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20/20 Lawrence

Last month, we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at 20/20 Lawrence, the latest apartment project from Zocalo Community Development. Located in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood, the 231-unit apartment building is running three weeks ahead of schedule and should be ready for residents by December.

Like Zocalo’s other apartment developments, 20/20 is designed with the environment in mind and features an array of eco-friendly features, including Energy Star-rated appliances and high-efficiency water fixtures that use 34 percent less water than standard products. The project also boasts some unique amenities for downtown dwellers. Dog owners will have their very own roof-top bark park with artificial grass, while health-conscious residents will work up a sweat in a fitness center featuring state-of-the art exercise equipment and amazing views of the mountains and Coors Field.

The rooftop outdoor lounge area which includes a fire pit, a community grill, hot tub, and a sun deck is a great place to hang out or even host a small get together. The building is also structured for people who may be working from home with a community kitchen, a computer station, work spaces, and even a conference room.

20/20 Lawrence will be Zocalo’s third LEED certified development. The company has plans to break ground in the coming months on a 218-unit project adjacent to Union Station. The 11-story apartment building, dubbed Cadence, will provide easy access to Denver International Airport, ski resorts and other regional hubs.

20/20 Lawrence’s leasing center is scheduled to open this summer. But if you want info on this project sooner, simply click here to visit the project’s website.

One view from the rooftop where many amazing amenities are housed
This will eventually become the workout center with a phenomenal view of the city

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Swinerton Breaks Ground on RTD Garage

We were lucky enough to be on site last month to see Swinerton Builders Colorado break ground on a new parking structure for the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks West Rail line. The 1,000-space garage, located at 14th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood, is expected to be complete next year. The garage will serve more than 5,000 riders each weekday, who will use the new light rail line to travel between Denver, Lakewood, Golden and Jefferson County.

A rendering of the completed garage

More than 150 people turned out for the groundbreaking, including Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, who cited the project as a major step forward in the city’s revitalization efforts. Scott Conrad, Swinerton Builders Colorado Division Manager, also shared information about the economic impact of the development, which is expected to employ an estimated 300 people. News of the project’s start also drew the attention of 9News, 7News and The Denver Post.

Here are a few shots of the event:

Scott Conrad, Mayor Bob Murphy and RTD General Manager Phil Washington

7News on the scene

RTD’s Color Guard.

Scott Conrad addressing the crowd.


Speaking of jobs, the Post also interviewed Scott about boom in construction employment in Colorado. You can read about it here.  Swinerton is on the leading edge of that boom, thanks to several high-profile projects, including a renovation of the Agilent Technologies campus in Colorado Springs and a recently completed office project for Google in Boulder. Swinerton plans to increase its professional staff by 20 percent this year.

The company will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in Colorado this year, so stayed tuned for more news about how Swinerton will mark this special milestone.

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Gallop Cafe on Gabby Gourmet

We were so excited to see client Gallop Café recently featured on Gabby Gourmet’s weekly 7News segment. Gabby (aka Pat Miller) was kind enough to highlight a few of the Highland restaurant’s unique offerings, including: Kids in the Raspberry Patch – a grown up version of a PB&J, with Marcona almond butter, black raspberry jam, and Chevre on fresh Ciabatta, served with potatoes, fruit and house-spiced bacon; and the Montreal Croissant, a hearty breakfast sandwich featuring Canadian bacon, poached eggs, asparagus and covered in hollandaise sauce. You can see Gallop’s dishes soaking up the spotlight here.

Gallop owners Glen Baker and Dave Grafke were also interviewed on Gabby’s radio show and provided the scoop on their just launched spring and summer menu, which features a variety of new items, including crab cakes served with a roasted red pepper coulis and a charcuterie plate with the house terrine, locally made sausage and Italian salumi, and Brie.

Located on the bustling corner of 32nd and Zuni, Gallop offers a little bit of everything -from coffee and pastries to a bountiful Bloody Mary. Their popular version of the morning cocktail recently won praise from OutFront magazine, which profiled the restaurant earlier this month. Thanks to writer Jeff Steen for the great review.

Although known for brunch, Gallop serves dinner Thursdays through Saturdays. We invite you to sample the dinner menu sometime, or join us July 18th, when Gallop will host a four-course dinner with the Gabby Gourmet herself. The meal includes tax, tip and wine for $25.

For reservations call 303-455-5650.

Owners Glen Baker and Dave Grafke with Gabby

                                         

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Trillium Offers Fresh Take on Fine Dining



Last month, we officially began working with Trillium, one of Denver’s hottest new restaurants. Located in the Ballpark neighborhood, the restaurant specializes in Scandinavian-inspired cuisine and was named one of 2011’s best new restaurants by both Westword and 5280.

Chef and Owner Ryan Leinonen, whose background includes stints at the Kitchen in Boulder and Colt & Gray, has created an innovative menu featuring a mix of seafood, heartier fare (duck, beef tenderloin) seasonal salads and an eclectic “Smorgasbord” of small bites. We were lucky enough to sample the fare with a few media friends during the restaurant’s recent Scarborough Wine Dinner, which paired four courses with a variety of Scarborough wines. Check out a few of our appetizing dishes.

The Spring Salad blended turnips, cucumbers, radishes carrots, baby lettuce, grilled marble rye and Gouda in a vanilla vinaigrette

 
Seared Duck Breast with toasted caraway Spaetzle, bacon-braised cabbage and lemon jus
Carrot cake topped with maple ice cream. Need we say more?

Travis Scarborough was on hand to offer background on his namesake Washington state wines and Trillium’s Beverage Manager Kelly Wooldridge did a great job explaining the pairings. Our guests, freelance wine writer Jayne Russell and bloggers David Huntress (Denver By the Slice) and Jacob Harkins (Colorado Wino) offered great feedback on both the wine and the food.

Wine writer Jayne Russell and Trillium Owner Ryan Leinonen get cozy

If you’d like to enjoy your very own prix fixe meal at Trillium, join us on May 16th at 6:30 p.m. for a special dinner hosted by local restaurant guru Pat “Gabby Gourmet” Miller. The dinner is $45 per person and includes tax, tip and wine. Reservations are limited to 40 people so call 303-379-9759 or visit www.gabbygourmet.com soon if you’re interested in attending.

Or consider stopping by on Monday after the Colorado Rockies season opener. The restaurant, which is usually closed Mondays, will open at 4:30 p.m. and will offer happy hour all day. The game will give you an excuse to try the newly concocted Sling for the Fences, a bubbly blend of Benedictine liqueur, dry vermouth, rum and soda.
For more information on hours and other offerings, click here.

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LoHi Merchants Group Update

For several months, I’ve been spearheading an effort to help merchants in Lower Highland more effectively market themselves and the neighborhood. After many meetings to share ideas and strategize, we’ve decided to create the LoHi Merchant Group. Rather than organizing under an existing neighborhood organization (such as Highland United Neighbors Inc.) we’ve decided to stay independent to specifically focus on promoting the services and products offered in LoHi.

Though our group is new, we’ve already made strides in furthering LoHi’s reputation as a unique destination. Several merchants in our group have banded together and joined VISIT DENVER, which markets the city to tourists, meeting planners and even potential new residents. As part of the membership, the merchants will be featured on the organization’s website, in the Official Visitors Guide and in brochures displayed at the Visitor Information Center downtown and at Denver International Airport.

We’ve also established committees to tackle such tasks as developing a website for our group and exploring the possibility of starting a shuttle service that would run from downtown to LoHi. Though we have some goals we want to accomplish, our group is still very much a work in progress. At our next meeting we’ll decide what amount to assess for annual dues to help cover expenses.

We meet on the last Monday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Our next meeting is Monday, March 26th at 5:30 p.m. at the Lumber Baron Inn, 2555 W. 37th Avenue. If you’re interested in finding out more, please join us. You can also contact me for more information via email or at 303-477-9902.

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Stasko Agency Offers New Services

As 2012 began, I spent some time reflecting on ways we can bring even more value to our clients. Networking, making connections, and interacting with media can present some of the biggest challenges to professionals and organizations.
With this in mind, I am excited to announce three new services that Stasko Agency will offer this year:
Networking Strategy Sessions:
Participants in this two hour session will learn the art of networking, and why it is so important in personal and professional life.
From the socially comfortable to the very shy, participants will come away feeling more confident about building relationships with people who can be potential clients or business resources. Topics include what to say and do at social events, whom to speak with, and how to use time wisely. Anyone interested in expanding their business or social networks will benefit from this session. Networking is also a great tool for anyone who is job hunting or changing careers.
Rates for this service are based on an hourly fee. 
Resource Builder:
With this new service I will leverage the media and business contacts I have cultivated for years, and facilitate valuable connections for my clients.
We will start with an intake session to determine if there are quality connections in my resource bank. When I locate resources that might assist you in reaching your goals and objectives, I will set up an introductory meeting and will attend with you to better explain why I feel these two people will be a good match. There is always a specific reason why I think people should meet each another, even if it’s not obvious from the start.
Rates for this service vary by project.
Media Training:
My clients often comment that interacting with the media can be intimidating. Our media training sessions will help ease your jitters and guide you through communicating your messages confidently and effectively to the media.
We partner with Scoop PR principal Erika Gonzalez to provide this media training, which includes a primer on how the media works, offers strategies for creating clear and compelling messages, and gives hands-on practice through mock interviews.
A veteran journalist, Erika worked as a reporter for the Denver Business Journal, Boulder Daily Camera and Rocky Mountain News, where she served as a staff writer for more than a decade. She was also a chief spokesperson for the Colorado Lottery, where she was interviewed regularly by a variety of local and national media outlets.
Our media training services are available on either an hourly or project fee basis depending on the number of participants seeking training.
For more information contact me at 303-477-9902 or email lu@staskoagency.com.

Photo courtesy:  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1499

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The Stasko Agency Adds New Restaurant Client

One of my newest clients is not only keeping me busy, but introducing me to a whole new world of Mexican food. Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine, located in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood, offers real Mexican fare – the kind that dates back centuries and includes such traditional dishes as Tlacoyos (oval-shaped masa and black bean cakes topped with pear cactus, jalapeno, tomato and onion) and Molcajetes (a mouth-watering stew that I’ve been dreaming about since I first tasted it, made with tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, onions and either fish, meat or a mixture of both). Open since August 2011, Paxia is the brainchild of brothers Cesar, Roberto and Igancio Leon, who started the Los Carbonitos chain of taquerias in 2004.

Paxia is like Los Carbonitos’ sophisticated sister, providing gourmet Mexican food in a stylish, yet comfortable atmosphere, complete with a tequila lounge and inviting patio. And the restaurant is starting to gain new fans. Denver Post Features Writer Bill Porter just gave Paxia a glowing review.

If you haven’t tried Paxia, there are plenty of opportunities to experience the Leon family’s culinary talents.  On February 9th, the restaurant is offering a preview of its Denver Restaurant Week menu, which includes its special “lamb barbacoa” entree. The dish, which is slow roasted after soaking for hours in a chili marinade, will become a permanent part of the menu every weekend, starting March 10th.

For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant is offering a four-course Prix Fixe meal (featuring a mix of Mexican mainstays – Carne Asada, for example, as well as more contemporary creations), served with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine for $50 per person.

The restaurant’s Happy Hour also provides a chance to sample Paxia’s unique menu at discounted prices. Available daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again from 9 to close, Paxia’s Happy Hour includes drink specials as well as tamales, tacos, oysters, and Ceviche. Paxia is open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and serves dinner from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

To make reservations for Valentine’s Day or Denver Restaurant Week, call 720-583-6860.
For more information, visit www.paxiadenver.com or follow the restaurant on Facebook.

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A Whole New World

Part of my job involves educating myself about new media outlets and new industries, so with that in mind, I attended a private event last week hosted by the publisher of the trade magazine Imaging Notes. Imaging Notes is the premier publication for commercial, government and academic remote sensing professionals around the world and it’s based right here in Denver.

Publisher Myrna Yoo, (owner of Blueline Publishing LLC), welcomed more than 125 people all over the country, who were in Denver for ILMF – the International LIDAR Mapping Forum. The event was a great opportunity to network and focused on LIDAR software, (Light Detection And Ranging) a technology that uses remote sensing and light to gather data used in creating maps.

While I don’t deal with remote sensing industry, I enjoyed learning more about the technology involved. I am always on the lookout for new and different opportunities for my clients – even if it is introducing them to new industries (they never thought of before!). You never know what kind of business one can build by marketing to a whole new industry!

For more information, check out Imaging Notes.

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Year in Review

Happy New Year! I am excited and hopeful about what 2012 holds, especially after such an eventful year in 2011.

Last year, The Stasko Agency developed campaigns to launch everything from a new outdoor gear protection system to comfort food-filled waffle cones. We also rekindled relationships with former colleagues and friends and helped them promote a variety of projects.

I am proud of what we accomplished and thought I’d share a few highlights from 2011:

  • Crafty Ladies: In March, Highland Tap & Burger introduced the Crafty Ladies Beer Club, giving beer-loving babes a great reason to gather. We helped spread the word about the club, whose members meet twice monthly for tastings and to learn about their favorite beers from the craft brewers who make them. Here is 9News Reporter Heidi McGuire interviewing the club’s former spokesperson, Amy Pardee, back in April. The Crafty Ladies Beer Club is the brainchild of one of the Highland Tap and Burger owner’s Juan Padro, and his dynamic team!

  • Urbandwellers Showroom Shines: We’re huge fans of urbandwellers partners Larry Beard Jr. and Bruce Littlehorn and their unique, space-saving furnishings. So, we were thrilled to help them unveil their 1,000-square foot showroom in the Water Tower Lofts downtown. The space (which doubles as their home) landed on the cover of The Denver Post’s Lifestyle section in November.

  • Growing Good Food Locally: We learned a lot about the importance of sustainable farming last summer when we launched a campaign to promote Circle Fresh Farms – a network of farms that produces organic, pesticide-free produce in greenhouses year-round. Our early efforts gained the company coverage in a slew of papers in the Boulder area (Longmont Times-Call, Boulder Daily Camera, Boulder County Business Report) where one of its farms is thriving. A second campaign to promote a program that helps turn returning veterans into farmers, drew attention from 9News, 7NEWS and the Denver Business Journal.

  • LoHi Merchants Join Forces: This past summer, I worked with LoHi realtor Paul Tamburello to create a way for neighborhood business owners to share information and resources and promote each other to residents. The LoHi Merchants Collaborative, which meets monthly, helps achieve those goals and allows local businesses to market the neighborhood more effectively. We are working on several initiatives to drive business to LoHi, including a welcome basket for new residents and a shuttle that would run from downtown to Highland. Our next meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. on January 30th. If you’d like more information, drop me a line here.

  • Protecting Precious Gear: Driving into the garage with a bike still mounted on your car’s roof rack can leave you in tears, which is why our friends at HeadsUp Systems decided to prevent anyone from suffering that sad fate. Their wireless alert system warns drivers as they approach their garages, reminding them about the bikes, kayaks, canoes and other equipment they may have mounted on top of their vehicles. In addition to garnering a bevy of trade industry press, the company’s unique product was also recently featured in a 9News story about great holiday gifts. You can view the story here.

  • Paris Celebrates a Silver Anniversary: Helping entrepreneurs mark significant milestones is always satisfying, but providing support for Paris On the Platte’s 25th birthday party was particularly special, given the memories we’ve built there. And thanks to a mention in Penny Parker’s Post column, both longtime patrons and new customers turned out for the celebration and shared their stories of the legendary cafe and bar.

  • Developer David Zucker’s Real Estate Deals: Zocalo Community Development, led by David Zucker, kept us busy last year. In September, we helped the company announce plans to build a 13-story, 220-unit apartment project at Union Station. A month later, we worked with David to announce the sale of its downtown hi-rise apartment building Solera. The sale was a record for the state of Colorado and garnered the attention of the Denver Business Journal, Inside Real Estate, The Denver Post and Yahoo! Finance.

  • Bobo’s Create a Buzz: A waffle cone filled with macaroni and cheese instead of mint chocolate chip ice cream? It may sound strange, but it’s actually a delicious mobile meal, launched last fall by Little Man Ice Cream. Called Bobo Cones, the new cold weather fare passed KDVR’s Dan Daru’s taste test when he sampled a macaroni and cheese-filled Bobo Cone during the station’s morning broadcast. The cones were also featured in the Huffington Post and on several food blogs including IceCream News.

  • Menchie’s Makes Highland a Hot Spot for FroYo: We wrapped up the year by introducing LoHi residents to Menchie’s, a frozen yogurt shop that just opened an outpost not far from North High School. For its opening celebration, Menchie’s hosted fundraisers for The Tennyson Center for Children and the Rocky Mountain Rollerpunks. Here’s a great shot of Rollerpunks members hugging the Menchie’s mascot.

I look forward to continuing our momentum and making new connections in 2012!

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Rollerpunks Make Good Day Colorado Debut

I am a big fan of the Rocky Mountain Rollerpunks and it’s not just because my niece (Anya Blindside) is a member of the roller derby junior league. The Rollerpunks teach teamwork and build confidence while giving kids a great reason to get off the couch. The league is open to girls and boys ages six to 11 and girls ages 12 to 17, who learn skating skills, roller derby rules and strategy, fitness and sportsmanship.

Wednesday morning, Good Day Colorado Reporter Dan Daru helped spread the word about the Rollerpunks, capturing league members practicing with Coach PJ “Dangerous Leigh A’Zon” Shields. I was so excited to be on hand to see the girls in action on live television. Although Dan didn’t strap on a pair of skates (he said he left them at home 30 years ago!), he still had a ton of fun. You can view the story here.


The Rollerpunks, started by the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls in spring 2010, have also been featured in Westword, 9News and most recently, The Denver Post. The league’s season runs from April to October, but that didn’t stop the girls from rising early to promote the sport. Registration for new members will be held on March 24. More information will be posted as the event draws near on The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls website.

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