The End of the Broadway Motel - Denver, CO

Living in Colorado, I'd driven past the Broadway Motel hundreds of times over the years, on my way to and back from, downtown Denver. Driving up and down Broadway is one of the biggest things I miss about Colorado. That road had interesting stuff to look at on nearly every block. Old buildings that would evolve over the years, as the businesses inside them changed. Rapidly in some cases. Ones that sit vacant for periods of time, to then be demolished for something newer and grander.

This is the story of the end of one of those buildings.

Iconic neon sign of the Broadway Motel, during their last few days of business, January 29, 2017.

Located at 1600 S. Broadway, on the southeast corner of Broadway and Iowa Ave. This was another example of your standard small roadside motel that popped up all over the country in the 1940's and 50's, as highway travel expanded. 

I couldn't find a definite date for when the Broadway Motel was built and/or opened. The best I could find was a vague "early" 1950's. Which would fit this style of architecture.

Sure looked a lot nicer in this 1950's era postcard, that a Googles search spit back.

Some handy information on the reverse.

I saw quite a bit of the Broadway Motel, during the time I was driving to photograph the demolition of Gates Rubber Company, every week. (I've now written 10 parts to that ongoing demolition feature!) But during all that time, the motel was still open. And often had a parking lot filled with cars. So other than drive by shots, of a building that was mostly shielded from view on Broadway, I have nothing much until it was almost closed.

Quite often, it would be early in the morning when I'd snap a photo of the Broadway Motel, so many of my photos are poor quality. Affected by low-light or poor focus. Likely both.

Certainly both were a factor on May 24, 2014, when I snapped this shot, driving south on Broadway. The upper corner of the motel sign is all crumpled up. Wonder what caused that?

And when...

Looked okay in this postcard, also from some point in the 1950's. 

Thanks Googles!

The motel was L-shaped, with a smaller multi-room building on the west side of the property. This shot was taken on Iowa Avenue, looking south into the motel driveway/parking lot.

This August 16, 2014, shot turned out decent. And it was even sunny that day!

Metro Appliance Service operated out of the large grey box next door. The small walkway between them and the motel was blocked by a doorway, looking like it was a building entrance.

The Broadway Motel had been sold in 2015. New ownership (obviously) wanted to demolish the obsolete motel, and redevelop the property. After about a year and a half, everything was in order to carry out those plans. Shortly before the motel closed, I decided to give it a quick walk around. Kind of covering its last days in case I needed to write this story, seven years later.

January 29, 2017

Early enough in the morning that I was able to get the coveted front parallel space on Broadway. Directly in front of the office, were I interested in a room. Which I am NOT... Never stayed here... Just didn't need bedbugs that bad...

The iconic Broadway Motel neon sign is in sorry condition these days. The flowers once in the planter, according to 60 year old postcards, have been replaced by a small cactus garden.

Office.

With improperly covered neon tubes, so it's hard to tell what it says. 

Eroc sticker affixed to the side of the utility box, at the intersection of Broadway and Iowa. 

Yeah... I don't know either...

A banner affixed to The Broadway Motel, predicts a very basic looking new structure coming soon. This style of various multi-colored right angles has become so played out in the last 15-20 years. 

Can't we build something new, that doesn't look like it's trying so very hard to be new?

Walking around the corner of Iowa Avenue, on the north side of the motel.

I'm on the sidewalk and I'm moving. So I'm neither trespassing nor loitering, sign.

Row of rooms along the east side of the property.

Looking directly south.

The ultra modern climate controls of the Broadway... A small window AC unit, with plywood covering the gap.

Luxury!

Hmmm... A sign has appeared on the wall!

Damat... I took these photos on January 29, 2017, so I missed the deadline by five days. I guess I wont be the one saving the Broadway Motel from impending doom. After all, I'm not that kid that threw a monkey wrench into the demolition plans of Gates Rubber Company, a decade or so ago.

Looking south down the alley behind the east edge of the motel.

Walking back, a better look at the smaller motel building. With cars and trucks blocking the view.

Love this tagged up dumpster.

Check it out! It's even autographed by 4Skin!

Wonder if he/she knows Flar or Dert?

Knowing the motel was about to come down, I regret not paying close enough attention to it. I missed out on the brief period where the structures had been vacated, but the property wasn't yet fenced off. Allowing the pictures I should have taken, be taken.

March 25, 2017

Fake Alley door, now with extra tagging!

Temporary fence blocks access to the parking lot between the two buildings.

The shovel of motel destruction sits ready in front of some freshly tagged motel windows.

Looks like it did some practice, cutting a hole out of the parking lot itself. Perhaps that's where the Broadway Motel treasure was buried. And as per conditions of the sale, the booty would be then returned to the previous own, upon demolition of the property. 

Well I think it's booty...  Booty… That's what it is.

The office (with a smaller cactus garden in front) behind the security fence.

Better view.

Someone shattered the glass in the door leading to the rooms. 

And apparently no one is going to bother cleaning it up...

What was left behind the front counter after the motel closed.

Wonder if there were any more of these great Broadway Motel matchbooks laying around.

They want $14 for this on ebay!

Sliding glass doors from the postcards were removed years ago, to be replaced by a very boring standard door and small window. 

The Broadway Motel sign had been removed since I was last through here. You can see where the two poles have been cut, just above the dirt line in the cactus garden.

Rider alert: The bus stop closed along with the motel.

West facing side of the motel. With the now closed bus stop on the right.

New banners announcing destructive intentions are now posted.

Oooooooh! A retail/restaurant is coming soon!

The smaller building, unobstructed by cars and trucks.

Eastern rooms. With more uninstalled security fence at the ready. 

Next to the porta-potty, if you feel the urge to take a dump while pseudo-trespassing around this decaying motel.

They haven't finished putting that fence up, going down the motel’s length of the alley.

That means it may still be worth my time to walk down this way.

Sticking the camera into this darkened bathroom revealed a tiny creepy room with too much wood paneling.

This window had a closet and view into the sleeping area. Looks pretty inviting to me!

This bathroom had grimy pink tile on the walls, and dirty facilities. 

While researching this story, I found an old Yelp review:

December 3, 2014 (via Yelp)

This motel is ok 40 bucks for a night its not bad the bathroom is pink I thought that was a little weird but over all there are no bed bugs at least so I am grateful for that but it is not good enough to get itself on the map which is probably why it's not and it just really tricky to get in there probably because it is so cheap every time you call usually they said there's no reservations, I would recommend if you're really trying to get out of a blizzard but that's about it.

I wonder if this was the room this weary traveler stayed in?

I'm certain that squatters were staying in the motel after it closed, and this room shows all sorts of signs of that. Even if this room hadn't been stripped of all standard motel amenities, this is a really dark and depressing room. Stuff is still plugged into the outlet, implying the motel still had power at this point. After all, there's a remote control for no TV.

But the most alarming thing...

What is that red smeary mess on the wall above the gross bed? 

Dead hooker stain?

A look at the alley between the motel and Metro Appliance Service. This is where the overturned toilet halves are stored, alongside a snowblower and a shopping cart, stolen from the Kmart (Alameda location? Across the street from Caboose Hobbies?). 13 blocks north of here. Which would also be demolished in the next year.

Satisfied for the day, I came back two weeks later for a progress check.

April 9, 2017

The front door to that back alley has been left open.

What if someone comes along and steals that stolen Kmart shopping cart? Or an overturned toilet half?

Sitting in front of the boarded up window behind the office, was a newer tree that the city of Denver did not want to get damaged during the upcoming demolition process. So a "Tree Protection Area" was designated over the iron platform, said tree was growing out of.

Primer Dome Arthouse Lunatic Crackers

What?

Someone stuck a poster advertising whatever it is they are advertising, on the boarded up window behind the office.

This is Denver, so I'm assuming it's a weed thing. But maybe it's a crackers thing?

Confused, I consulted the Googles...

Well, that was no help at all...

The office has been cleaned out, the busted in door boarded up, but no one picked up all the broken glass off the floor. Too bad they're leaving that metal shelf that used to be full of potted plants, behind. Those shelves are always useful. I could use a couple more myself, right about now.

A last look into the motel parking lot.

The Spanish tile on the roof overhang is now being pulled off.

No real care appears to be taken in their removal. So it's not like they're being saved for another project. The shovel previously parked out front has moved, so I could see the tagging on the room in the back. 

A closer look reveals that room 19 has been left unlocked. (They’re probably just checking out...)

Perhaps someone didn't check the lock after removing the dead hooker?

South end of the motel with more Spanish Tile removal.

Workers seem to be punching holes in the roof as they go.

Cacti still representing.

And a fifteenth look back at the office.

No Dumping - Keep My Water Clean

Come on...

Do it for the fish!

Does the fish have chips?

Another look at the Broadway Motel, from the north entrance.

And the smaller west side building.

The fence now extends down the alley, for the full length of the motel.

Holding me back from any possible uncovered or open window shots.

So I walked back around the block to my car, and went about my day. Unfortunately, I got busy being busy, and completely forgot about watching for the demolition. My mistake. I regret not paying closer attention...

Two weeks later, I was doing my semi-routine photo taking around town. Between 2014 and 2018, on Saturdays or Sunday mornings after getting off work at 5:30 in the morning, I'd drive to different areas of the Denver metro area to take pictures of abandoned buildings. (Haven't done that since the move to Minnesota and I miss doing it.)

Coming out of downtown, driving south on Broadway, it hit me...

April 22, 2017

Oh yeah! That's what I forgot!

Circled the block and found my favorite parallel spot was available. If you look closely, you'll notice the Tree Protection Area worked! The little guy appears unharmed by all destruction taking place just feet away.

The shovel (well, a different one) has returned to its position of dominance, after winning a conquest against a foe that put up little fight.

The cactus salad is wilting.

Remains of the west building, behind the sidewalk landscaping.

Northwest corner of the property.

Smaller building, looking south.

The state of this fence today made me laugh. It was basically a dumpster shield, with the "No Trespassing No Loitering" sign attached to it. Heavily tagged blue dumpster stashed behind it. Now most of the slats have been removed and it just looks sad.

More of the west building's sidewalk and collapsed building debris, and that sad de-slatted fence.

Looking across Broadway, there's an old building that has been painted bright blue, for many years now. I always liked seeing it when I drove this way. A few years before I took this picture, it operated as Heidi's Deli. I never ate there, but we had a take out menu at my (then) job, and their food sounded fairly appealing.

La Cour Bistro & Art Bar was in operation here in 2017, but they closed in the spring of 2021.

Currently, the property is being used by a U-Haul Truck Rental.

I didn't know the sidewalk was closed, because I just walked up a third of a block on it...

The northeast corner of what was the Broadway Motel. 

Let's see that from another angle...

Interesting... Scraping the foundation of the motel's northeast corner makes it make sense! Now I understand how the two corner rooms were laid out. Wasn't obvious from looking at the exterior, during my recent walk arounds. 

Across Iowa Avenue, is the South Gate Masonic Lodge No 138 building. Unless I could get an easy parallel spot on Broadway, just south of the motel, I usually parked in front of the lodge for pictures.

Before closing in early 2014, Packrat Antiques used to lease one of the Broadway facing retail storefronts. The longtime owner decided to retire. He was a cranky old eccentric, according to multiple online reviews of his business. Some did not wish him well in his future endeavors...

His business card described Packrat Antiques owner: "Purveyor of fine instruments, scientific, surveying, nautical, Mining, Medical & Misc." Sounds like a very interesting business.

Doors in the middle of the south facing wall, are the entrance to the South Gate Masonic Lodge No 138. I really liked the Wrought Iron work on this awning. Wonder how old it is?

Better look at the hand painted Packrat Antiques wooden sign.

Hanging above a hand written one: "Store closing owner retiring."

During my patented half-ass research, I found this review from Atlas Obscura:

AN UNSUAL PLACE TO BUY weird old stuff, complete with a grumpy owner. Described as filled with “Rows and rows of glass cases filled with odd gadgets and whatsits” and a “Mad scientist’s dream come true.” 

Packrat carries “Old telescopes, microscopes, cameras, carbide lamps, chemistry sets, locks, electric gizmo’s like static generators, glass insulators” along with many other curios.

If you find yourself in Denver looking for some 19th Century navigational equipment, skeleton key, mortuary tools, and opium pipe or a daguerreotype, Packrat is likely your best bet.

Update: Now closed.

The last three words, after reading such an interesting review, is kind of the ultimate PSYCHE move. Build and build and build and... Just kidding! Pretty mean, Atlas Obscura...

In the late fall of 2014, FashioNation moved south to the Packrat space. Longtime Denver retailer of punk and underground clothing, and all sorts of everything related to that market. I just read they're moving about two blocks south, still on Broadway, next summer. They're currently renovating a much larger building that I'd also driven past hundreds of times.

Because I took this picture in April of 2015, across Iowa Avenue is the still open Broadway Motel! 

Almost exactly two years later, we're back to the motel.

Which is mostly scraped to its foundation. With differently colored bathroom tile attached.

Oh, the horrors that poor mattress has been exposed to... 

That crushed up box fan has Broadway Motel written on it.

Excellent service soldier! Proving your dedication by even going down with the ship!

Overturned toilet half alert!

East side of the Broadway Motel's remains.

Northeast corner.

Back around to the crumpled pile of Motel office. 

Tough little cacti... Wonder if that shelf is still under all that?

The Primer Dome Arthouse Lunatic Crackers poster has gotten a little beat up during the process.

After taking these last few pictures, I got back in my car and left. For the most part, photographing the Broadway Motel was finished. If something catches my eye while driving by, I'll take note. But I don't think I'll need to stop here again.

One week later, after a fresh snowfall, I saw that new graffiti has appeared on the north wall of Metro Appliance Service. With that fake door between them and the motel now gone, the walkway between is free and open to whomever wants to write on it.

******

Been thinking a lot of the Colorado days lately. This story is just another in the never ending series of stories I will pull out when I am feeling homesick. Glad I spent so much time taking pictures before we moved out of state.

Waiting at the stoplight to turn left onto Iowa Avenue west.

Heading towards the South Platte River and Ruby Hill. And my old job.

Sigh...

There was a used car lot on the southwest corner of Broadway and Iowa. Know nothing about it because I didn't pay any attention to it. Between this narrow section of Broadway and Santa Fe, the land is pretty much zoned for light industrial. With old residential fronting Broadway, several blocks deep. The railroad tracks split the older industrial buildings. Many of which are vacant today.

Like this one!

Never did get around to walking through this area for pictures.

Meant to do that...

The northwest corner of Broadway and Iowa, has an older model 7 Eleven. There's no issues early in the morning, but during higher traffic times, this small gas station is not fun to navigate. There were a few better 7 Eleven options nearby, so I almost never stopped here. 

A few weeks after I last stopped for pictures, I saw they were still working on taking the foundations out of the ground. I decided to pull over and take a look.

May 7, 2017

Just random pieces of wood and concrete are left behind, until they too are picked up and trucked offsite.

The new graffiti from a week ago is already covered up.

The east wing is almost all removed and cleaned up.

There must have been a crawlspace underneath the smaller building.

Wouldn't dream of it, sign…

Cactus salad is still available.

The motel office used to be here.

Over the next couple of months, all of the remaining pavement was torn up and removed. Shortly after that, work begun on the new building. Soon to appear, a pile of condos, retail and a restaurant.

But no motel.

June 10, 2017

Digging the new foundation has begun.

September 2, 2017

Cement support pillars are up for the street level structure.

September 24, 2017

Three weeks later, work on the base street level floor is taking shape. This used to be the north entrance for the Broadway motel. Pull onto the property here and you're driving into that pole. Don't see the tagged blue dumpster here anywhere either. 

Both of these photos taken while waiting for the stoplight to turn and allow me to continue south on Broadway. 

December 3, 2017

The wood framed second and third floors are taking shape above.

January 28, 2018

Land is being maximized I guess.

Didn't think they'd be able to cram this much into a space this size. 

May 13, 2018

This was the last photo I took of the Broadway Motel property, before Laura and I moved to Minnesota. So I never got to see the finished product. Other than what the Googles had to offer.

Looking at the new building on top of what was the Broadway Motel, is kind of impressive. They took pretty much dead space and made something useful out of it. As much as I'm not a fan of that architectural design, I have to admit it looks better than a run down and outdated travel motel. Even if I, personally, would rather see the run down and outdated travel motel.

This is just a whole lot colder.

One final thing I found out while doing my patented half-ass style of research...

(Photo by Christopher Lewis Photography.)

The original Broadway Motel sign was saved by the property developers, before demolition. It was set aside and restored (by Acme Neon) to its earliest known look, for use in the new building. The restored Broadway Motel sign is attached to the wall, in the lobby at 1616 S. Broadway. In roughly the same place it stood for over 65 years.

I think that qualifies as a happy ending!