Is this goodbye, Natural Grocers on Platte Street?

Who gentrifies the gentrifiers?

Andrew Kenney

Jun. 15, 2016, 12:55 p.m.

In a phenomenon that I will describe as double-gentrification, the Natural Grocers building at 15th and Platte streets may be replaced by a five-story office and retail building.

This place is prime for redevelopment. Builders already are rushing to the last open spots on Platte Street, which has become a kind of boutique island between Lower Downtown and Lower Highland. The Natural Grocers property sold in 2014 for about $8 million, according to property records.

It’s unlikely that Natural Grocers will find a home in this new building.

Platte Fifteen is scheduled for construction in 2017 and 2018, according to Denver Infill.

The new building would have about 14,000 square feet of retail on its ground floor, which the developer plans to divide between multiple spaces. More design details are available at the project’s website.

Platte Fifteen rendering, courtesy Oz Architecture — Platte Fifteen rendering, courtesy OZ Architecture

Anyway, Natural Grocers has plans for a new store in RiNo, at 38th Street and Brighton Boulevard. The Union Station neighborhood to the southeast also has a new King Soopers and a Whole Foods-to-be.

We’ve asked Natural Grocers for comment on the store’s destiny.

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