New Denver hotel will integrate historic 130-year-old fire station into its design
By David Malone, Associate Editor
A new 12-story hotel has broken ground in Denver near Coors Field and Union Station and while the majority of the hotel will have a sleek, modern aesthetic, one component will definitely stand out from the rest.
The historic Denver Hose Company No.1 building, which was constructed in 1883, will be incorporated into the hotel’s design. The building was listed as a city historic landmark in 1986 and is one of the only remaining structures from an early Denver neighborhood called the “Bottoms,” The Denver Post reports. The building is described as having beautiful brickwork, especially around the two front facing arches.
The building will be completely restored as part of the $80 million hospitality project and will serve as a restaurant and outdoor patios for the hotel. The patios will face Chestnut Place and 20th Street.
And the restoration couldn’t come a moment too soon. The fire station has been in a state of disrepair for years now, to the point where some people worried about it becoming a safety issue. It had all the looks of a structure ready to collapse on itself, but with help from the city and Historic Denver (an organization that preserves local Denver history, architecture, and landscapes), the building was stabilized until the restoration could begin.
Johnson Nathan Strohe and Boss Architecture designed the new hotel, which will be a Hilton Garden Inn. It will comprise 233 guest rooms and be operated by Davidson Hotels. Among the amenities the hotel will offer are a ballroom, meeting space, underground parking, and a fitness center.
The new Hilton Garden Inn is expected to open in early 2019.