STEAM on the Platte (STEAM) is a 3.2-acre, mixed-use project in Denver’s burgeoning Sun Valley neighborhood along the Platte River. STEAM is an undiscovered gem with a convenient downtown location, light rail stop, bike path, sports arena access, and a riverside setting that makes it desirable for enterprising leaders, creative pioneers, and residents who crave an authentic blend of Denver’s historical and edgy culture.
White Development's founding partner, Tim White, received the Mayor's Legacy Award for his work on this project in 2018.
Phase I includes the conversion of a 65,000-square-foot brick and timber warehouse into workspace for tech companies and creative businesses, and a courtyard leading to the river’s edge. An existing 6,000-square-foot building with an expansive bowstring roof will feature a vibrant restaurant/brewery to be completed in 2018. Future phases will include the addition of more office and residential buildings.
STEAM breathes new life into a forgotten corridor while embracing the site’s vibrant industrial history. Beginning in the late 1800’s the site was always teeming with energy. First, it was a residential neighborhood along Colfax and then it was home to a variety of successful businesses. In its early days, the site hosted the Johnson and Bremer Soap Factory, a rag baling facility, a ceremonial bathhouse and a tannery. While manufacturing processes continued through the mid-1900’s, the site was eventually abandoned in the mid-60s. Prior to the construction of the Colfax viaduct the site was a vibrant continuation of the Colfax corridor.
STEAM on the Platte’s bones consist of three-wide brick walls, timber framed post beam decking, and deeply worn wood flooring. A series of disjointed remodels and 30 years of abandonment had cloaked much of the building’s raw beauty, but today its adaptable layouts are designed to promote open energy all while providing amenities and privacy.
Singular structural and mechanical elements from the original warehouse were preserved and enhanced including a 1900s three-story rag baler which was polished and encircled by a custom, glulam wood staircase. Original skylight structures now feature custom domes that pull in light while maintaining early-1900s industrial aesthetic.
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