19th Century Building Goes from Blight to Bright with Adaptive Reuse

19th Century Building Goes from Blight to Bright with Adaptive Reuse

Published on December 22, 2025

When the new owners of 890 Navajo Street first walked into the building, they feared they had made a terrible mistake. The building was completely dark - previous tenants had bricked over the windows. The copper had been stolen from the electric systems while the building had sat vacant, abandoned by those old tenants and an absentee landlord. An encampment of several hundred people had formed right outside.

But they knew that this old building, dilapidated though it was, could be something great, while still preserving the existing building structure - a key way to reduce carbon pollution from demolition and construction projects. "Under all the wreckage of questionable tenants and almost two years of vacancy, there was a very cool building with a very cool history" John, one of the new owners, told us. "As we started peeling back layers, we knew we could do something more interesting than run-of-the-mill warehouse space."

Andrew Stettner, Matt Jones, and John Victor met at a coworking space they used to share. The space allowed for casual collaboration in fun shared spaces like the lobby and the coffee shop. It was in this setting that they realized they could work to create a similar atmosphere, but for warehouse and manufacturing tenants. "Collaborating, working together, and tossing around ideas gets you excited for your job," said Andrew, "and that's what work should feel like." So, they got to work to find the perfect space for their vision and landed on this quirky old building in Denver's La Alma neighborhood.

Creating a collaborative space wasn't the only goal on the team's mind though. "We're trying to do it right as we put the building back together again," Matt told us. "We're maxing out efficiency in our equipment and going all-electric." They called the project The Refractory - a name befitting their intention to keep the building's original structure intact.

The team's focus on efficiency and adaptive reuse will also put the building on track to comply with their Energize Denver targets early. "The adaptive reuse credits from Energize Denver will ensure that we get across the finish line with our energy efficiency requirements," Matt said. The team got advice and a lot of help from their General Contracting team at Parallel Denver, LLC. "A major factor in us choosing Parallel was their strong prior experience in adaptive reuse of industrial space." John told us. "[They] have continually shown up for us and pushed us as owners to make smart decisions."

In some ways, this is the benefit of having to start with little more than the exterior walls. The team uncovered the bricked windows to reveal huge sources of natural light. They rewired the whole building to account for the all-electric HVAC systems they are installing. While the walls are open for wiring, they're adding insulation that will keep the building much warmer in winter and much cooler in summer.

And they are reusing materials left behind - shipping containers that once housed cannabis grow operations are being repurposed into office and bathroom spaces. Bricks removed from the wall to create a loading dock are going right back into the wall to close off doors that are no longer needed. The move saves both money and materials while paying homage to the building's history.

Now that the building's bones are solid, Andrew, Matt, and John are working to make this building a central part of the neighborhood community. It sits just down the street from the Santa Fe Arts District and in view of Burnham Yard, the site of Denver's new football stadium. They're working with local artists to mural the large, blank walls. They're providing studio space on the top floor for displaced Denver artists. They've already filled a need as an event venue, having hosted the Mile High Beer Festival earlier this year.

But this is just the beginning of their vision. John told us more: "I'm a Denver guy. I saw what happened in the RiNo neighborhood, where warehouse spaces became coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, and art galleries. And I think the same thing is going to happen in this neighborhood too. We're starting out with a first generation of warehouse tenants, but I think the spaces will transition to a second generation of people-oriented spaces like restaurants, bars, and retail."

Denver has big plans for La Alma, and The Refractory is right at the center of it. The goal is to serve as a connector for the neighborhood, creating space that helps flow people easily between the Santa Fe Arts District to the east and everything that will support the new stadium to the west. As John put it, "we want to help make this neighborhood approachable in a way it hasn't been in a long time."

The Refractory shows us that with a solid vision and a lot of creativity, even Denver's forgotten buildings can become a hub to bring people together. "There are just so many more interesting things you can do with a building than tear it down and build high-rise apartments," the team told us. And it can be done sustainably. The 170-year-old building is projected to reach its Energize Denver goals and eliminate its use of natural gas. It will house innovative businesses and highly efficient equipment. They're remembering the past while looking eagerly to the future.

• Environment
• Sustainability