It was easier to name who wasn’t at the RH, The Gallery at Cherry Creek (Restoration Hardware’s super store) opening soiree Wednesday in the Cherry Creek shopping center then to attempt to call out all 2,500 attendees.

The hearty party, aimably choreographed by Aiello Public Relations, moved the admiring hordes through all four floors of the home design store that took over the space formerly occupied by Saks Fifth Avenue.

While the lookiloos gawked at all the fabulous fixtures  — most notably the chandeliers — they were fueled with fine fare from Epicurean Catering.

The party was so massive that the city posted an electronic sign early Wednesday along First Street warning of traffic issues that evening. Plus, much of the garage parking at the mall was blocked off in anticipation of the valet needs.

The new RH store is quite a sight to see. Don’t miss the fourth-floor rooftop garden with spectacular views and outdoor furniture for sale.

Eavesdropping on a woman at the RH Modern opening party: “This is a STORE!”

Global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group, through a controlled affiliate, and East West Partners, a Denver-based developer devoted to building, selling, managing and supporting high-quality real estate, announced today that it plans to develop a new 250-foot tall office building in Denver’s burgeoning Union Station neighborhood. DaVita Healthcare Partners, the leading provider of kidney care services, will serve as the property’s anchor tenant.

One of the last buildings to be completed in the Union Station area, the $190 million project — called 16 Chestnut — is essentially two buildings in one, as it fronts both 16^th and 17^th streets. In expanding its headquarters beyond its current location across the street, DaVita will occupy approximately 265,000 square feet of office space at 16 Chestnut, with its own entrance and lobby.

“DaVita believed in our vision for the Union Station neighborhood long before it came to fruition. We are honored that they are entrusting us in making a second home for their teammates,” said Chris Frampton, managing partner at East West Partners.

Groundbreaking for the building is scheduled for July, and DaVita is targeting a move-in date of August 2018. Remaining space available for lease will come to market in January, and the entire building is slated for completion in October 2018.

In addition to DaVita’s office space, four floor plates totaling 40,000 square feet apiece will be available for leasing at 16 Chestnut. The building will feature a separate lobby and elevator bank for the tenants in those floors.

16 Chestnut is targeting LEED Platinum certification upon completion for its environmentally friendly design and operations. The building will make extensive use of glass, allowing for striking views of the city and Rocky Mountains from each floor. The architect for the project is Gensler, and BuildMark will provide construction management services. A general contractor has not yet been named.

16 Chestnut also provides transit access, as it will be located adjacent to the south bound light rail and two blocks from the forthcoming north bound light rail to Denver International Airport. The 16^th Street Mall shuttles will run right through the building.

“We are excited about the opportunity to continue to invest in Denver and reaffirm our commitment to East West Partners’ vision for the Union Station neighborhood,” said Dan Schwaegler, senior vice president in the Asset Management Group at Starwood Capital Group. “This neighborhood has become the destination of choice for Fortune 500 companies in Denver, and our third building in the area will only contribute to this trend.”

East West Partners and Starwood Capital Group have already teamed up to develop two other buildings in the area. One Union Station, situated adjacent to the recently renovated historic Union Station, was sold in 2014, establishing a new high-water mark for Denver office pricing on a per-square-foot basis at the time. The Triangle Building was recently completed, and will be home to tenants including Liberty Global and WeWork.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation presents a preview and early bidding opportunity for the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show Auction. The event committee has organized several high-end items for the online silent auction.

Please note that many items have a “buy it now” option so you can purchase and support Global prior to and independently of the event. Online bidding will end at noon on Tuesday. At that time your bids will be frozen and transferred to the event if appropriate. Please check often as new items will be added weekly.

Bid online today at www.blacktie-colorado.com/auctions/index.cfm?fuseaction=Auctions.Landing&aid=438.

Featured Online Auction Items:

Venice Ristorante Chef Table Experience: Venice Ristorante has brought a five-star Venetian dining experience right to Denver. Venice invites you to be pampered with the chef’s table for eight guests. Enjoy authentic Italian cuisine for a memorable dining experience. Make your reservation today. Available at the LoDo location.

Exclusive Car Tour with Collector Stephen Tebo: Enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour catered cocktail reception for 20 guests with Stephen Tebo at his car collection warehouse in Longmont. Includes a personal tour of Tebo’s ultimate car collection featuring more than 375 vehicles. Tebo has an extensive collection of antique and classic motor vehicles. He started his car collection in 1975 when he purchased a sleeve-valve, three-door 1925 Willys Knight for $2,500. Recent additions include a 1929 Duesenberg and a 1968 Shelby GT-500 Other highlights are John Lennon’s white Rolls Royce, Steve McQueen’s 1941 Indian Chief, Frank Sinatra’s Jeep, the taxi used on “Seinfeld”, a limited-production 1954 Kaiser Darrin, a 1964 Cadillac hearse that transported JFK’s body, the Batmobile, a room of Corvettes, a room of British cars, vintage fire trucks, police cars and many more. Mutually agreed upon date and time.

No Doubt Autographed Guitar: No Doubt consists of vocalist Gwen Stefani, bassist and keyboardist Tony Kanal, guitarist and keyboardist Tom Dumont, and drummer Adrian Young. The band’s diamond-certified album Tragic Kingdom featured “Don’t Speak,” set a record when it spent 16 weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. In 2004, the band embarked on solo projects, with Stefani releasing two successful solo albums, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004) and The Sweet Escape (2006) while Dumont released his own solo music project, “Invincible Overlord”. In 2008, the band resumed working slowly on their sixth effort, titled “Push and Shove” (2012), and released their single “Settle Down.” Other notable songs include Grammy-winning singles, “Hey Baby” and “Underneath It All,” and “Settle Down.” They have sold over 33 million albums worldwide.

Purchase your tickets to attend the 2015 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show on October 24 at www.BeBeautifulBeYourself.org or call 303-321-6277.

The City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Business Association recognized outstanding businesses in the community at the 12^th Annual Business Appreciation Awards Breakfast on Oct. 8.  Local leaders and members of the business community joined Councilmember Bud Starker to celebrate the achievements of Wheat Ridge businesses in six categories. Special Recognition Awards were presented during the ceremony to highlight two local companies.

The 2015 award recipients are:

• Businesses of the Year – Anthony M’s Visions in Gold and Quality Auto and Tire Care
• Member of the Year – Cheryl Brungardt of Thank ‘em Promotions
• Reinvestment Award – Confluent Development for the Kipling Ridge Shopping Center
• Cultural Commission Award – Colorado ACTS
• City Council Partnership Award – La Fonda Mexican Restaurant
• Mayor’s Partnership Award – Wazee Partners
• WRBA Rising Star Award – Joe DeAguero
• Special Recognition Award – AAA Propane

Citizens and local businesses nominated businesses for the Business of the Year and the Reinvestment Award. Nominations were reviewed and winners selected by a team of Jefferson County business professionals. The individual or organization sponsoring the other awards selected their winners.

Business of the Year: Neighborhood Gazette – Anthony M’s Visions in Gold; Quality Auto Care. This award recognizes a business that exemplifies the Best in Business and represents the values of the community.

Other nominees included: AAA Propane, Amici’s Italian Restaurant, Cosmo’s Retail Store and Dog Biscuit Bakery, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Karebear Bakery, Kevin Robb Studios, Pet Club of Wheat Ridge, and T-Bird Roadhouse, VinylWorks. 

Reinvestment Award Winners: Confluent Development for the Kipling Ridge Shopping Center. This award recognizes a business that has demonstrated that has accomplished one or more of the following: made a significant investment in its property, improved the overall appearance of the site, maintained property at the highest standards, or updated its building in a manner to make it more marketable.

Other nominees included: Lutheran Medical Center, Helliemae’s Caramels, Kidney Center of Wheat Ridge, and Natural Grocers Vitamin Cottage. 

Cultural Commission Award Winner: Colorado ACTS – This award recognizes a business that has made an impact on the community through one or more of these activities: promoting/encouraging culture and the arts, promoting awareness of cultural activities, diversity, or heritage, supporting opportunities in art education for all ages or incorporating art into the architecture and design of their building.  

Other nominees included: Blu Iron Photography and Mid Mod Vintage.

City Council Partnership Award Winner: La Fonda Mexican Restaurant – The City Council recognizes a company or individual for their overall contributions to the City.  It incorporates criteria from all award categories as well as contributions in volunteerism, leadership and community investment/involvement.

Mayor’s Partnership Award Winner: Wazee Partners, LLC – The mayor recognizes a company or program for their overall contributions.  The award incorporates criteria from all categories as well as contributions in volunteerism, leadership and community investment.

WRBA Rising Star Award – Joe DeAguero – This award is given to the WRBA member of the year for his or her contribution to the organization and the community.  

Special Recognition Award Winners: AAA Propane – A special recognition award was given to Tammy and Tim Glover, the owners of AAA Propane for their cooperation and business spirit in allowing the reconfiguration of the propane tanks on their property to allow the construction of 50 new senior apartments.

The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities will hold auditions for “Junie B. Jones, The Musical” from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 2  at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Callbacks will be held on Nov. 4. “Junie B. Jones, The Musical” will be directed by David and Julie Payne, musical direction by Keith Ewer and choreography by Piper Arpan. The Arvada Center Artistic producer is Rod A. Lansberry.

Auditions are by appointment only, call 720-898-7200 to schedule a time. Do not contact the production staff to schedule an appointment. Must be 18 years of age or older to be considered for a part.

Requirements: Needed are experienced actors with strong character, vocal and dance skills. Individuals of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to audition. Roles are non-equity paid positions. Actors should prepare a one-minute segment from a children’s book presenting the story as if you lived it and 16 to 32 bars of an up-tempo pop/rock musical theater piece. Bring sheet music in the appropriate key, as an accompanist is provided. Use of CD or a cappella singing is not acceptable. A current résumé and headshot are required.

Production details: Rehearsals for “Junie B. Jones, The Musical” will begin on Jan. 21, rehearsing weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The production opens on Feb. 11, running through April 8. Performances are Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. and noon, and various Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. For a complete schedule go to www.arvadacenter.org/on-stage/junie-b-jones-the-musical-spring-2016.

Known for ideas and innovation, Denver is home to the Rocky Mountain Inventors Association and Inventors Roundtable. This month, Top Dog Direct is looking to tap into Denver’s rich culture to find the next big infomercial product.

The team at Top Dog Direct has already brought products such as NightView NV, BeActive and Snuggle Up Fleece to millions of television viewers at home and is looking for another success story to bring to market.

Top Dog Direct will be accepting applications from inventors interested in their Top Dog Search Party event held in Denver Oct. 21, those selected will have the opportunity to pitch the next “must have” infomercial product. Applications must be received today.

Inventors selected to pitch to the Top Dog Direct team will receive an invitation to the event in Denver, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21. Only those inventors selected will be admitted to this Top Dog Search Party event. The Top Dog Direct team is looking for consumer products that are demonstrable, appeal to a mass audience and solve a common problem.

“Top Dog Direct is excited to be on the search for new infomercial products,” said Bill McAlister, president of Top Dog Direct. “This event will be an outstanding opportunity for new and more seasoned inventors to pitch their products for the chance for theirs to become the next hottest product on the market today.”

Direct-response television, better known as infomercials, is a growing industry. An article in TheWeek.com noted that the U.S. market for infomercial products stood at $170 billion in 2009 and could exceed $250 billion in 2015.

“If a product is meant to sell on television, Top Dog Direct will get it done. It takes a team to win in this business and our company is driven by this ideal,” McAlister said.

Top Dog Direct is credited with the successful development and innovative TV marketing formats for many of today’s hottest “As Seen on TV” products including BeActive Brace, Sobakawa Pillow, Urine Gone, Stream Clean, Tag Away and NightView Glasses. Products are also sold through major retail chains nationwide.

For more information about Top Dog Direct, visit www.topdogdirect.com.

For applications, contact Erica at erica.tv@comcast.net or call 215-633-9801.

Eavesdropping on two employees in Englewood: “I hear the divorce rate is about 50 percent in the U.S.”
“Yeah, but it would 80 or 90 percent if there was less paperwork.”

East West Partners, Continuum Partners, Union Station Alliance and Trammell Crow Company announced Wednesday that Denver Union Station has been named a winner of the 2015 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence competition. Widely recognized as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious award programs, the ULI Global Awards for Excellence selected 10 global winners from among a broad mix of exemplary projects from around the world, including five in the U.S., three in Europe and two in Asia.

A full list of the 2015 award recipients is available at www.uli.org/programs/awards-competitions/uli-global-award-for-excellence/.

“The result of a visionary collaborative effort, Denver Union Station brings an exemplary transformation of downtown through a complex mixed-used project,” said ULI Global Awards for Excellence Jury Chair Michael Covarrubias. “The project not only makes progress ahead of the initial plan but already turns the rail yard into a viable community/work space.”

Now in its 37th year, ULI’s Global Awards for Excellence recognize real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning and management, and is viewed as the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development.

“The ULI Global Award for Excellence is the most prestigious award in our industry and it is an incredible honor to have won for our work on the Union Station Neighborhood,” said Mark Smith, principal of East West Partners. “This award is in recognition of the extraordinary effort put forth by the entire Union Station team as well as the impact that this project has had on the neighborhood and the entire City of Denver.”

This is the second Global Awards for Excellence win for both East West Partners (Riverfront Park, 2011) and Continuum Partners (Belmar, 2006).

“The Union Station development is one of the most challenging projects we have ever taken on,” said Mark Falcone, founder and CEO of Continuum Partners. “To create such an ambitious master plan that was built in a single continuous phase with the development activity happening simultaneously and then execute it on time and on budget, despite the Great Recession, took incredible leadership, fortitude and cooperation. To have that effort recognized by the Urban Land Institute is immensely gratifying.”

The 2015 winners were announced at ULI’s Annual Fall Meeting on Tuesday in San Francisco. Representatives from Continuum Partners and East West Partners (master developers of the Union Station Transit Hub and Neighborhood), Trammell Crow Company (owner representative for the Denver Union Station Project Authority) and Union Station Alliance (developer of Union Station Historic Building) were recognized with a certificate during the presentation.

“Denver Union Station created a shift in downtown Denver when the heart of the city became the Union Station Neighborhood. The historic building has been restored to its original intentions, serving as a bustling 24 hour community gathering place,” said Walter Isenberg, president and CEO of Sage Hospitality and partner in the Union Station Alliance.  “Speaking on behalf of our entire group including Larimer Associates, McWhinney, REGen LLC, Sage Hospitality and Urban Neighborhoods, the Union Station Alliance is grateful for this global recognition.”

Criteria for the award include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnerships, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs and financial viability, all of which the Denver Union Station project have met. The 10 winning projects were selected from among 22 finalists by an international jury of ULI members representing a multidisciplinary collection of real estate development expertise, including finance, land planning, development, public affairs, design and other professional services.