Lower Downtown

Click on a block to view street level elevation photos and other information about the block. A yellow outline represent the location of an urban infill project.

Lower Downtown, or "LoDo" as it's known locally, represents one of the greatest urban revitalization stories in the country.  As the birthplace of Downtown, this area was Denver's commercial center from the city's founding in 1858 through the early part of the 20th century.  But by the 1970s, LoDo had become the city's skid row, and as late as the 1980s, was dominated by vacant buildings, crumbling infrastructure, vagrants, graffiti and litter.  Also during this era of decline, about 20% of the historic buildings in LoDo were demolished. 

Thanks in part to the creation of the Lower Downtown Historic District in 1988 and the construction of Coors Field in 1995, the area has been completely revitalized.  Virtually all of the 100-plus historic buildings have been restored and the area is now dominated by lofts, shops, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and some of the highest property values in the city. New construction is now common throughout Lower Downtown, with mixed-use infill projects occupying surface parking lots.