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I am standing
at Wazee Street looking northwest at Union
Station on a cold fall morning. This photo
will not win any awards; it is, however,
interesting for a few details.
Larimer Square was the only renovated
historic area in downtown in the 1980's, the
ONLY area.
Then, the Oxford Hotel, sitting between
Wynkoop and
Wazee streets with an entrance from 17th Street,
hung a sign announcing the renovation of
82 luxury rooms and suites with an opening
in early 1983.
Very good
news.
This was a very important time
for lower downtown. The
area needed
help badly and the renovation of the
Oxford put LoDo back on the map.
A fine hotel, believing in
Denver, and later a fine
restaurant, McCormick's, joined
together. And so, in
1982, the renovations in
"lower downtown" began
and the next 10 years
would transform the entire area.
Included in the facelift: the Streetcar Stables,
(right above), Stuart Buchanan,
S. and H. Supply, Rocky
Mountain, Morey, John Deere,
Tattered Cover and the Wynkoop
Brewing Company, and the Wazee
Super Club.
So there you have it, looking
northwest at Union Station and 17th
Street - not converted to two way
traffic - a very mellow scene.
Those years were quietly the
beginning. Tom Waits, the
musician stayed at the Oxford
back in the 70's. The great
little neighborhood lounge, The
Terminal Bar and Cafe, was
caddy-corner across the street
from the Oxford.
Memories galore of our family
and friends in this area! Many
names, Connie at the Terminal,
Papa Jack at the Rockmount, Lisa
at the Cruise Room, the Wynkoop
Brewing Company, Boggs and
Stuart at the door... at the
Oxford.
The Oxford Hotel features an
amazing new canopy on 17th
Street, a copy of the original
of the 1890's, it is amazing.
The Street Car Stables building
was also renovated to
perfection. Union Station will
soon embark on the biggest
project undertaken in the entire
area.
So this little picture turned
out to be more than it looks.
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