30 Jul Design-Build Project Enhances Denver’s First Shopping Mall to Office Conversion
The North Valley Mall was Denver’s first shopping mall at East 84th Avenue and I-25. Construction began on 37 acres in 1966, and May D&F opened its doors a year later as the initial retailer in the space. Competition from newer malls in the Denver metro area proved to be too much for North Valley by the early 1990s.
The site was renamed the North Valley Tech Center and converted to office space a few years later with varying degrees of success until Global Pacific Properties, a long-time Precision client, purchased the building and the surrounding land in 2014. The 500,000 square foot facility provides flexible floor plans and abundant parking for large corporate headquarters and other organizations that need open space. The building is also 10 minutes from downtown Denver, so tenants have ready access to Denver’s Central Business District.
Michael Law, President of Global Pacific Properties, discovered three different layers of façade had been built over the main entrance during his due diligence before purchasing the property. He came to Precision and worked with Bob Hibbard, our CEO, to begin a design/build project to create a new, modern entrance that still suggested the original mid-century design.
Our team worked from that initial vision to create and execute plans that removed the old façades and reengineered the main entrance. This new feature added “curb appeal” and updated the look and feel of the entire property by providing a focal point for the building. The contemporary entrance also lets much needed natural light into the interior common areas.
Conversion of former malls into different unconventional uses is becoming increasingly popular as owners look for new ways to utilize past retail space that now sits empty. Since the project’s completion, Precision has been the commercial general contractor for several tenants that have made the North Valley Tech Center their homes.
Our team was proud to do part of the work that revived Denver’s historic first shopping mall and made it a productive part of the city’s commercial real estate assets.