On Thursday, members of Denver Health, the City of Denver, and project developers broke ground on what will become the Denver Health Support Services Building at 6th Avenue and Broadway.

A vacant building was located on the site and has been demolished to make way for this new structure to allow for construction to begin. This marks the beginning of a five-year plan to improve facilities and patient access at Denver Health.

Denver-based Davis Partnership Architects designed this building. Trammel Crow Company is the developer, Hensel Phelps is serving as the general contractor, and UMB Bank provided the financing for this project.

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock was on hand for the ground breaking and addressed the crowd in attendance.

“The goal is to ensure the residents of Denver are healthy,” said Mayor Hancock. “Denver Health and the City and County of Denver have enjoyed a great history together. We have grown up together and as a result, not only has Denver become the “it” city, Denver Health has become the “it” health facility throughout the nation. I am not just saying that, all you have to do is pick up any publication and they will tell you just the same. I am proud to be here for the ground breaking of this new Support Services Building.”

The Support Services Building will have approximately 30,000 square feet of space on each of six floors, in addition to three levels of parking and 5,700 square feet of retail on the ground level. In total the building will have 9 floors. A barbecue restaurant has been announced to occupy retail space. Recording artist Justin Timberlake is an investor in this planned restaurant. Denver Health states, income generated from the leasing of the retail space will help to offset the cost of constructing this new building that is expected to be completed in the spring of 2017. 

Bill Mosher, senior managing director of Trammel Crow Company provided insight into his firm’s role in

this project.

“We have been involved as a master development partner of Denver Health for six years now, and I can assure you Mayor that on behalf of the tax payers, this place is very strategic and very well run.” explained Mosher. “We created a Broadway entry for Denver Health that will be a new road just north of the new building that will actually attach Broadway to Acoma. This will be built to be a very efficient building.”

Also planned for the Denver Health Campus will be a new Ambulatory Care Center that is planned to take shape at 660 Bannock Street. This building is expected to be completed in 2019.

These new facilities will streamline operations at Denver Health. Currently outpatient services are located in several different buildings on the Denver Health campus. The aim is to centralize outpatient services to reduce traffic and limit confusion with the construction of these new facilities.

Denver City Councilman Jolon Clark, who represents Denver’s District 7 also addressed the crowd at today’s ground breaking.

“We stand together with Denver Health committed in ensuring that your health in Denver is not defined by what zip code you live in. These new facilities combined with the Be Healthy Denver initiative are paving the way for everyone in Denver to have more medical options available and more programs available right in their neighborhood,” said Councilman Clark.