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Renovations start on La Vista Motel

A developer is giving one of East Colfax Avenue’s historic motels a fresh makeover.

The 1950s-era La Vista Motel will be redeveloped into a more modern destination for visitors to stay, owner and developer Nathan Beal announced last week. It will be a “touchless motel” concept, blending the nostalgic travel experience with the convenience similar to Airbnb.

Developer Beal bought the La Vista Motel in 2022.

East Colfax was the main street going through Denver before Interstate 70 finished construction. It was dotted with motels and earned a “wicked” reputation in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of prostitution and drug dealing, according to the Denver Public Library.

Some new owners who recently bought the avenue’s historic motels, such as The Westerner and Sand & Sage Motel, have transformed them into homeless shelters.

But Beal’s plan is to return the motel to its roots.

La Vista Motel has struggled with infestations, low ratings from guests and disrepair as it became a hotspot for criminal activity, according to Sopher Sparn Architects who led the redesign.

The new look hopes to add vibrancy to the surrounding neighborhoods of Hale & South Park Hill and upgrade the experience.

The La Vista Motel will be a 23-room boutique with a 1960s-vintage feel. It will also include a coffee shop and speakeasy-style cocktail lounge.

“Our mission is to provide a truly memorable travel destination for our guests and transport them to a bygone time, allowing them to experience the charm and style of the 1960s while enjoying a modern stay in our great city,” Beal said in a statement.

Renovations began this spring and are expected to finish next year.

Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse opens two new locations

The Western restaurant wholesaler Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse is expanding in Colorado.

The Phoenix-based chain, with wholesale grocery products and chef-grade kitchen tools, opened a retail location in Aurora last week and plans to open another in Louisville on July 18, the company announced.

The stores are open to the public and don’t require a membership like Costco does.

The new locations brings Shamrock Foods’ store count in Colorado up to six.

The 25,000-square-foot Aurora store opened at 2802 S. Havana Street. The Louisville store, 28,000 square feet, will open at 785 E. South Boulder Rd. and will serve the Louisville, Boulder and northwest Denver communities, the company said.

The new locations are expected to bring 45 jobs to the region.

“We already have a deep Colorado presence by delivering directly to our local restaurant customers and through our existing warehouse stores,” said Ann Ocaña, Shamrock Foods Company’s chief marketing officer, in a statement. “The opportunity to build on that in support of operator growth and to provide a unique shopping experience for the public is exciting.”

Colorado Convention Center expansion welcomes first guests

Downtown Denver’s Colorado Convention Center is starting to see conferences use its newly expanded space.

The convention center wrapped up its rooftop expansion in 2023, with panoramic views of downtown and the Rocky Mountains. The Terrace Level and Bluebird Ballroom added about 135,000 square feet of space featuring a ballroom, function space and an outdoor terrace.

Three conferences were the first to use the space this spring, according to Visit Denver.

The Colorado Convention Center hosted the National Science Teaching Association’s National Conference on Science Education, the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting and the Red Hat Summit for a total of 24,000 meeting attendees.

Visit Denver said in a statement that the Red Hat Summit, an event bringing IT professionals together, wouldn’t have happened in the Colorado Convention Center without the expansion. Organizers would have had to alter plans to host the summit if the extra space wasn’t ready.

BERNADETTE BERDYCHOWSKI, THE DENVER GAZETTE