How do you sell an $8 million mansion when the housing market is squishy and the economy is tanking?
If the home has historical significance, try a Blessing of the Grounds ceremony with American Indians dressed in feathered finery. And throw in a little burning cedar incense, singing, the beating of drums and dancing. Couldn’t hurt, right?
That’s what former Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vande weghe and his wife, Peggy, decided to do to try to get an offer on the historic landmark just south of the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Real-estate broker Darrell Hamilton of the Kentwood Co. Cherry Creek invited guests to gather Monday on the lawn on the west side of the house, where members of the Northern and Southern Plains Indian Dancers performed following the sacred ceremony (no photographs allowed) officiated by John Emhoolah Jr., the great-great- grandson of Chief Little Raven of the Arapaho Indians.
The Vandeweghes, who live in Manhattan for Kiki’s job as general manager of the New Jersey Nets, put the house on the market six months ago.
“The Denver Botanic Gardens is very interested in it,” Peggy said. “We hope to do a deal with them, which would be the best for the community. We’re hoping something can be worked out.”
A 12-member task force led by developer Charlie Woolley is exploring the possibility of buying the property and planting a public rose garden with the building used for libraries, classrooms and office space. More on the mansion: .
Foodie fodder. The Broker restaurant at 17th and Champa streets celebrates its 37th birthday this week by giving price-rollback presents to ladies and gents who lunch.
In a noshing nod to the ’70s, lunch-menu prices include tossed salad for 75 cents and prime rib for $4.95. Nonalcoholic beverages are 95 cents, and desserts are $1.50. Reservations: 303-292-5065.
Baur’s Ristorante, 1512 Curtis St., goes even further in the wayback machine to offer menu prices from 1958, if you donate $58 per couple ($30 for one) that will go to the Junior Symphony Guild, founded in 1958.
With the dough donation, you can get prime rib for $5, desserts for $2 and martinis for $1.50. Reservations: 303-534-4842.
Eavesdropping. A guy with four pals each holding a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer at Jax Fish House in Denver: “This doesn’t look like Denver; this looks like Milwaukee!”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@ .
