The old medical offices and other low-scale buildings that have occupied the Larimer side of Block 066 are just about history. Demolition at the site began a few days ago to make way for Westfield Development’s proposed 1800 Larimer project, a 22-story, 500,000 SF office building.
Here are two photos from yesterday:
This is a great sign the 1800 Larimer project is moving forward as planned. Hopefully, site excavation and construction will begin soon after demolition is complete.
Also of note is that fact that, as part of this demolition, Downtown will lose another of its 1970s-era skybridges that connects this block with Block 065 next door, home of Sakura Square. There aren’t too many of the old skybridges left, thankfully. Skybridges may work in places like Minneapolis where the winter weather doesn’t make walking around outside too much fun. But it was a bad idea for Denver, with our generally sunny, dry, and mild winter weather. All that the skybridges did–regardless of season–was to abandon the streets of Downtown to the automobile. Now, almost forty years later, the core principle of our new Downtown Area Plan is to reclaim Downtown’s streets for the pedestrian. Once again, here we are in the 21st Century trying to restore our Downtown back into what it was a century ago. Who needs infill when your Downtown looks like this?
Not a parking lot in sight!
photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection
It is sad when I look at old photos and then compare what we have today. However, it is also sad that Denver had a height restriction up until 1953. Reason I say that is I look at cities like St Louis or Detroit, etc. that have gorgeous art deco style skyscrapers that we never really got in Denver. Sometimes I wonder if we had built these taller towers from the 20s and 30s then perhaps they would have stuck around.
did this cat say st louis? lol.