OUT WITH THE NEW AND IN WITH THE OLD ... PROPERTIES
10 properties that give new purpose to historic treasures
W hen Colorado Springs’ Ivywild School closed in 2010, community members worried how the loss would affect the neighborhood. A trio of entrepreneurs stepped up, partnering to purchase the property and repurpose it “in an effort to help revitalize the neighborhood, save the building, and honor its role in the neighborhood,” said Amanda Bristol, one of the partners.
With Colorado in a state of seemingly perpetual growth, it’s easy to get caught up in all the new, from transit to homes. But amid the development dust, businesses throughout the state are celebrating our past by breathing new life into existing properties. Many, like Bristol and her partners, embrace old buildings for their special physical characteristics or cultural role while others have more practical reasons: Renovations can be less expensive or time-consuming than starting from scratch. Here are 10 of our favorites:
Ivywild School (Colorado Springs): The school operated from 1916 to 2009. Rather than watch its demolition, Joseph Coleman and Bristol Brewing Company owners Mike and Amanda Bristol purchased the property, and in 2013 opened it as a retail and community space. With a brewery, distillery,
and more, the Ivy wild School project feels decidedly modern, but the historic craftsmanship and school details — including chalkboards, murals and students’ handprint art — have been preserved.
Powerhouse Science Center
(Durango). One of the world’s first coal-fired alternating current (AC) electric plants, the Powerhouse is now an innovative science museum. Originally built in 1893 by the Durango Light and Power Company, the plant provided power to early Durango and was later incorporated into Western Colorado’s power grid. Shut down and boarded up in the 1970s, it reopened in 2006 as the Powerhouse Science Center. Hands-on exhibits, a MakerLab and school programs provide a window into science and energy technology of the past, present and future.
Breckenridge Arts District
(Breckenridge). Serving Summit County since 2014, this one-acre campus houses creative spaces in new and restored structures. The 1880 Fuqua Livery Stable has studios for painting, drawing and beading, and the 136-yearold J.R. Hodges Tin Shop is a live-work space for visiting artists. In addition to providing a place for artists to create and display their work, the complex hosts experiential and educational programs and performances.
Ginger and Baker (Fort Collins). With the November 2017 opening of Ginger and Baker — consisting of a coffee shop, teaching kitchen, event spaces and two restaurants — Fort Collins’ Northern Colorado Feeders Supply building is again at the community’s core. Built in 1910, the historic mill has long been the spot to stop for a bag of grain, a cup of coffee and the latest news. Ginger Graham’s project honors the city’s agricultural roots and maintains the structure’s historic charm, preserving the Linden Street façade, shoring up the iconic grain elevator, and restoring architectural details.
The TANK Center for Sonic Arts (Rangely). Originally built
around 1940 as a railroad water treatment facility, The TANK was transported to Rangely for fire suppression in the 1960s. But its water-filled weight compressed the Western Slope’s fragile shale, resulting in a parabolic indentation that created exceptional acoustics. By the 1970s, the space was a secret treasure for musicians and sound artists. When the structure became endangered, the artists and community gathered funds and support to purchase and upgrade the property. In 2015, The TANK opened as a venue for performances, recording sessions, artist residencies and outreach.
Wild Goose Coffee at the Granary (Hayden). Built in 1917,
the Hayden Granary long provided Routt County farmers a place to chat with their far-flung neighbors around the coffee pot. After purchasing the space in 2008, Tammie and Patrick Delaney struggled to keep it afloat as a feed store, but in 2013 they optrestaurant ed for a new approach: Wild Goose Coffee. The grain elevator — the last in the county — remains, and an old scale serves as the front patio, Wild Goose really shines by continuing to connect rural residents through coffee and food.
Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club
(Denver). Opened in March 2015 in an old miniature spoon factory in the 1920s-era H.H. Tammen & Company building, Nocturne invites guests to help Denver’s jazz scene thrive. Nicole and Scott Mattson chose the building largely because of its tall wooden ceilings (great acoustics) and the neighborhood’s rich history. They have kept the original ceilings, brick walls and even the original warehouse-y entrance, but continue to add modern touches by incorporating art by local artists and interesting pieces made from repurposed materials.
Feed Store Park and Amphi
theater (Westcliffe). In its early days, Westcliffe’s Feed Store served as a sawmill, a flour mill, a feed store, and a restaurant. By the 1980s, the late-1880s building had fallen out of use and begun deteriorating until Garrett Carlson got involved. He bought the structure, and in 2002 began transforming it, converting the upper levels into residential apartments and building an outdoor park and amphitheater on adjoining land. The restaurant is no longer in service, but the surrounding grounds are a community favorite for summer concerts and music festivals.
910 Yampa (Steamboat Springs). The former Yampa Valley Electric Association building at 910 Yampa St. has new life as a multi-use space with a brewery, gear shop, newspaper offices and more. The award-winning project drew on historic photos and original designs from architect Eugene Sternberg to create a space that respects and reflects the building’s history. The colors harken back to the 1950s and ’60s; the ribbon window panes were preserved and reframed, and the bar top in Mountain Tap Brewery is built entirely of retired YVEA electric spools.
Woodie Fisher at the Hilton Garden Inn (Denver). The once
deteriorating brick building that served as one of Denver’s first fire stations has been incorporated into the sleek new Hilton Garden Inn located in the heart of the city’s booming Union Station neighborhood. In May, former Denver Hose Company No. 1 opened as Woodie Fisher, a seasonal, approachable eatery led by chef Franco Ruiz. The fullscale restoration stabilized the structure and preserved its historic exterior, including the trademark arched windows above the glass-paneled garage doors.