More than 20 years after the last plane landed at Stapleton Airport, the old air traffic control tower complex is being redeveloped as the home to Denver's second
Punch Bowl Social, as well as the company's corporate headquarters.
Located at the intersection of Central Park Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard, the building is structurally sound, but the interior has degraded substantially. Plans for the new Punch Bowl Social include the removal of much of the interior structure while preserving the architecture of the exterior.
"The control tower is a landmark in this community and the city of Denver," says Robert Thompson, founder of Punch Bowl Social. "As a company, we are intentional about seeking out locations that have historic roots but need a new purpose. There's a lot of interest in seeing the tower preserved, and we intend to retain the character that's so familiar and appealing to locals and visitors alike."
Punch Bowl Social's headquarters will occupy the third floor of office space. The lower two levels will be expanded by about 5,000 square feet in a manner consistent with the historic architecture.
"We have been searching for an adaptive reuse opportunity for quite some time and know Stapleton residents as well as the larger community will find this to be an exciting and invigorating use of the tower," says John Lehigh, president and chief operating officer of
Forest City Stapleton, the master developer of the master-planned community.
Contact Confluence Denver Development News Editor Margaret Jackson with tips and leads for future stories at margaret@confluence-denver.com.
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