Denver’s present boom is not the first to distress citizens with rapid development, traffic nightmares, and nearly free reign for developers. In 1910, the best known Coloradan of all, Buffalo Bill, joined the naysayers questioning uncontrolled growth.
“I am not a sentimentalist,” Cody groused. “But every time I see the new massive steel frames of skyscrapers springing into the air, I cannot but think of the time when a view of the foothills could have been obtained — and a good one, too, from any point in the city.”
Sometimes voters reject growth — as in the defeat of the proposed massive construction for the 1976 Winter Olympics, and last month’s dramatic ouster of pro-development councilwoman Susan Shepherd by a champion of growth control.
To preserve the best of Denver, our city created the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission in 1967. Proposed by citizens concerned about the Denver Urban Renewal Authority’s wholesale demolition of downtown, the commission has since designated 331 individual landmarks and 51 landmark districts, setting the pace nationally.
Landmarks and districts are proposed by neighborhood groups. The commission holds public hearings and then votes on whether to forward the nomination to the City Council and the mayor for official approval. The City Council also holds public meetings to gauge public support for such designations. After designation, any change to a landmark involving a building permit must go through landmark commission design review. The commission can ultimately deny building or demolition permits.
Without landmark protection, irate citizens of parts of Cherry Creek, Highland, Hilltop, Lowry and other neighborhoods have not been so lucky. Scrape-offs, pop-tops, a proliferation of McMansions and ever taller multifamily houses are scarring many formerly stable areas. Without landmark protection, the most stable neighborhoods become targets of developers hoping to ride on an area’s low-rise charm, then shatter it with massive development.
Denver’s first designated local historic district, Larimer Square, consists of antique buildings in the 1400 block of Larimer Street. Because Dana Crawford made Larimer Square a success, she and others were inspired to preserve the rest of Skid Row. The Lower Downtown District, stretching from Larimer to Wynkoop streets between 20th Street and Cherry Creek, has since become a national model for cities hoping to reclaim their Skid Rows. Former flophouses are now $700,000 lofts and nickel beer joints sell trendy $9 pints.
The once rundown Five Points neighborhood now boasts the Curtis Park Historic District with its rich array of restored Italianate and Queen Anne style houses and the Welton Street Cultural Heritage District.
The Mile High City’s many individual landmarks and districts soften the shock of rapid change and densification. These charming islands of the past are a major reason for Denver’s attractiveness. Whereas many core cities are declining in population, the Denver has grown dramatically, soaring from 467,410 in 1990 to 600,158 in 2010. Predictions are for even greater growth in this decade as many discover the charm of well-preserved urban living.
Contact historian Tom Noel at .
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