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terminated just outside of Steamboat Springs.
But his depot, designed by Edwin Moorman,
remains.
Balfour at Riverfront Park returned the Geor-
gian revival-style building to a pristine state.
Klipp and Pennick’s teams were charged with
recreating the building as faithfully as possi-
ble, with only black and white photographs to
guide them. The renovation included restor-
ing the brick and mortar, about 75 percent of
which was crumbling and had no structural
capacity, and restoring the roof, including the
spherical pommels on top of the building. The
Depot is now the architectural centerpiece of
the project and serves as the Great Room for
the community.
A Four-Star Retirement Residence
Walking into the lobby of Balfour is like
walking into a Four Seasons Hotel. Surround-
ed by grand vaulted ceilings, arched windows,
wood molding, marble floors, gigantic fresh
flower arrangements and interesting art-
work, the place offers a sanctuary from the
craziness of the city just outside its doors. The
hushed atmosphere is punctuated every few
moments by quiet laughter or the clinking of
china and crystal.
Pennick enjoyed the opportunity to work
on the variety of interior spaces.
“Each common area has a theme,” Pennick
explains. “The project entailed over 40 dif-
ferent colors of paint, different wall cover-
ings and carpets, crafted woodwork, trim and
molding, and beautiful tile and finishes.”
The architectural details were drawn from
early 20th-century luxury apartment homes
in New York City. But instead of Audobon
prints, this residence shows off a collection of
Hermes scarves; and instead of Central Park,
the homes look out upon Commons Park, the
Platte River and the Rocky Mountains.
It Takes an Urban Village
When Harry Frampton and his company
East West Partners owned the 25-acre site di-
rectly behind Union Station, their vision was
to create a vibrant urban village, with bustling
retail, dining, and a variety of condominiums
and apartments, not just for young profes-
sionals, but for families and seniors.
Balfour at Riverfront Park brings a crucial
element: affluent, active seniors. This genera-
tion of retirees, unlike those of the so-called
Greatest Generation, wants to spend their
hard-earned money and enjoy the latest
chapter of their lives doing the things they
have always enjoyed, according to Schonbrun.
This demographic influx brings an eco-
nomic charge to the area, and it’s part of the
vision of the Downtown Denver Partnership,
in which Klipp has long been active.
“Part of the vision has been to create a di-
verse live/work environment in the down-
town core,” Klipp explains, noting the effort is
just reaching a critical mass. He points to the
expansion of the Auraria campus and the es-
tablishment of a Denver Public School in the
area, as well as entertainment and sporting
venues Coors Field and Pepsi Center. There’s
even a grocery store coming soon.
“Balfour at Riverfront fills a void by pro-
viding a vibrant lifestyle for people in their
later years, enabling the mixing of people of
different generations, with different social and
economic backgrounds,” Klipp says. “It’s nice to
know there is an alternative to growing old in
suburbia.”
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ABOVE LEFT:
Meals at Balfour
ABOVE RIGHT:
Balfour at Riverfront
Park is near the revi-
talized Union Station.
/ Balfour Brings Seniors to the Urban Village /