Cherry Creek North’s well-known Chinook Tavern will leave the trendy district for a new home at the Landmark development in Greenwood Village come summer.
The mixed-use Landmark has attracted several restaurants already in Cherry Creek North, but most are going to be second locations. Chinook is the first to pull up stakes and move completely out of the area.
The owners of the popular Chinook cite neighborhood changes, limited parking and an influx of new restaurants as reasons for moving south.
Clemens Georg, who owns the restaurant with his father, Manfred, told The Denver Post they are concerned about the neighborhood’s direction. Cherry Creek, they said, is becoming an even wealthier area with second-home owners as opposed to full-time residents.
The transformation of Cherry Creek started a few years ago when developer Randy Nichols spent $150 million to turn Clayton Street into a mixed-used development called Clayton Lane. Along with high-end housing, more than a dozen national chains, including Crate & Barrel, Orvis and Bose, dominate the project’s retail space.
Two other projects under construction by wealthy Denver businessmen — Donald Sturm and Christian Anschutz — are expected to continue that trend. A number of other developers are building luxury condos on top of retail space.
Some independent retailers in the area have said the projects are changing the face of the neighborhood and making it difficult — and costly — for them to compete.
The Landmark, located near Interstate 25 and Belleview Avenue, is poised to become a popular destination for office workers in the Denver Tech Center and for the growing number of residents in the area, said Kelly Greene, a David Hicks and Lampert leasing agent for the Landmark.
Greene said the Chinook’s owners had been looking to move for several years but had not found the right location until now.
“The sophisticated operators are looking for the best combination of disposable income, businesspeople for lunch, an area not watered with competition, parking and economics that allow them to be profitable,” Greene said.
Other restaurants in the Landmark include Hapa Sushi, Sparrow, Slattery’s (from the owners of the Irish Snug), Jing (from the Little Ollie’s family), Lime and Ted’s Montana Grill.
The Landmark also boasts the Meridian High Rises, a $240 million development with 281 units. The homes will range from $275,000 to $1.8 million.
The $230 million European-style village also offers seven five-story Manor Home buildings, each with 23 homes that will sell for $500,000 to $1.4 million. The development also has 50 brownstone units that will range in price from $1.5 million to $2.75 million.
Staff writer Margaret Jackson contributed to this report.
Elizabeth Aguilera: 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com
