With just about a month away until 1144 Fifteenth tops out as Denver's fifth tallest building, we're taking another look at the city's tallest buildings in the Chart of the Week.
The tallest buildings in Denver
No. 1 — Republic Plaza, 370 17th
The plaza at the south corner of 17th Street and Tremont Place has held the title of Colorado's largest building since its completion in 1984. The 56-story tower is home to Encana Oil & Gas Inc., DCP Midstream and J.P. Morgan, according to BrookfieldProperties. For perspective, the plaza's height is almost equivalent to the length of two football fields.
No. 2 — 1801 California
As its signs have shown, the tower at the southwest corner of California and 19th streets in downtown has served as a regional base for many high profile companies — including Qwest, CenturyLink and now Transamerica — since its completion in 1983. The 52-story building had a short reign as Denver's tallest until Republic Plaza was completed in 1984. It was renovated in 2015, according to BrookfieldProperties.
No. 3 — Wells Fargo Center, 1700 Lincoln
While the Wells Fargo Center only takes bronze for its height, it's the real gold medal winner for many Denver residents due to its iconic "cash register" crown. The building at the northeast corner of Lincoln Street and East 17th Avenue was completed in 1983 during the wave of additions to the Denver skyline.
No. 4 — Four Seasons, 1111 14th
The Four Seasons Hotel in Denver is still a rather new addition to the Denver skyline. The 45-story tower at the north corner of 14th and Arapahoe streets was completed in 2010. The hotel has 239 rooms, the EDGE Restaurant and an outdoor pool and bar on the third floor, according to Four Seasons.
No. 5 — 1144 Fifteenth
Ah, the latest addition to the list. The 40-story 1144 Fifteenth building is on track to meet its January 2018 completion date. The building is expected to reach its peak height — aka top out — the week of July 10. So far, the Denver-headquartered cyber security company Optiv and Denver-based manufacturer Gates Corp. have signed on to call building home, said James Roupp, vice president at the Chicago-based real estate company JLL.
No. 6 — 1999 Broadway
The 43-story green glass tower hugs the 132-year-old Holy Ghost Catholic Church at the northwest corner of Broadway and Welton Street. The building completed in 1985 is home to federal government offices for the U.S Labor Department and Internal Revenue Services as well as the headquarters of the national affordable housing nonprofit Mercy Housing.
No. 7 — 707 17th
The building at 707 17th St. — formerly known as the MCI Building and Arco Tower — is the last on our list from the '80s. The 42-story tower was completed in 1981 and is one of two towers at what's now branded as Denver City Center. Marriott City Center hotel takes up 20 floors of 707 17th St. The remaining 20 are offices, according to Shorenstein Realty Services.
No. 8 — 555 17th
Before there were fancy cash register-shaped buildings and tinted green glass, the building near 17th Street and Glenarm Place was holding it down as Dever's tallest. Completed in 1978, the 40-story building at 555 17th St. is home to some of the many organizations associated with Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz like the Anschutz Exploration Corp. and The Anschutz Family Foundation.
No. 9 — Hyatt Regency, 650 15th
The Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center is no joke with 1,100 guestrooms. The 38-story hotel at 650 15th St. was completed in 2005 to accommodate the thousands of people attending sporting events, shows, trainings and other events at the nearby convention center.
No. 10 — Spire, 891 14th
The Spire is unique in Denver not just because of its 41 story prominence in the city's downtown. But the condominium tower completed in 2009 put 496 for-sale units on the market at a time when developers were shying away from building condos for fear of costly lawsuits from residents.
Wild Cards
New Condos
Renzi Development announced in April that it plans to build two 40-story condominium towers near 1901 Arapahoe St. Construction has not yet started on the project but developers hope to have it finished by fall 2019. Projected height for the towers at this point is 400 feet.
650 17th
Last month, a New York-based architecture and consulting firm boasted on its website that it would be working on a staggering new structure in downtown Denver, before later removing the project and declining to comment. Crown Architecture and Consulting claimed it was tapped to design what would be Denver's tallest building at 650 17th St. The structure would include a hotel as well as 300 condos, the firm said on its website and in a portfolio presentation.
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Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or @adriandgarcia on Twitter.
