DENVER — Denver is looking to maintain some of Colfax’s character when much of the street converts to allow bus rapid transit lines. To do that, the city's turning to a concept made popular again during the pandemic: Adaptive reuse.
The city started an adaptive reuse program for the East Colfax corridor last month, aiming to help small business owners convert their existing buildings for other uses. It’s similar to a program in downtown Denver aimed at converting empty office space into residential units.
“The East Colfax program really prioritizes a small owner or developer or someone who has never really tried to do adaptive reuse in Denver,” said Jennifer Ramsey, adaptive reuse administrator for the city.
“We're not limiting it to residential conversions. The intent here is to help support some of the existing small business, small business owners etc. maintain some of the neighborhood character, and then also try to support some of the oncoming changes with the BRT.”
Say a pawn shop wanted to become a restaurant – Ramsey says the city’s program would help these smaller business owners locate financing.
“Downtown you're looking at really big buildings, probably sophisticated development teams, they have designers, they have accountants, et cetera,” Ramsey said. “The smaller businesses along Colfax…may not have those benefits.”
Ramsey said the city hasn’t spoken to any interested businesses yet, but the program is still young. She said the other Adaptive Reuse Pilot Program in downtown has had two buildings enroll and a third apply.
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