For more than 35 years, the Epworth Church in Five Points remained vacant and dilapidated. Now the century-old church is getting new life as a mixed-use development.
Larry Nelson of 620 Corp., a real estate investment and development company, purchased the Epworth building at 31st and Lawrence streets last year for $500,000.
“I feel pretty strongly about finding new uses for historic buildings,” Nelson said. “It’s a beautiful piece of architecture, and it’s been neglected for a very long time.”
Construction began several months ago on the $1.5 million project to repair water damage, remove graffiti and transform the church’s 4,500-square-foot sanctuary into a space to house a restaurant. The arched, stained-glass windows have been restored and so will a octagon-shaped glass dome in the sanctuary’s 30-foot ceiling, Nelson said.
Another 9,000 square feet in the three-story building is being renovated for office space. Each floor will be leased out separately.
“Everything has been in process for a while,” Nelson said. “It’s just lately the building is starting to look like something.”
Construction is expected to be completed in the fall. Broker David Leuthold of Leuthold Commercial Properties, who is managing the leasing, said there are no tenants yet, but several restaurants have expressed an interest.
Joel Noble, president of Curtis Park Neighbors, said residents support the project because it gives a new use to the building that was once a center of activity in Five Points. The church, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been empty since 1979.
“We’re very lucky that the folks doing the renovation are experienced in historic preservation. It was purchased by people with a tremendous track record with preserving gems,” Noble said. “We’re going to have more eyes on the properties around there and hopefully more activity in Curtis Park.”
Noble said the group is working with property owners on concerns such as the increased traffic and parking that the new development could bring. But, he said, community members have shown no opposition.
Several new developments are taking shape in the Five Points neighborhood, including in the Curtis Park area.
The former Denver Enterprise Center adjacent to Epworth Church is being redeveloped into a $14 million, 15,000-square-foot co-working space, and the historic Rossonian Hotel on Welton Street has
Also on Welton Street, city officials attended a groundbreaking Thursday for the Wheatley development that will include retail, apartments and townhouses, some of which will be affordable housing.
Paul Washington, director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, said the city has prioritized revitalizing the area.
“We feel very encouraged about the potential development that is happening along Welton,” Washington said. “The redevelopment of Epworth Church signals and reaffirms the investor interest in Five Points. We’ll continue to work with businesses to make sure that they preserve the heritage of the neighborhood.”
Amy Edelen: 303-954-1440, aedelen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/amyedelen
