Gates Rubber Company - Demolition Diary part 6

Monday, January 6, 2014:


Rare for me to go on a photo taking mission on a non-holiday weekday. There's more traffic and people working, so I'm less interested in getting close to places. I'd be going back to work after my three day weekend, on Tuesday. Laura was still in Minnesota, and wouldn't be flying back until Thursday. So this was my last true day off, and I needed to make it count. Not sure why I didn't do this on Saturday or Sunday. Looking at the pictures, I'm thinking the weather played a part in me not going out.

I left mid-morning, later than usual, but I was having problems getting motivated. Gates was on my list of photo targets, but I had to go back to the Fan Fair site in Aurora, first. Plan was to take my Gates photos on the way home, instead of first up.


New first stop on my day's mission was the ongoing demolition of Englewood High School. I like what the fresh snow added to the scene, but it covered up a lot of the cool destruction.


The lot where Bally's Fitness used to stand, before moving west to the (Cinderella) City Center Complex in 2000. The building was finally demolished in 2012, and I missed it completely. A few years later, Rite Aid would build a pharmacy on this land. The two story office complex behind in the center-right of this picture was demolished shortly before we left Colorado in 2018. I did get some cool photos of that.


Even though the Denver metro area received a blop of snow the night before, the roads weren’t too bad. More wet than frozen, meaning I wouldn’t be fighting black ice while driving. Splash back on my windshield from the other cars would be my biggest problem. Today’s sun wasn’t my camera’s friend either.


Good advice sign, but the roads were pretty free of ice. Perhaps earlier in the morning it was more treacherous. I was on my way to Aurora, so I continued to take Hampden east to Havana. Past University, past Colorado Blvd., but I stupidly didn’t stop at Happy Canyon...


This former Amoco station on the corner of Hampden and Happy Canyon, was demolished not too long after I took this picture. It would have been my best picture of the building, were it not for a big smeary mess on my windshield. Since there was a green light, I didn’t have time to clean the window and take a better shot. So this one taken at 45mph is the best I’ve got. 

The Safeway behind it closed up about about a year later. Safeway closed around half of their Denver metro stores, between 2012 and 2015. I did make an effort to photograph this one, along with several other closed up Safeway stores around town, over the years.


Waiting for a red light on the Hampden bridge across I-25. Which allowed me to get a sun drenched shot of the freeway underneath.


A few miles east was a bar once known as Pitchers, when I was attending Overpriced Art School in this area. I went with friends several times for an afternoon of post class drinking, and I just never liked the place. The building was strange, with several large rooms that were somewhat isolated from the rest of them. I think the kitchen was in the middle, but I don’t remember. It’s been at least 22 years since I was last inside of it.


I saw boobs here once, with my friend Dwayne.

That’s not his truck. His was white.

Centerfolds was on the corner where Hampden turns from east to north, and becomes Havana. I'm in this part of town to check on the status of Fan Fair. When I drove up here on X-Mess day 2013, I found Fan Fair was about 1/3 demolished. I'd intended to come back around on New Years Day, but that didn't happen for reasons I can't remember. I'd hoped for more views inside the building as workers worked to remove it.

So I was pretty disappointed when I got there and found this:


The building was gone, except for five segments of the back wall. Plus there was snow covering the floor of Fan Fair, so I couldn't even see that. Kind of odd that there isn't any debris covering that floor. Even with a small part of the building left, all the concrete from the domed roof is gone. As odd as this structure was, it's demolition was almost as odd. 


Driving around to the back of Fan Fair, there was still some of the additions standing. But nothing really to see. I really regret not coming back before I did. On well... I turned the Honksicle around and south on Havana to Hampden, where Colorado Blvd was my next destination. I would have driven west from Fan Fair, which would have gotten me to my ending point sooner, but I had other things I wanted to see.


Like getting a better shot of "Pitchers". Last known as Glo in 2014. This building has had many tenants over the years that I lived in Colorado. If I had to guess, I'd say it was too large to sustain as bar or restaurant. I should have pulled over into Wells Plaza, and walked around Pitcher's Glo for better pictures...

Of Pitchers...

Glo...

But I didn't. I just continued driving Hampden west until I turned north on Colorado Blvd. The reason I drove all the way back down was to take pictures of some of the cool signs along the road. They've been disappearing at a pretty decent clip over the years, so I wanted to preserve a few of them.


Too much distraction blocking the University Hills Plaza sign, to get a decent shot doing a drive by. Since this bad picture, I've parked in the lot and taken a bunch of good ones, from multiple angles. But for today, this was the best I got.


This picture didn't focus, and pretty washed out by the sun. I've also taken better ones later.


Dolly Madison hasn't been here for years, but that rusty, broken, neon sign remained. I can't remember if it was still standing on my last drive up Colorado Blvd. in May 2018. Something tells me that it was finally removed. But I could be remembering that wrong.


I think this is the last Perkins left operating in the state of Colorado. And the site of the only dine and dash I've ever been a part of. I'll say that knowing the Statute of Limitations has long expired. We did tip the waitress, but I didn't know we hadn't paid the bill until I got in the car. Thanks, Carl. 


I did make a stop at Second Spin to flip through used DVD's today. This was back in 2014, when people still bought DVD's. When people stopped buying them a few years later, places like this closed. And that sucks. There used to be a bunch of stores where you could go and look at cool stuff. Now you can only look at Amazon, which you can do at home.

While here today, I picked up the first couple of seasons of the X Files for Laura, as a late X-Mess gift. At one point, we were going to watch the entire series, via buying the DVD's. Which would replace her far bulkier collection of self-recorded VHS tapes from the early 1990's.

We never finished season one.


One of my favorite Colorado things was driving the stretch of Alameda Avenue, between University and Broadway. A narrow two (then four) lane street with old buildings lining the both sides. And if you're driving west, a great view of the mountains in the distance. Especially after a recent snow. 

Looking at this picture REALLY makes me miss Denver.

And not just because of 7-11...


I've always liked this shot of the former K-Mart at Alameda and Broadway. There was a decent amount of shoppers here today, but it wasn't enough for the chain. K-Mart closed this location in early 2017, and the building was demolished about a year later. I heard it was going to become apartments, but the debris had barely been cleared when I left Colorado.

Okay... The Googles confirmed that apartment have been built on K-Mart's grave.

About seven blocks south of K-Mart was the reason we're all here...


That parking lot, just beyond the fence, is where I would typically drive in and park, but it was blocked off on this day. Meaning I'd have to park further away, in the RTD Light Rail Park & Ride. Then walk down to the building on the sidewalk. I wouldn't be able to get close to the north end of Gates for pictures today.


With snow covering the hill in front, it doesn't look nearly as crappy.


A great deal of demolition progress has been made, in the 12 days since I last took pictures here.


You can clearly see inside the factory, as none of the exterior walls at the end are intact.


Other than a little bit at the northern-most end of the main building. 

ENHANCE!


Zooming in on the stuff on the roof. Would have liked to seen the workers take that thing down. But their attention wasn't focused on this segment of the building today.


With building as big as Gates, there was bound to be all sorts of interesting trash left behind. As the walls, floors and ceilings were removed, trash would fall out and blow out into the street. While photographing the place, I paid extra attention to anything that was laying out on the sidewalk. Most of the time it was just garbage from passersby or people waiting for busses. 

But sometimes it was an authentic piece of Gates history:


Today I found this invoice from Laidlaw. It was soaking wet from laying in the snow, but dried out nicely. On July 12, 1990, they delivered one something that was 30 sized whatever. I don’t know what this was for, but I have a record of something delivered to Gates. Back before this massive plant was abandoned.


When I walked up, shovels were still working in the basement of the office building, clearing out what they'd been tearing down for the last month. 


Snow covered the large pieces of fallen building, where they weren't working.


Every few feet, you could find doors leading inside. Decades of people going through these doors to various rooms to make rubber products, and now they are briefly exposed before being destroyed forever. Like that peach colored shelf to the right of that open door. Other than the top, it still looks functional. And it was for years. Just not anymore.


Amazing how much concrete and rebar was used in building this place.


And how much effort it took to tear it all apart. 


Looks like a full, functional laboratory has been peeled open.

This must have been where the more experimental rubbers were developed.


Watch out! Bares are in the area!

Or Babes!


Just down from Bares or Babes, I found this guy’s Colorado State ID card on the sidewalk. It had been expired for over 9 years when I picked it up off the ground, and has clearly seen better days. Sure hope John is doing okay, he just turned 50 a couple months ago. So Happy Birfday John! Please register to vote, it’s important!


Still love how the support beams are twisted and broke off like this.


Nothing demolitiony was happening at the newer portion of the factory, so I turned around and went back.


When the newer part of the factory was built, I wish the would have continued the old red brick look, instead of that boring new tan concrete.


Hot shovel action!


Was hoping I could witness that small structure on the roof get torn down. 


You could now see through to the back windows on the north end. Crews weren't working on tearing out new segments today. From what I saw, their focus was on making large rubble piles smaller.


Lotsa cool stuff going on here. Or once did...


But that's all there was to see here today. I was getting tired of the strange looks the workers were giving me as I took these pictures. Apparently, demolitioniers prefer to work in anonymity. 


Walking back to my car, I was briefly entertained by this guy loudly yelling and ranting at passing cars on Broadway, or coming out of the Park and Ride. I don't remember what it was about, and didn't make any mention in my notes. Likely just gibberish. As I got nearer, he walked off in the other direction. Half expected him to bother me as I was getting into my car, but he left me alone.

My photographs taken and the trip complete, I wanted to grab a sammich and get back home. There was stuff to do back there, and a yummy delicious Turkey and Bacon sub was what the day needed. Drive back down Broadway and into the Safeway parking lot, to my final planned destination.


I parked my car in front of Sub Center and got out to order my food. Then I heard some strange hissing coming from the car. Someone walking out of the Englewood Liquor Store pointed to my front passenger side tire and said it was going flat. Sure enough, the tire was slightly submerged in a puddle by the curb. Bubbles were coming from the tire, up through the water. 

Damat!

Well, cancel my sammich plans... I now have to get the car over to Firestone to look at the tire. Which is hopeful still under warranty. 


I don't need Complete Car Service. That car would need so much service, I'd pay more for it than the car was worth. I just need my tire to stop snorkeling when I'm trying to buy a yummy delicious Turkey and Bacon sammich. But they'll need at least an hour before they can even look at the car. Well, Miss Tiffany Yahtzee, I'm really hungry...* And this car denied me what I wanted. McDonald's is next door to Firestone, so I guess I'll walk over there and eat some McYuck while I wait.

Lasted almost 35 minutes at McDonald's before I couldn't stand sitting there any longer. 

(*I do not remember what this phrase meant. But that's what I wrote in my notes that day.)


Besides, Firestone had both an aquarium and a TV to watch. World's Most Dangerous Roads was on the TV, while the aquarium offered fish. Both were far more entertaining than minimum wage workers scrambling, yet slacking, at the same time. 90 minutes later, I was told the tire was repaired. Since it was still under warranty, there would be no charge! And that was great news!


Not only is that Firestone sign pretty sweet, but they saved the day!

On the way home from tire repair, I got one final interesting picture. The intersection of Kenyon Avenue and Broadway, looking east. Without Flood Middle School (part one and part two) or Alta Cherry Hills (or whatever it's called today) in the way, you can see all the way to Swedish Hospital. Well not anymore. But there was a six month or so period where you could have this view.


I made it home and enjoyed what was left of the afternoon. This was a great day. I took a bunch of photos that I liked, and the tire debacle was filled up before it became a catastrophe.

However, the next day was pretty brutal...

******

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