Another full city block in Denver’s River North Art District is trading loading docks for leasing offices. Carmel Partners has begun construction on a block-sized apartment complex at 3300 Blake Street, a 481-unit project that will occupy the entire site, with a stepped design that rises to 12 stories along 34th Street and drops to seven stories on the south side. Plans call for street-level retail and a multi-level parking podium, and the once low-slung industrial block is now a landscape of heavy equipment and cleared lots.
As reported by BusinessDen, Carmel Partners broke ground in recent weeks and the outlet photographed the site on March 12. The firm acquired the roughly 2.4-acre property in August 2021 for about $27.5 million, and preparatory demolition removed several small industrial buildings that had previously occupied the block.
Project details
The idea of turning the entire block into a single coordinated development has been floating around since 2021, when Carmel and Davis Partnership circulated early plans for two buildings rising over a shared podium. Initial documents and neighborhood coverage pegged parking in the 500-space range and unit counts in the mid-400s, according to Denverite. The block falls inside the 38th and Blake overlay, which allows taller buildings when projects include public benefits such as income-restricted housing.
Updated plan on the ground
The version now moving dirt tightens those early estimates. Development plans show about 481 apartments, roughly 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and approximately 510 parking spaces. The taller massing will reach 12 stories on the north side of the site, then step down to seven stories toward the south. Those details, along with current site photos, were documented by BusinessDen.
Carmel’s footprint in RiNo
Carmel Partners is no stranger to the neighborhood. The firm’s DriveTrain project on Brighton Boulevard lists 417 units and more than 11,000 square feet of retail on its website, showing that large mixed-use complexes are already part of its local portfolio. The company’s history of Denver work is outlined on Carmel Partners, while regional reporting has tracked earlier land buys that helped set up larger redevelopment plays. The new effort at 3300 Blake arrives as other big Denver sites, including the former Denver7 parcel at 123 Speer, are being marketed, according to commercial listings and local coverage.
What neighbors should expect
For nearby residents and businesses, the visible demolition and site clearing are just the opening act. Local development trackers note that final building permits and contractor schedules may still be in the works, so a firm completion date is not yet public, but permit roundups have been following the site closely. DenverInfill has documented demolition and early-stage site work on similarly scaled projects in the area, and neighbors can expect multiyear construction impacts that typically include truck traffic, staging areas and occasional lane disruptions.
Once finished, the 3300 Blake project is set to rank among RiNo’s largest single developments, and its retail lineup, parking strategy and final design touches will be closely watched as the permitting process advances. This story will be updated as renderings, permit approvals and an official construction timeline are released.
