At a moment when Denver has shined up its 16^th Street mall as a centerpiece for what is hoped to be a downtown comeback, brokers Georgia Gallagher and Uschi Brunner have a loft to show Saturday that’s a block off the LoDo end of 16th Street, a quick walk from dining and galleries that never left downtown.

At 1720 Wazee, kitty-corner from the Oxford Hotel and two doors up from Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, you’ll see a near-authentic loft – without the 19th century pedigree, but part of the loft rage that arrived along with the ballpark in 1995. Titanium Lofts has its own bit of history — co-developed by Wynkoop Brewery developer John Hickenlooper in 2002, just as he was headed to become mayor, then governor, then U.S. senator.

When LoDo began its meteoric rise in the 1960s, Denver had gone through an urban renewal phase that left only around 20% of its vintage buildings standing for historic restoration. Famous projects like the Edbrooke, Ice House and Streetcar Stables Lofts absorbed the remaining historic sites, but developers including Hickenlooper created a new kind of faux-loft that picked up the vibe and had additional advantages for buyers.

All units unique

At Titanium, you’ll see an elevator-served building where purchasers had the option of letting the builder finish the interior, or of bringing on their own architect for a custom unit.

“All of the 23 units are different,” said Gallagher, with LIV Sotheby’s.

Unit 5-B, at $1.095 million will be open 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with 2,041 square feet in a 3-bedroom/2-bath plan that has the high walls, concrete ceilings and open-concept entertaining area of the genuine lofts. But bedrooms and baths are better defined.

“Buyers these days don’t want the open concept, they want the privacy,” Gallagher said.

Being new also allowed the inclusion of a big outdoor-living space opening off the entertaining area, where floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors have a view of the downtown skyline.

“You get morning sun on the patio and light in the afternoon and evening,” said Brunner, who adds that the kitchen island is huge and inviting for entertaining.

Meanwhile, side windows are big, but set higher up for privacy. The primary suite has a large 5-piece bath, and a big walk-in closet.

Union Station

And of course, there’s the centrality in LoDo that despite the pandemic eclipse, never lost all of its allure. Union Station is a block west, Dairy Block and its dining scene are a half block north, and Robischon Gallery, which Gallagher calls one of the best contemporary galleries in the region, is next door.

“I think it’s fantastic that the city is updating downtown,” Gallagher said, noting that the Downtown Development Authority has $570 million in bonds approved by voters to keep the area on a rising track in coming years.

“The best restaurants were downtown, and now it’s starting to feel great again,” she added, having seen an upsurge in people at coffee shops and on the streets.

Gallagher and Brunner say the price is well placed for comparable inventory, particularly considering what they call a premier location. They’ll meet you at the door Saturday and direct you up to the fifth-floor unit.

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY:

WHERE: 1720 Wazee Street, Unit 5-B, Denver. From Auraria Parkway at Ball Arena, head north into downtown on one-way Market Street five blocks to 18^th Street, turn west one block to Wazee.

HOURS: Saturday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.  

PRICE: $1.095 million. 

WEB: Georgiagallagher.com  

AGENT: Georgia Gallagher, Uschi Brunner 720-984-0273