Economic hardship applications granted for Denver historic homeowners

The Denver Landmark Preservation Commission approved owners' applications for economic hardship regarding two damaged historic homes.

This decision came after the owners requested the buildings to be demolished in June. A request that was denied.

The historic homes at 1600 Colfax Ave. and 1618 Colfax Ave. were built in 1895. Both buildings are located in the Wyman historic district.

Annie Levinsky, Executive Director of Historic Denver, Inc. explained their importance to the Denverite in a 2018 interview, stating the homes are some of the last of their kind along Colfax Ave.

The discussion on the fate of the structures has been ongoing. Community groups pushed back against the idea of demolition in 2018. At that point, the owners developed plans to restore and preserve the structures. However, they were never implemented. Construction costs increased from the beginning of the project planning in 2019 through 2022, the owners said, making the plan no longer feasible.

A fire at 1600 E Colfax Ave. in March 2024 caused significant damage to the structure. The owners said the structure was already deteriorating prior to the fire and the costs of restoration were too high.

The owners submitted applications to demolish the buildings in April 2024. After the commission denied their request, they filed appeals arguing that the cost to repair the homes outweighs the potential value after they're restored. They claimed that the inability to demolish the buildings would cause economic hardship.

Estimates provided in the appeals state the rehabilitation of the 1600 structure reflects a negative value of $6 million, while the 1618 structure reflects a negative value of $4.1 million.

Both appeals were approved at the Commission's Dec. 17, 2024 meeting.