:::No Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

January 9th

2008-01-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking at the west elevation from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

:::FotoCap 3: View looking at the east elevation from River Street.

Observations:::
HAPPY 2008 to everyone! As the majority of the building exterior continues to be covered by plastic wrapping and scaffolding, there is not much visible progress to report from my last visit. What this means, though, is that most of the work is now being done in your units. I'll try to schedule another site walk soon so I can report from the interiors.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

December 19th

2007-12-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking north on Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

:::FotoCap 3: View of the scaffolding at the northeast corner from River Street.

:::FotoCap 4: View of the east facade from River Street.

Observations:::
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND EARLY HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! As the temperatures continue to stay cold in Denver, much of the building is now wrapped in plastic to allow workers to have some heat indoors while they continue working in the units. Most of the exterior windows and doors have been installed. Work continues on the roof. All of the brick ledger angles can be seen on the exterior pilasters. Most of the metal deck railings are now in. Scaffolding for brick laying is present on the south, west, and north facades.

See everyone in 2008!

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

December 12th

2007-12-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

SNOW DAY. No report.

December 5th

2007-12-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking north on Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: View of storefront windows at the 1st Floor retail spaces.

:::FotoCap 3: View of the brickwork at the 1st and 2nd Floor.

:::FotoCap 4: View from the corner of Jefferson Park looking southeast.

Observations:::
Back by popular request, yes, it's been a few weeks since my last posting. I'm glad to report that the building continues to progress, although the impending weather in Denver threatens to slow construction down a bit. Winter is here and I think we have been lucky to have such great weather as we have had recently. Fortunately, most of the exterior windows and doors have been installed up to the 6th Floor and the building is completely wrapped with exterior sheathing. This will allow work to continue inside once the cold temperatures and snow starts to hit. Work continues on the roof. They should be wrapping that up in the next week or two. The storefront windows have been installed at the 1st Floor retail. Brickwork continues around the building's north and west exposures. The north side is completely scaffolded up to the 6th Floor. Most of the metal deck railings are now in place. Hopefully, all of my future neighbors have got your finish packages selected and have been by Zocalo to sign your contract amendments.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

November 14th

2007-11-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from Zocalo Lofts. Note the empty lot on the far right that has been zoned for new townhomes.

:::FotoCap 2: View of brickwork and windows on the west facade.

:::FotoCap 3: Close-up view of the brickwork and windows going in on the 1st Floor.

:::FotoCap 4: Progress on the roof level. Platforms being built for the air conditioning units. There will be a base layer of 7" roof insulation and then tapered insulation on top of that.

:::FotoCap 5: The best view of Downtown from the roof.

:::FotoCap 6: The best view of the Front Range around town.

Observations:::
As the building construction continues, it may be difficult to gage the progress from week-to-week, but let me assure you that the project is definitely getting closer to completion. Brick laying has been going on around the building for the past couple of weeks. Windows are being installed at the 1st Floor parking level. Window installation for the residential units is up to the 6th Floor. The stairs have been installed but not completed up to the 6th Floor. The east and west deck framing is mostly complete and the pilaster wood framing continues. Inside, work continues on the electrical and plumbing systems. The roof platform is complete and they are building the pads for the air conditioning units down the middle of the roof area. On either side will be the photovoltaic panels. The roof drains are in and roof insulation is being installed. The base layer will be a minimum of 7" insulation board and additional tapered insulation on top of that to achieve proper drainage. And did I mention that the views from the rooftop are amazing? Unfortunately, the roof will be restricted to maintenance access only.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

October 24th

2007-10-25T23:25:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from Jefferson Park.

:::FotoCap 2: View of the south facade from Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 3: Close-up view of the west decks and pilaster framing.

:::FotoCap 4: View from the northwest turret looking at Jefferson Park.

Observations:::
Another drive-by this week, although I ran into the Project Superintendent during my visit. Mostly the same observations as last week. More framing continues at the Roof Level. It sounds like they are still two weeks away from finishing the roof. The 4th Level steel framing is started at the east and west exterior decks and railing. Wood framing has started at the deck pilasters. Vapor barrier has started to go up at the south end.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

October 17th

2007-10-20T17:30:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from Jefferson Park.

:::FotoCap 2: View of the northwest turret.

:::FotoCap 3: View from Clay Street looking north

:::FotoCap 4: Close-up view of the west decks.

Observations:::
Just a drive-by this week, but those of you who have driven northbound on I-25 recently have probably noticed that RiverClay has a very prominent location on top of the hill. Framing continues at the Roof Level. Steel framing continues at the east and west exterior decks and railing. The deck partitions have also started to be framed. Windows continue to be placed around the 2nd and 3rd Levels. Interior plumbing continues throughout the building.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

October 10th

2007-10-11T20:14:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

:::FotoCap 2: View of the northwest turret.

:::FotoCap 3: View from Clay Street looking at the 3rd and 4th Floor decks.

:::FotoCap 4: View looking at the south side.

Observations:::
First things first,... GO ROCKIES!!
This week, I report as the building is about 1/2 topped out at the Roof Level. The 6th Floor is about 1/2 exterior sheathed and 1/2 wood framed. The CMU stair towers at the north and south sides are close to topping out too. Steel framing and railing is being erected for the 3rd and 4th Floor decks on the east and west sides. Exterior windows are being installed around the 3rd Floor. More brick continues to be laid along the west side of the 1st Floor. A HUGE RiverClay.com sign has been displayed along the south side.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

October 3rd

2007-10-04T22:55:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the 6th Floor looking east at Downtown Denver.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the 6th Floor looking south at Invesco Field at Mile High.

:::FotoCap 3: View from the 6th Floor looking southwest at the Front Range.

:::FotoCap 4: View looking at the brick on the west side of the 1st Floor.

:::FotoCap 5: View of the deck railing on the east side of the 4th Floor.

Observations:::
This week, I report from a construction site walk with Chris Achenbach. Wood framing has begun on the 6th and last floor of RiverClay. The views from the top are spectacular! They have started framing two of the units on the north side while four units to the south still need flooring. The south CMU stair tower is also topping out at the 6th Floor. Metal pan stairs are installed up to the 3rd Floor. Above that, access is by step ladder going up the future trash chute. Exterior sheathing is complete up to the 5th Floor. Inside the building, interior wood stud framing is complete up to the 5th Floor. They are finishing up the metal stud framing on the 1st and 2nd Floors. They are installing the interior plumbing and junction boxes starting at the 3rd Floor. The 1st Floor has brick on the west side. Deck railing has started to be installed on the east side. Windows have started arriving on site and are being stored in the garage areas.

Flai Notes:::
While I tried to take some photos of individual units by request, the lighting and wall layout did not allow for any good results worth posting. I'll try taking more in a couple weeks. Another item of note is that they are using flexible plastic tubing for most of the interior plumbing--the exact name of the item escapes me. This will help with the acoustics and any pipe knocking in the building.

:::Sorry, No Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN this week.

September 26th

2007-09-28T00:08:00.001-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from Clay Street looking northeast.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

Observations:::
Just another drive-by report this week as I was unable to schedule a site walk. I am confirmed for next week though so stay tuned for that. The 5th Floor framing is about halfway done. The steel columns for the 3rd and 4th Floor decks have been erected. Interior metal stud framing on the 2nd Floor looks complete throughout. Brick is starting to go up along the 1st Floor west facade.

Flai Notes:::
1. RiverClay is still finalizing the solar panel option for individual units. The update is 1.26 kw solar cells available and numbering 26 total.
2. RiverClay is working with Saddleback Design to provide a cork option at the entry for those interested units. Tile is no longer a viable option at the entryway due to acoustic concerns between floors.
3. RiverClay is striving to achieve LEED Silver rating [Certified-->Silver-->Gold-->Platinum]. Indications are that building energy usage should be about 30% less than other comparable buildings.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

September 19th

2007-09-23T21:54:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from River Street looking west.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the corner of River and Clay Streets.

Observations:::
Just did a quick drive-by report this week. The 4th Floor framing is complete and the exterior sheathing is about halfway done. They are laying down the 5th Floor subflooring. Interior metal stud framing continues on the 2nd Floor. Concrete block also continues to form the stair towers at both ends of the building. The exterior decks have not been built out above the top of concrete levels on east or west side.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

September 12th

2007-09-16T20:09:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the corner of River and Clay Street.

:::FotoCap 2: View looking east from Jefferson Park.

:::FotoCap 3: View looking north from Clay Street.

Observations:::
Thanks to Ian Roth in Unit 304 who filled in admirably in my absence. Stopping by the project site this week, they are well under way on the 4th Floor framing, probably about halfway done, again starting in the north end and working their way south. Consequently, the 3rd Floor framing and exterior sheathing looks complete all around. The 1st Floor CMU block infill looks pretty complete too. They are starting to build in the non-bearing metal stud framing on the 2nd Floor units. The two parking decks have the interior lighting installed.

Flai Notes:::
Hello to Jeff Dotur and his wife Pat Alexander, who will be coming back to Denver from Seattle and moving into Unit 300. I'll try to get some photos of your unit the next time I go on my walk-through.

Yosemite National Park was awesome. I recommend the 17-mile day hike up to Half Dome for anyone who has some endurance and a strong stomach.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

September 8th

2007-09-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

A couple of fuzzy cell-phone pics to tide you over till Frederico returns... apologies if I completely break his posting format.

Most of the third floor exterior framing and sheathing is complete, at least as seen from Clay St. Framing of the fourth floor exterior has begun. Some work was occurring during my visit, which was a sunny Saturday afternoon.

RiverClay and Zocalo Development on TV

2007-09-07T14:00:00.000-06:00

In Fred's absence this week I thought I'd post a bit of PR for Zocalo Development. RiverClay and Zocalo's other current project, 2020 Lawrence, were the featured on Fox 31 News' eTeam environmental report the other day. It's a great piece that really promotes what Zocalo is doing with respect to energy-efficient design. Check out the video here:

MyFox Colorado | eTeam- Green Builders

August 29th

2007-08-29T23:00:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View looking at the Third Floor west facade

:::FotoCap 2: View from River Street looking west

:::FotoCap 3: View from the corner of Clay and 23rd.

:::FotoCap 4: View looking east along south facade at Downtown Denver

Observations:::
This week's progress has the Third Floor units framed and exterior sheathing started. The TJI joists are being placed at two of the middle units. The ground floor has concrete masonry block infill being laid along the west facade.

Flai Notes:::
I'm off to Yosemite National Park. Avoiding any bear attacks, look for the next posting in two weeks.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

August 22nd

2007-08-22T23:21:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the Third Floor looking southwest across Jefferson Park at Zocalo Lofts.

:::FotoCap 2: View from the Third Floor looking north at the wood stud wall framing (Unit 306?)

:::FotoCap 3: View from the Third Floor looking northwest at the corner of Clay and 23rd.

:::FotoCap 4: View from the Third Floor looking east at 301 (my unit) and beautiful Downtown Denver.

Intro:::
It was great meeting all of the future neighbors at the Saddleback Design interior finish kickoff earlier this week. As it turns out, I managed to coordinate a last minute construction tour today with Chris Achenbach, the RiverClay architect.

Observations:::
This week's progress is the start of the wood stud wall framing on the Third Floor units. The majority of the framing is tilt-up panels of 2x6's with the demising walls between units consisting of (2) walls of 2x4's, not touching, with (1) layer of gyp on both sides and filled with batt insulation. The ceiling will be constructed of wood TJI framing with resilient channels and (2) layers of gyp. board. The two north corner units, 300 and 301, have been slowed mainly because they are laying the concrete masonry block for the stair and elevator towers and using those areas for staging the materials. Most of the framing is taking place in the middle units, 302 thru 306. The parking lights are in place at the Lower Level parking and they are pouring the raised slabs for the storage units. The north metal pan stair is installed between the two parking levels only. Currently the only access to the Third Floor is up a single extension ladder--not for the faint of heart.

:::Sorry, No Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN this week.

August 15th

2007-08-19T21:48:00.001-06:00

:::FotoCap: [Bonus foto from 8.1.07] View from the third floor looking northwest. Note the level of the power lines to the west.

Not much activity to report this week as the on-site construction walk did not get coordinated. From the street, it looks like the third floor slab has been prepped but the concrete pour has not occurred yet.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

August 1st

2007-08-05T22:13:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap 1: View from the third floor as workers assemble the framework for the column caps prior to the concrete pour.

:::FotoCap 2: [Bonus Foto] View from Unit 301 (my unit), looking east at Downtown Denver.

Intro:::
This is the first week that I will be posting following a guided on-site construction tour, given by David Zucker, or other RiverClay personnel. I will be providing the expanded format roughly every two weeks. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to report more in-depth observations about the construction progress and hopefully this will give anyone reading the blog better insight into how a building comes together and views that you can not get from street level.

Observations:::
This week's progress on RiverClay is very exciting. The scaffolding and formwork from the lower two floors are being transferred up to the third, and last, level of concrete floor slab. The remaining upper floor construction will be wood framed. The northern half of the third floor is plywood formed and they are working on framing the column caps on the southern half of the building. They will be pouring the entire third floor slab in a continuous pour later this week.

Flai notes:::
Walking through the first two cured concrete floor slabs, you can already visualize the finished plan with the two retail spaces on the first floor, the fitness room, and the parking decks. Plumbing sleeves, trash chute, and other penetrations are evident in the first two floor slabs. The main stairs are due to arrive in the coming weeks and will be metal pan with concrete treads. They will be installed acoustically isolated from the rest of the building.

The demising walls between units will be above the required standards for STC or sound transmission coefficient. What this means is that you will be more isolated from your neighbors acoustically. I'm pretty excited about this as the walls will be made of two layers of gypsum on both sides with staggered studs and staggered wall penetrations. Most of the places I have lived around Denver tend to have paper thin walls and your sense of privacy is greatly compromised. This is just another characteristic that I hope will help distinguish RiverClay from other buildings.

Also, contrary to my previous assumptions, the wires visible on the west side of the building span the entire height of the third floor. However, the poles and wires will have to be replaced when the building is complete and the hope is to be able to consolidate these wires into fewer wires as well as at a height so it does not obstruct anyone's great views of Jefferson Park.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

July 25th

2007-07-25T22:38:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from Clay Street, looking north at the southwest corner of RiverClay

The second floor slab pour is underway. The concrete pumper truck is working on the south end of the building. Column rebar is being placed on the north end. The stationary crane is at the central east end of the building site. Clay Street remains open to one lane of traffic.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

July 16th

2007-07-16T23:52:00.001-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from Clay Street and northeast corner of Jefferson Park

Lots has happened the past couple of weeks at RiverClay. Scaffolding has filled the ground floor retail and parking areas as the second floor slab pour is almost ready. Meanwhile, the crane continues to be situated outside my future window.

:::Weekly Slice of RiverClay PAN

July 11th

2007-07-15T23:27:00.001-06:00

No report this week. I had to deal with a flat tire in Longmont on Wednesday. Then it rained on Thursday.

2007-07-10T15:50:00.000-06:00

Visit the RiverClay discussion group on Google to see more articles pertaining to the project.

http://groups.google.com/group/riverclay

July 4th

2007-07-08T20:26:00.000-06:00

No official construction update this week,... but being an Architect and having a vested interest, I did drive by the site on Tuesday and the ground floor slab was poured. Being unfamiliar with the construction documents for RiverClay, I noticed that the retail area at the corner is actually a couple of feet lower than the parking deck, which enters in from River Street. Also, Clay Street is still closed to through traffic.

June 27th

2007-06-28T23:39:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from Jefferson Park

Not much to report this week. Clay Street is closed to all traffic. River Street is open only to local traffic. Utility work is being done on Clay Street. The ground floor continues to be prepped for the concrete pour. I met one of the RiverClay salespeople, Monica, while taking the weekly panoramic. She says that they will have waiver forms at the sales office shortly if anyone wants to walk the construction site. Stay tuned.

June 20th

2007-06-21T23:49:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : Looking east from Clay Street at the crane and ground floor slab

The big crane is on the move! It is now situated in the northeast corner of the site, right outside my future unit. River Street is closed to local traffic and Clay Street is intermittently closed to one lane of traffic. Most of the ground floor slab, containing the second parking deck and retail spaces, is laid out with steel reinforcement bars. I would guess that the slab will be poured by next week.

RiverClay Construction Kickoff Event - May 18, 2007

2007-06-16T10:53:00.001-06:00

2007-05-18-riverclay_0013.JPG
Originally uploaded by canadianco

Last month RiverClay held a construction kickoff and tree planting ceremony (despite the fact that the construction was already several months underway). Confirmed buyers, prospective buyers, neighbouring community members, realtors, subcontractors and even a few local government officials gathered at Jefferson Park (across the street from the site) on a sunny Friday afternoon to meet, shmooze and munch on solar-baked cookies. Developer David Zucker spoke and introduced United States Senator Ken Salazar, who touted the development's LEED certification. To close off the day the future condo owners who were present were invited to turn some soil in planting a new tree in the park.

Click for the photos.

June 13th

2007-06-13T23:19:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from northeast corner looking towards Jefferson Park

Hooray! The first floor slab has been poured--well mostly--and they are already scaffolding for the next floor slab--which will be the ground floor along River Street. Starting from the northwest tower, they are laying out the formwork for the next pour. On the lower level, they are still moving dirt and getting the ground ready for the first pour at the Clay Street entry.

June 6th

2007-06-06T22:59:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : View looking south at Invesco Field (Mile High Stadium)

The west foundation wall along Clay Street is complete. The ground is being prepped and compacted for the first slab pour. The underground drainage system is in place. Drainage board and dampproofing are complete around the north and west walls. The east foundation wall is complete. The south foundation wall is being formed. Formwork continues on the north elevator tower.

FLAI Notes:::

::: I had the pleasure of talking to the superintendent on the RiverClay construction project today - don't know his name though... Real nice guy.

::: Did you know that the first 3 floors are concrete construction and the upper 4 floors are wood framed and TJI wood joist construction? My floor will be concrete floor and wood walls and above.

::: There is an underground drainage system that they have been trying to get into place with all of the rainfall we have had recently. The last rainfall shut construction down for a couple weeks since there was no way to drain the water and there was no floor slab yet. They are hoping to pour the first slab next week. Woohoo!

::: The project is on schedule and first move-ins could occur as early as May, but there are no promises. Move-in will be scheduled by floor with probably no more than 10 units per week so as not to interfere with the construction team.

::: I had not noticed this earlier but the rendering on the construction sign shows the retail being on a terrace from the street level. That is good news since the building will sit up that much higher as the grade slopes down towards the stadium.

::: With the west wall in place, you can see the building setback from the power lines along Clay Street. The west-facing units should not find them noticeable.

May 30th

2007-05-31T00:51:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : Photo taken from ground level at the northwest corner - my unit is on the far left, northeast corner, three floors up.

The lower level north stair and elevator cores have been poured. Formwork is being assembled for the south cores. Rebar continues to be placed for the interior columns. The west foundation wall is mostly complete. Foundation drainage board and dampproofing have been applied around the north exterior wall.

May 23rd

2007-05-29T17:58:00.001-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from Clay Street

The west foundation wall along Clay Street was being shored and concrete pouring should occur this week. The interior footings were poured and rebar for the columns was starting to go up.

May 16th

2007-05-29T17:56:00.000-06:00

:::FotoCap : View from Clay Street

Work has finally begun on RiverClay condominiums! The foundation wall around the main tower, to the far left, has been poured and they were excavating for the footings on the lower parking level entering from Clay Street.

River Clay condominiums construction blog

2007-05-23T17:34:00.000-06:00

Welcome! I intend to use this blog to post weekly construction progress and site photos from my future home at the RiverClay condominiums project.