DENVER — MGL Partners and Solvera Advisors have completed the conversion of the historic Tammen Hall building in Denver into 49 affordable seniors housing units.
The eight-story, 52,000-square-foot project is located on the Saint Joseph Hospital campus in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood. All units are reserved for those age 62 and older who earn up to 60 percent of the area median income. The Neenan Company served as the design-build partner.
Saint Joseph Hospital sold the building to the developers in 2017, with its parent organization, SCL Health, providing a substantial investment to finance the redevelopment. Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Midwest Housing Equity Group, Advantage Capital, Citi Community Capital and Denver Housing Authority all provided additional financial support to the project. The redevelopment also benefited from state and federal historic preservation incentive tax credits.
“The Tammen Hall redevelopment project is just one example of how we try to use our campus to enhance our community beyond healthcare,” says Saint Joseph Hospital President Jamie Smith. “This solution is the best of all worlds for us because it preserves the neighborhood’s historic character, adds more affordable housing to the community and aligns with our mission.”
Named after Harry Tammen, the first publisher of The Denver Post, the building was constructed in 1930 as a nurse dormitory for Children’s Hospital and was later converted to office space for the organization. The building has been vacant since Children’s Hospital, now Children’s Hospital Colorado, moved to the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora in 2007.
The renovation preserved several original spaces within Tammen Hall including a theater and a community room available for neighborhood meetings and events, along with the historic entry and foyer. All exterior and interior renovations comply with National Park Service standards.