Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to expand its Denver training facility by retrofitting a former shop building.

CPW, along with Wold Architects and Engineers, began building a new 16,500 square-foot training facility at its Denver headquarters — located at 6060 Broadway — this summer, according to a news release.

The “cutting-edge” law enforcement training center started by transforming and modernizing a former shop building built in the 1950s, according to the release, and will feature office spaces, classrooms and “state-of-the-art” facilities designed to optimize the training experience.

With the agency acting as the law enforcement officer branch of the Department of Natural Resources, employees go through training like other police agencies with around 20 new law enforcement officers trained annually, a spokesperson from CPW told The Denver Gazette.

“Currently, our training classes use any available space at other CPW facilities and that can be difficult to come by with a growing agency,” the spokesperson said.

The new facility will help new officers meet Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) certification requirements.

“Our organization seeks to protect Colorado’s stunning landscapes by caring for state parks and natural resources while serving the communities to whom these essential spaces mean so much,” Kevin Becker, facilities project manager, said in the release. “This new facility will be instrumental in equipping our Parks and Wildlife officers with the training to enhance the skills they need to effectively safeguard these spaces and enhance our training efforts, and we’re grateful to Wold for their investment and design supporting in our mission.”

Due to the reuse of an already existing building, the new facility will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold-certified adaptive reuse project.

The facility will maintain the exposed-wood aesthetic that the rest of the campus already embodies, reflecting the importance of sustaining nature within the built environment, according to the release.

“This facility will serve as a cornerstone for effective law enforcement training, ensuring those who protect our natural beauty are well-equipped for their important work,” Aimee LaLone, AIA, Associate at Wold Architects and Engineers, said.

The construction is expected to be completed by Aug. 15, 2025.