The former Fontius Shoes space at 16th and Welton on Block 162 has been vacant since 1988, with much of the rest of the building also vacant and in an obvious state of neglect. Today, let’s take an up-close look at the existing conditions of the Fontius Building. Keep in mind, this is a commercial space that has been supposedly “for lease” since 1988. Have you ever seen the show “Curb Appeal” on HGTV? Apparently, the Cook family has not.

Let’s start with a couple of context shots. If you get far enough away and sort of squint, the Fontius Building doesn’t look all that bad:

2007-03-28_fontius_043 2007-03-28_fontius_038
But let’s take a closer look. First, the front entrance:

2007-03-28_fontius_021 2007-03-28_fontius_014

Well, that’s inviting.

How about the windows:

2007-03-28_fontius_045 2007-03-28_fontius_028

You know, cardboard is such a versatile window treatment!

Next, how about the soffits:

2007-03-28_fontius_012 2007-03-28_fontius_026

Let’s take a peek inside!

2007-03-28_fontius_015 2007-03-28_fontius_020

Sorry for the cloudiness of the images. I shot these through the front windows and the windows haven’t been washed since… um, about 1988. But the vintage 1980s shoe store decor remains remarkably intact, so in a few years, the Fontius interior will be so out of date, it will be retro hip!

The signs:

2007-03-28_fontius_027 2007-03-28_fontius_033

Next, let’s evaluate the quality of the exterior façade:

2007-03-28_fontius_023 2007-03-28_fontius_034

These have been photos of the building’s two “good” sides. There’s also the back and alley sides too:

2007-03-28_fontius_039 2007-03-28_fontius_035

And a few miscellaneous shots…

The Cook family’s “maintenance-by-duct-tape” approach to property ownership:

2007-03-28_fontius_049

Mmmm…. this is pleasant:

2007-03-28_fontius_022

Remember the Miller Moth invasion of 2002? The Cook family is apparently quite fond of the little critters, since they refuse to vacuum them up from the front window displays:

2007-03-28_fontius_050

Finally, this building is on a direct path between the 16th Street Mall and our half-billion dollar investments in the Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Hotel. Last Saturday, here were three of the millions of conventioneers and visitors who have walked past the Fontius in the last 20 years:

2007-03-28_fontius_042

The Fontius Building is owned by Gary R. Cook and family, according to the Denver Assessor’s office. They have blatantly neglected the maintenance and occupancy of an historic building in the very heart of the city in which they call their home. For 20 years, it is apparent they have done nothing to lease, sell, upgrade, rehabilitate, renovate, or otherwise maintain their building—despite the repeated request of their fellow citizens to do so.

The time has come for the people of Denver to stand up and say “enough is enough!” That’s what I am saying now, and it’s what the Revitalizing the Core Task Force is saying too. What about you? If you care about the quality and well-being of Downtown Denver, what are you doing to demand a solution to the disgrace that is the current condition of the historic Fontius Building?

In the near future, DenverInfill will take a look at the rest of blighted Block 162 and what its future may hold, as well as investigate other parcels Downtown that are eyesores and that hinder the growth and vitality of our city core. Stay tuned…