DENVER — The historic Howard Berkeley Park Chapel in the Regis neighborhood has been sold, but not to the developer that proposed demolishing the structure and replacing it with townhouses.
According to a news release from the preservation group Historic Berkeley Regis, the former mortuary at Tennyson Street and West 46th Avenue has been purchased by GM Development of Denver. A previous covenant also prevents the chapel from being demolished until it receives a landmark designation.
Historic Berkeley Regis first applied for this designation in July. The group said it also spent months participating in negotiations between Olinger, the previous owner, and Denver-based Koelbel and Co.
As a result of these conversations, Historic Berkeley Regis said it was able to find a new buyer for the property who would preserve rather than demolish it.
GM Development, which is based in north Denver, said it has "substantial experience" in rehabilitating and repurposing historic buildings.
The first tenant of the old mortuary will be Redemption Church Denver. There is an additional space ranging from 900 to 8,000 square feet still available on the property, Historic Berkeley Regis said.
Denver's Community Planning and Development report from June 12 outlines the reasons for the funeral homes' potential for landmark designation:
Thomas and Loula Howard founded the Howard Mortuary, as the business was originally called, in 1917. It became a long-running family business, passed along from generation to generation. The building, initially housed at 1901 Colfax., moved to 1201 17th Ave. and expanded to its Berkeley location at 4345 W. 46th Ave. in May 1960.
The Berkeley neighborhood at the time was one of several growing Denver suburbs, and a newspaper advertisement at the time noted the communities of Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield and Golden as "celebrating" the new location.
The ads also highlighted the architecture of the building, which was designed by J. Roger Musick, one of Denver's well-known mid-century architects.
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