Columbine Square Shopping Center - Littleton, CO - Part One

Columbine Square Shopping Center in Littleton, Colorado, was one of my first targets for this blog. Which wouldn't even start until 2017. Between 2012 and 2018, a great deal of notable south Denver area landmarks (at least to me, and my time there), were disappearing to progress. By mid-2013, I realized that I needed to start paying closer attention to it. 

The vague idea of taking pictures of these places and then writing about them was still being fleshed out in my mind. Amongst them: Criterion Shopping Center, Flood Middle School, Englewood High School, The London Motel, The Hilltop Motel, Funtastic Fun, Littleton Square, Wachovia Bank, Englewood Masonic Temple, Martin Plastics, Sinclair Gas, Kitty’s South, Griff’s Hamburgers, Caboose Hobbies, The Broadway Motel and Gates Rubber Company, amongst many others.

What I eventually did with this material didn't matter, as long as I got to work on collecting it right now!

I was quickly figuring out that any project done with all this stuff isn't going to work when boiled down to a zine format. Despite that, I really tried with Wasted Quarter #70 (Abandoned Englewood), but the farther away from it that I get, the less I like it. So this will serve as an expanded adaptation of the previous Wasted Quarter story. 

That issue was printed in August 2015. Columbine Square Shopping Center was still standing, and not nearly as destroyed as it would be over the next 3 years. So that story never had an ending. Pretty much all the rest of my heavily followed subjects had an ending. Meaning that even if nothing new had yet replaced it, the old was gone. As Columbine Square got worse and worse looking, I was getting worried that I'd end up moving out of Colorado before the shopping center was finally demolished. We moved at the end of May 2018, Columbine Square was torn down in March of that year.

I got my ending!

And I have a much better medium to redo the Columbine Square Shopping Center story, now through it's demolition. 

Columbine Square Shopping Center (on December 15, 2013, drive by on Belleview) was built in 1976, and closed in August 2013. The shopping center consists of 7 buildings of various sizes, with walkways and/or parking lots between them.

South side of the Columbine Square Shopping Center, Friday, September 6, 2013. 

Thursday, August 29, 2013.

I left early for work so I could take some pictures of the Larry H. Miller Nissan dealership demolition at Broadway and Belleview. Then take Belleview west to hit the ATM and up Federal, arriving at my job plenty early. So I can smoke a few cigarettes before going in pretending to be a department supervisor for the next 10 hours. Doing a very poor job of it...

Pulling into the lot, I snapped a picture of the rapidly deteriorating Big Papa’s BBQ, which closed in 2011. It was built in the late 1970’s/early 1980's as a Burger King, which closed in 2007 or 2008. I  covered the story of the Columbine Square Burger King a while back. So check that out if you want.

There's some good pictures!

Leaving the bank, I saw people carrying boxes out of the Break Room pool hall, loading them into vans and trailers parked in front. I snapped a photo on my way out to Belleview. 

Later that night, I asked my friend about the Break Room. He played on pool and poker leagues there, dating back to our pizza taxi days. He told me the owners of the shopping center want to tear the whole thing down and build apartments. Everyone was told to get out. Rather than relocating the pool hall to a new address, the owners decided to liquidate and call it quits. By the next day, the Break Room signs had been removed. 

A Public Hearing Notice on rezoning the shopping center property was posted at both entrances, on Federal and Belleview. CMCB Enterprise was the owners of the Columbine Square Shopping Center, and wanted to replace it with 340 apartments. Both the city and citizens objected to this plan, and CMCB's grand plans bare no fruit. 

Had CMCB gotten what they wanted, they'd hoped to have the property cleared of all Columbine Square buildings before the end of 2013. The buildings stood until early 2018. The land has had nothing built on it, to this day.

On Friday, September 6, 2013, I made a quick drive around the Columbine Square Shopping Center on my way to work. Plans were made to come back Sunday morning, for a more detailed walk through of the property. it would be in my best interests to photograph this location while the property was still somewhat open to the public. 

Special Occasions had a store closing sign placed at the Federal entrance.

There were still a few signs of life at the shopping center, but they were fading fast.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Today was chosen to better explore the Columbine Square Shopping Center. The sky was partly cloudy enough for good photos, and few people around to ask what I'm doing. Without rousing much suspicion, I could likely walk the property without getting hassled. Drove up, parked the car in the US Bank parking lot, on the northeast corner, and went shopping for nothing.

Here's a handy look at the Columbine Square Store Directory:

Not-to-scale mall directory sign, was still intact in the courtyard. Which hadn't been updated since Burger King was still open. However, this came in very handy while writing this story. I couldn't remember exactly which photos matched up to which store in every case, but this helped. Also found it very amusing they misspelled soccer...

"Soccor Stop, Inc."

Featuring a list of all the businesses that are no longer operating at the Columbine Square Shopping Center!

I started my walkthrough by Colorado Dance Sport. The doors were open and a guy was loading stuff from inside, into his van. He glanced quickly towards me a few times, but seemed disinterested in what I was doing. I decided to avoid his store for now, and continue around him.

Colorado Dance Sport, from a couple of days earlier, when I drove through the parking lot. 

Their sign on the wall facing the alley.

And across that alley, was the Break Room Pool Hall.

The Break Room became a back up bar for our pizza driving crew, in the late 1990's. It was a clean and decent place to shoot pool and drink at, but they were a little further away and a little more expensive, than our typical post-work hangout, Dubb's Pub. 

After one of my first Azzip Tuh shifts in October 1997, I tagged along to Dubb’s with the shift manager and a couple of other drivers. My shift manager rode with me to the bar in my car, getting high on the way. (This would be a good introduction to how pizza delivery really worked…) The small group of us closed the bar down that night. Playing pinball and pool, accompanied by many pitchers of cheap tap beer. A new tradition was born. Before long, I was tagging along with whatever combination of Pizza workers were going to Dubb's that night after cleaning up the store, at least five days a week. Drinking way late, and waking way early for Overpriced Art School in the morning.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!

After 2000, I stopped going out nearly as much. I'd gotten a Monday-Friday third shift job, and wasn't as into drinking anymore. Around that time, Dubb's got rid of most of their pool tables. They chose to go the karaoke/live music route. Karaoke was bad enough. but when they'd have the guy with the acoustic guitar, whining about whatever he's whining about, it got tough to enjoy yourself at Dubb's anymore. Seemed like it helped business, and they're still around today, so that's cool.

Looking down the alley, Colorado Dance Sport on your left, the Break Room Pool Hall on your right.

Another look down that same alley...

My only picture of the Break Room logo/sign. Which was cropped out of the one I took a week or so earlier, when I saw the people loading contents in a van. I've been here enough times over the last 15 years with friends to have at least a few distinct and fond memories. So I need record of their sign.

A not that great shot of the bar. 

A better look inside the Break Room. Pool tables lined the perimeter of the bar, with a few tables and chairs set up, around the center of this photo. The kitchen was behind the bar. I remember getting food here a few times, and it was pretty good. Where you see that board on the floor, on the right side of this picture, was the start of the dart boards. The floor of the dart area was the same black and white checker patter you can kind of see around the bar. For whatever reason, that tile stood out as as defining feature of the Break Room.

Going around to the back of the Break Room.

The doors and windows face the Belleview Avenue, across the parking lot. 

Taken in the alley, through the last window of the Break Room. This one (and several next to it) had been darkened, so you couldn't see much of anything inside. A single light was left on in the back kitchen area, the light it gave was to enough to see a little bit of the back area of the closed up bar. There used to be a foosball table and a few pool tables around from the front of the bar. When we had a group of pizza drivers hanging here, I always preferred it when we had claimed these back tables. Further back on the left were the restrooms, with the kitchen on the right .

Walking down the alley behind the break room.

Colorado Dance Sport would be on your left, and part of the small center building.

Store F on the directory is listed as part of the Dance Sport cluster today, but the store attached to Perfect Teeth, used to be Santos Designs. You can still see the sticker letters on the door. I know this picture was taken in the same general area as the last one, but I absolutely cannot figure out which parts of which buildings I'm looking at. So I give up. But trust me, it was part of the Columbine Square Shopping Center.

Before going to the south side of the complex, I'm going back around to the former Liquor Store that operated next door to the Break Room, years back.

I don't know when it closed, but it was already listed as vacant on the directory, while Burger King was still open. So that means it was likely gone before 2008.

Many of Columbine Square's stores had fake windows. Some of them doubled as display cases. Like this one outside the liquor store, which used to hold promotional posters for Budweiser and stuff.

Bought a bottle of whiskey for a co-worker here, back around 2005.

So that means it closed between roughly 2005 and 2008.

Or something like that.

Only a laundry sink was left behind, but it wasn't talking.

And I couldn't look any lefter into the liquor store.

The Googles provided something I'd hoped to find, a decent photo of the liquor store, while open.  Thanks to the fine folks at Loopnet, I found one! (Loopnet has provided assistance to quite a few of my stories.) This photo doesn't offer much of a clue as to the year. The shopping center is painted differently than it was when it closed. Also those awful red and yellow colors over the facade didn't last long either. I have zero memories of that.

Backing out into the parking lot, the liquor store would be on your left.

The building in the center was  Perfect Teeth dental, with Backstage Hair Designs behind it.

Looking back down the alley between Colorado Dance Sport and the Break Room.

Kind of funny they didn't take their sign down, after closing this location. 

Perfect Teeth leased several smaller storefronts at Columbine Square, connected by removing the walls between them. This allowed for teeth drilling stations near the alley facing windows. Which at least provided a nice distraction from what they were doing.

Taped paper notes directing foot traffic to the center courtyard entrance. I'm working my way back there. 

Inside Perfect Teeth Dental. I had a tooth fixed just inside this door, in 2007. It really hurt. There was very little foot traffic to distract me, and I was looking at the Break Room's least interesting exterior wall. But they did a good job on fixing something that been an issue for several years.

I hate dentists.

After closing this location, Perfect Teeth moved across the street to the newly renovated Centennial Shopping Center, in early 2013.

Second, and more magenta, sign announcing the same thing as the green one in the window next to this.

Inside the entrance of Perfect Teeth. Waiting area would have been up front. Someone would be there to assist you shortly. And they left their bottle of Orange Crush behind. Guess the moving van was full. 

Next door to Perfect Teeth was Backstage Hair Design.

Which is available from Dunton! I'm not sure when the hair salon closed, but I don't remember it open either.

Very spiffy logo too!

Is this Columbine Square or the Beverly Hills?

Hair styling and cutting area of Backstage Hair Design. Looks like they have the same black and white floor tile pattern as the dart and bar areas of the Break Room. 

Moving south, but looking north, at the courtyard between the two main buildings. 

South of the hair salon was Platte River Capital Projects, who leased and connected 3 smaller storefronts. Another business that I don't really know what they did, or when they left Columbine Square. However, if it was anywhere near 2013, using an America Online email account doesn't show you're very serious.

So says CaptainHonkass@gmail.com.

A look inside the entrance of Platte River Capital. The angled wall is where the building curves, against Backstage Hair design next door. In a previous life, this store was known as A2Z Metalsmith Supply. I have vague memories of that, from about 20 years ago.

From here, we'll round the corner to the southeast wing of Columbine Square Shopping Center.

The first store on this side is a branch office for American Family Insurance.

Whole lotta wood paneling...

Apparently the owners of the American Family Insurance office decided to trash the place when they walked away. 

In reality, the owner of this A.F.I. office decided to retire instead of look for a new office, after Columbine Square kicked them to the curb. Since their former office would be torn down instead of being leased to a new tenant, why clean up the place after you left? Just take what you want and lock the door!

The space next door didn't offer a clue about its previous tenant, from the doors, windows or store directory. Which calls it "vacant/available", under retail space M.

So I will call it “Store M”.

Store M has some really ugly aqua patterned carpet.

And a tacky tropical beach mural on the wall.

Perhaps Store M is short for Store Maybe this a Travel Agency?

Next to the beach is a framed collage of promotional posters for Beautiful Sweets Organic Bakery. Now is this the same as "The Cakery", which is listed on all of the Columbine Square Shopping Center signs and directories?

Well, they have moved!

Possibly because of their neighbor, The Pet Doc? 

No one wants to step on dog crap on their way to pick up an organic cake. (Or while mowing the lawn... Here’s looking at you, neighbor!) Not saying that happened, but you can't rule it out either...

Pretty sure it was Columbine Square Shopping Center's call to make both of them close their doors. After all, this place has to sit and deteriorate for the next four and a half years!

Front desk of the Centennial Veterinary Clinic. 

They left their flags!

And a small retail display on the wall. 

Conveniently placed next to The Pet Doc, was Ruff n Ready Grooming.

I cannot say whether of not that was intentional or not.

Their windows were mostly covered, but I found a gap in the blinds wide enough to snap a photo of the dog washing tub. 

And after your dog is nice and healthy and clean and groomed, you can drop by the Tandy Leather Factory, on the end of the southeast wing, and pick up a new leash! Or if your pony just got out of the Ruff n' Ready spa, perhaps a new saddle?

Tandy Leather Factory...

Does not make leather here.

And this was all they left behind...

The first 6 windows on the left side of the building belonged to Tandy, the angled windows belong to a long empty store with the entrance facing you. I don't recall any businesses operating out of this storefront, between Tandy Leather and Colorado Dance Sport. Which would have been on your immediate right, if this photo extended further.

Looking inside the doors shows some mirrors attached to the wall, on the right side of the picture. But that clue doesn't lend itself to any of the known businesses according to the directory. Whatever was here, hasn't been for a long time.

A little bit more of my patented "half-ass research" uncovered this small ad, from a 2002 issue of Yoga Journal. Looking at the photo above, I'm wondering if that storefront was in fact, The Yoga Connection? Just a guess...

Hmmm... I'm hungry, what's nearby?

Turning 90 degrees to my left, I spy the back side of the All Star Sports Bar.

I also remember this restaurant going by the name of Dewey's American Grill during the time I lived in Littleton and drove past every day. They had a brown sign facing Federal. The Columbine Square directory photo from earlier, confirmed this memory.

Just across the parking lot, which could really use a healthy dose of seal coating. And some leveling.

All Star Sports closed at some point in late 2012, according to what I could find on the Googles. Including this Googlesmobile drive by in October, 2011. Business is absolutely booming today!

But on Sunday, September 8, 2013, All Star Sports looked a lot more like this...

Back to the back door, which does not accept deliveries between 11:30am and 1:30pm.

Probably because they are just too busy...

Another back door, this one led directly to one of the customer seating areas.

Is All Star Sports dealing with some sort of anxiety issue? If the building is so alarmed, someone should comfort it, so it can calm down. Maybe offer up some Xanax? Zoloft? Marijuana? This is Colorado, lighten up poor building!

According to the signs taped inside the doors, whomever was running it ran into some financial problems with the bank, or worse, CMCB, as they have been locked out of their own sports bar. No wonder the building is so anxious!

Seeing that sign made me dig... 

And while I found no direct history, anecdotal information came from the always helpful Yelp reviews.

All Star Sports Club was only in business for about a year, spanning parts of 2011-2012.

I found the All Star Sports Club name confusing. Isn't it a sports bar? According to the Yelp reviews, from multiple references to the former owner of the club, it was supposed to be a sports themed dance club. So it has a bunch of TV's, all showing football and stuff, but the sound is turned off in favor of a live DJ playing loud techno music. 

Those same Yelp reviews pretty much unanimously concluded that the owner was a dick, and would argue his concept over all who expressed dissent. Not swayed by the fact that no one was ever there for dancing, but he received tons of complaints over people not being able to watch the big game. Business 101 dood... Know your market! Plus the food wasn't great, overpriced drinks, etc. A few reviews speculated this place wouldn't last a year...

And it didn't.

Just making a generalization, but the picture painted by his Yelp reviews, it's not a surprise the property was seized. 

Oddly enough, the reviews for All Star’s predecessor, Dewey's All American Grill, were far more favorable.

Looking inside the All Star Sports Bar Club... Even by 2012, the big heavy tube TV's had not been replaced with something better suited to a sports bar. I guess that's why it was a club.

Elevated seating area against the west-facing windows.

Looking across the elevated seating area, toward the front entrance. The roll-up door on the right side led to an outdoor smoking patio. Because if you're drinking at a sports bar, you do not want to associate with those nasty tobacco users. But if you're dancing at a sports bar, you're probably just not. You would have gone somewhere else. 

Go outside you filthy smokers!

All Stars front doors. 

5151 S. Federal Blvd. was the street address for all of Columbine Square. Good thing it was never all that fully occupied, or that could have confused postal workers. 

Inside the front doors. I'm assuming the open door on the right leads to restrooms. 

Unless you had to go outside for that too...

Seating and raised seating areas, beyond the east facing windows.

Still with the big ass tube TV's...

The restaurant may have been undergoing some renovations before suspending operations. (Because they didn’t pay their lease…) All of the facing panels have been removed from the half walls. Exposing a nice ripped-off glue pattern. (According to a Yelp review, there used to be sheets of diamond plate metal attached to these areas.) Would definitely need some work before any sort of reopening. Fitting along with the state of the rest of the shopping complex, I can't imagine the All Stars Sports Bar serving another spicy hot wing or a beer...

******

Let’s head back over to the main shopping zone of Columbine Square.

We’ll pick things back up near the store directory, and move west. 

Littleton Glass resided in the first storefront you see here. To the right of that was two more vacant storefronts that were being used by the Horizon Christian Church for Sunday school classrooms. We’ll come back to those later. I couldn’t see into the darkened windows to the right of Littleton Glass’s retail space.

Guess I’ll have to wait for a vandal to break them first…

Most of the right side of the retail floor of Littleton Glass.

Most of the left side of the retail floor of Littleton Glass. 

Sucks... I bet that was a pretty decent display case that was left behind.

Likely destroyed by vandals, not long after this.

Next door was a shop labeled "The Cleaning Authority" on the store directory.

Well, they certainly didn't leave a mess behind... 

Oddly enough, Those two sentences were the last things I wrote before going to bed. On my drive to work the next afternoon, I passed a car decked out in a "The Cleaning Authority"  wrap. I don't know if this was part of the same national franchise, or just a complete coincidence. Wish I would have been prepared to snap a picture. 

Before we round the corner, I need to recognize Columbine Square's immediate neighbor to the south, O'Tooles Garden Center.

Despite the Columbine Square Shopping Center's decline, O'Tooles remained a big draw. I don't think I ever took photos of the property without seeing a big buncha cars in the lot. According to my patented "half-ass research", O'Tooles has been at this Garden Center, since 1991. The store was set back from access to Federal, with various garden related things stored in front.

I took this picture on X-Mess morning, 2014.

Just so I could get the building without cars in front of it.

Just south of O'Tooles, is the Arapahoe County Warehouse and Elections Facility. Which is not part of the planned redevelopment of Columbine Square. Given its rather close proximity to the shopping center, I always wondered if this building was ever anything else, before it was used by the county. There's a lot of hints of retail past going on here...

Back to some more blatant hints of retail past, with the Soccer Stop.

They also leased several connected storefronts on the southeast wing of Columbine Square. This one had a large open retail floor. With what appeared to be a small stretch of artificial turf in the back. One would assume that shoes were stocked and tried on here...

A second (and main) entrance was by the cashier stand. Half of was walled off for whatever purpose. Another space was next door, but the windows were covered. 

The last remaining business still open was the Special Occasions trophy store, in the far southwest corner of the shopping center. Currently running their own “quitting business” sale, when I took these photos.

The open sign was lit, but that truck was being used to moved stuff out of the store. 

Cash only. Everything must go.

I should have asked for an engraved "Greatest Wasted Quarter Publisher in the History of Everything Ever!" plaque. 

Yeah... I'd hang that on my office wall...

(Ignore the Googles warning, I have a potty mouth...)

Special Occasions was one of the few stores here to actively use their display case style windows.

At least from what I can tell from them all being closed.

While Awards Engraving was done in the back room.

I would have reversed those words...

From behind O'Toole's Garden Center, I walked through the open alley between Littleton Prep (left) and Special Occasions (right). 

I found a smashed up TV at the back entry of the New Horizons Church. Despite security signs stating otherwise, it would appear people have been dumping their trash in the alley, when no one is looking. Reaching the end of the walkway, I'm spilled out into the vast parking lot in front of the church and Littleton Preparatory Charter School

Needs more cart corrals...

Safeway opened a large and modern grocery store, here in 1977, anchoring the Columbine Square Shopping Center. They were drawn over from their previous location, a few blocks west at the intersection of Belleview and Lowell. Unfortunately for Safeway, this store underperformed and closed in the late 1980's. 

After Safeway left Columbine Square, Littleton Preparatory Charter School renovated the large grocery store and held classes here until May 2013. Over the summer, the school moved to a new location, a few miles east of here.

Renovating an old industrial property, on Bannock Street in Littleton. Just north of Norgren.

You can absolutely see late 1970's Safeway in the peak.

That circled LP cannot hide the S that was and should be in there.

Looking into the east doors of the front entrance to Littleton Prep. 

Littleton Prep. logo etched into the entrance doors.

I wonder if it was done by Littleton Glass, just a few storefronts away?

Electricity is still on! Looking in at the staff only door, through the front windows, 

Then down the hallway next to it. From what I could tell, all of the hallways were left lit up. The individual rooms (from what I could see) were all dark.

Looking into the west doors of the front entrance to Littleton Prep. 

"Kids are great! Your Time, Their Future. Kids are great!"

Is it just me, or does this seem somewhat sinister?

I'm just too cynical...

Sign fastened to the wall, in front of the store, I mean school, entrance.

This was the school's playground. An elevated box full of dirt and wood chips, placed on top of Safeway's old parking lot, just to the west of the store. I mean school. After Littleton Prep. left, all of the children's playground equipment was removed.

Thanks to the Googles, you can go back in time to October 2011, and see that very non-removed children's playground equipment in all its glory! There also were 2 temporary classroom trailers located behind the playground. These were also removed before I ever saw them. 

Yeah, but for how long?

A year from now says your sign lied...

A look inside a door to a lit up hallway. All doors have been taken off their hinges, and left in the halls, leaning against the wall. I'd think this was for both security and pre-demolition purposes. 

Walking down the west wall, I reached up and aimed my camera into the pitch black windows that were higher than I could see into. 

It was a complete surprise to see what the camera would bring back. 

Most of what I got was empty classrooms, cleaned out, with little left behind. 

This one was across the hall from a men's room.

I’d hoped for something a little more exciting from these peeks inside an abandoned Littleton Preparatory Charter School.

Well, there was an egg carton in this window... 

But everything else possibly interesting was removed when classes let out in May 2013. From whiteboards to desks to books and any electronics newer than old tube televisions. Students returning in the fall would be attending classes in a different building in a different part of town.

This one would be sealed up until the walls come down. 

Which CMCB hopes will be in December of 2013.

In reality, will be March of 2018.

Back out in front of Littleton Prep. Looking east down the parking lot, past Horizon Christian Church, El Lucero Restaurant (which I haven't talked about yet) and the former Liquor store. 

Horizon Christian Church.

Or as I referred to it: The Jesus Store. 

Not sure how much of this was Safeway, or if this was a separate business operating next to Safeway. 

Either way, those windows are not yet covered up, so let’s take a look at what's left inside.

Starting on the left and moving to the right.

Not that that is any sort of analogy... I'm not THAT cynical...

Open cupboards and what would assume to be built-in bookshelves. Which are actually kind of cool. Even when placed underneath inspirational words, cast over an ugly color scheme.

I do like the black ceiling with the white light fixtures. 

Horizon Christian Church moved to a new location, not far from here. Somewhat ironically, just a few doors down from where the old Safeway was, before it moved to Columbine Square in 1977!

Tacky Jesus Fish painted on the tile, at the entrance to the auditorium. Despite my attempts, I could not get any sort of image inside the auditorium. Simply too dark inside.

The maroon Jesus sign was removed from the facade a few weeks after I took this picture, on September 6, 2013. Leaving a nice brown Jesus label scar in the olive green triangle. Making it stand out just as much as when the sign was still attached. Several months later, the brown Jesus label scar was strangely painted over, in a matching olive green. For whatever reason, someone took the time and energy to cover Jesus to match the rest of the walls, on a structure that was scheduled for (hopeful) demolition.

Now that is the definition of pointless...

This part of the Horizons Church was one of several storefronts the church leased at Columbine Square. Two of the stores on the southwest building were used by the church for Sunday School. 

Looking inside, between the letters attached to the glass.

There's an angled wall, a door and what looks like a couple of windows.

One of the windows into what most likely was a Sunday School classroom, had some papers left on a table next to it. Luckily, I was able to read what appears to be a format for a live show, put on by the students. The first two sentences read: "Welcome to Horizon's Harvest Improv Theatre, where you are part of the show. Please, when we ask for your participation, keep suggestions and dialogue clean and above the belt."

Standing in the alley behind Littleton Glass.

The two red doors bear the labels: "Preschool-5th grade" and "Jr. High Children's Worship". 

I guess the word “indoctrination” was already covered up.

Stop being so negative!

******

Time to take a break from the Columbine Square Shopping Center in Littleton, so I can talk about the Centennial Shopping Center in Englewood. Columbine Square is located on the southwest corner of Belleview Avenue and Federal Blvd. Which is in Littleton. The Centennial Shopping Center is located on the northeast corner of Belleview Avenue and Federal Blvd. Which is in Englewood. 

This is more important than it would seem on the surface.

In the late aught's, CMCB was looking for ways to revive Columbine Square. There were rumblings that King Soopers (and parent company, Kroger) was looking to update their grocery store, currently anchoring the Centennial Shopping Center, across the street.

Centennial dated back nearly 50 years, and the King Soopers inside was obsolete. The old store was far too small to renovate, and desperately needed upgrades to meet the high traffic demand of the area. It was set behind in-line retail stores on three sides. Several of which had been vacant for quite awhile. King Soopers was accessed through narrow hallways, lined with merchandise they couldn't fit anywhere else. These hallways were between the stores on the north, south and west sides, but King Soopers had no direct entrance of its own. 

With Kroger looking to make a change, CMCB tried to convince them to move across the street. Likely offering them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted to fit into Columbine Square. Hopes were they could get major financial assistance from the city of Littleton, who would love to steal the tax revenue from Englewood. Adding King Soopers to Columbine Square would revitalize the shopping center, and give a massive boost in value to CMCB's property.

I have no idea if negotiations between Kroger and CMCB ever got serious, but by 2011, King Soopers said no to a possible Littleton move. The city of Englewood developed plans were made for a complete revamp of Centennial Shopping Center. Updating an early 1950's layout by tearing it down.

Starting in late 2011, Centennial Shopping Center started clearing out the businesses that surrounded the King Soopers grocery store. Some of them moved to other storefronts on the northern half, which would all be seeing a makeover as part of the project. The entire south half of the shopping center was demolished by early 2012. (And I missed out on it all. I drove by the construction site nearly every day, and didn’t take one picture.) Construction lasted through the summer...

In August 2012, the new King Soopers opened.

And I used it often, up until our last days in Colorado.

Especially their new gas station.

The existing retail to the north of King Soopers was looking very old and run down prior to the shopping center's renovation. Many of the storefronts were vacant, and the parking lot was an absolute disaster. A new facade was built stretching the entire length of stores, sidewalks repaired and parking lot resurfaced, and the whole place suddenly looked great.

The Little Caesars-mobile is parked out in front of their new store, I don't remember seeing it at the old location. Which was on the southwest side of the shopping center. I remember standing outside the old Little Caesars, smoking cigarettes by the ashtray outside the Soopers hallway, while I waited for my $5 pizza. Which wasn't Hot-N-Ready, because I ordered something custom. That way, they have to make it fresh and I didn't get one sitting in the warmer for 90 minutes.

No problem, I'll wait...

I'll just go pick up smokes at...

Smoker Friendly! (Nice to know there is some place we are still welcome…) In 2013, the average price for a pack of my beloved Winston Light 100's BOX was about $4.50, in Colorado. In 2024, the average price for a pack of my beloved Winston Light 100's BOX was about $12.00, in Minnesota.

Attempt number who cares on my quitting smoking update: It's now been about 3 weeks since my last cigarette.

I mean... I'll try...

New to the Centennial Shopping Center in 2013, was Perfect Teeth. This would be their new location after leaving Columbine Square. So Littleton ended up losing the tax revenue from Perfect Teeth to Englewood, as well... 

Well, ain’t that a kick in the teeth?

******

Meanwhile, back at Columbine Square... (The Belleview Avenue sign, facing east.)

If you could see through that sign, you would see US Bank. And their ridiculously long, triangle shaped drive up canopy. A minimum of 4 lanes are never even used. Not sure what bank this was when the shopping center opened, but they had some lofty ambitions!

Flirty Keelee is impressed by the thousandaire. Yay!

Looking over my shoulder through the north parking lot. There's one more set of Columbine Square storefronts that I need to cover. Both retail spaces on the east side of the alley, between them and the Horizon Christian Church. 

El Lucero Restaurant used to be here. They were also booted from Columbine Square in 2013, closing a restaurant that dated back to the 1980's. In 2018, they reopened El Lucero in the Woodlawn Center, off Littleton Blvd. In 2022, they opened a second restaurant in Sheridan. Great to see they're having success after being unceremoniously dumped by CMCB.

Not much left behind, looking through the dirty glass.

A few tables and chairs are sitting outside El Lucero. If you were in the area and needed to kill time, this would have been a decent place to sit and eat. 

Further left of this picture would be the stores that were used by Horizon Christian Church, for Sunday School. 

A brick circular seating area sat between El Lucero, and Perfect Teeth (which I'm standing in front of). 

Before I walk back to my starting point (and car), I should mention the store next door to El Lucero...

I got nothing. It's been cleared out of anything identifiable, and there were no markings on the glass or facade. You can see the hint of a bathroom sink through the far door, but I'd assume these were standard in all of the stores. 

Okay... Time to go back to the Break Room...

Gotta get a photo of the cut-out dumpster area, between the bar and the liquor store.

Love that old school satellite dish on the roof.

Peeking inside one of the north facing windows.

The black & white tile wrapping the bar is on full display.

I smoked a few cigarettes leaning against this very "1-Way" stop sign, over the years. Which could be rather perilous. Not only did you get a decent amount of bank patrons coming in and out of multiple driveways. Then there was cross traffic coming in and leaving from both Belleview and Federal. Not because they were here to shop, but Columbine Square's parking lot was a convenient shortcut between the two busy streets. No one was here to get in your way. However if you were waiting at this 1-Way stop, you visibility was limited to oncoming traffic. 

Advise them to slow down for all the holes in the parking lot, they quit repaving years ago.

Which I'm noticing, coming back across the west end of the parking lot for a final look at Colorado Dance Sport.

As I was walking around and taking pictures, I knew I'd aroused the suspicion of the guy who was clearing out Colorado Dance Sport. I saw him looking at me when I was walking up to the main shopping center from between the Burger King drive thru, and All Stars Sports Bar Club. 

Since I'd been noticed, I figured it would be best to explain to him what I was doing. He stood outside his van that he was loading stuff from his vacating business into, looking at me quizzically as I walked up towards him. I introduced myself and said that I was there getting photos of the place before it was torn down. He and his wife had just closed up the dance school a few days before, and were there that Sunday afternoon packing up shop. 

He told me that it would be at least a few more months before that happened. Local residents were fighting the plan to demolish the shopping center for apartments. Since the city had to re-zone the property before any work could be started. It would likely be held up for a while.

Unsurprisingly, he was more interested in clearing out his stores than what I was doing.

From outward appearances, security must still be pretty alert at Columbine Square. Virtually no tagging has shown up on it's walls or signs. (This would change over the next year of neglect...) Felt rather peaceful walking around the fully functional, yet empty and ultimately doomed shopping center. 

One more look at the Break Room and I'm on my way home.

Or Del Taco?

******

Sunday December 15, 2013

Light dusting of snow accents the Columbine Square Shopping Center.

No time to stop, fast forward to next year...

******

Sunday October 19, 2014.

Coming back home after an early morning photography drive, I swung through the Columbine Square parking lot for an update. Very little has gone on at the shopping center over the last year, so I kind of ignored the place. The clouds that morning looked rather cool, so my photo included far more of the sky that I would normally included.

Pulling onto the property. Burger King on my left, Colorado Dance Sport across the lot.

The Break Room

North parking lot, looking west towards Littleton Prep.

There's Littleton Prep!

All Star Sports Club Bar

Special Ocassions

I wish I would have taken the time to get out of my car and walk around the property. Needed to remember that I got all of those photos just over one year ago today. It would have been wise to record a set of update shots.

While I still could...

******

Thursday December 25, 2014.

During my annual 2nd Annual X-Mess Denver Photography Drive-Around, I arose early in the morning to see that Columbine Square Shopping Center received a brand new security fence for V-Mess, wrapped in a green tarp for privacy, extending around the entire property.

Guess I missed my chance when the clouds were nice...

What I saw from Belleview.

Colorado Dance Sport and the Break Room.

The Break Room

All Star Sports Bar Club

The South Parking lot was left open for traffic to access the still busy O'Tooles Garden Center. The security fence is sitting on the sidewalk of the shopping center, on the south side.

Special Occasions

Soccer Outlet

American Family Insurance

The Pet Doc

And the shopping center sign, at the Federal Blvd. entrance. I'm assuming it was too cold to get out of the car, since this was about all I did here. Likely out of disappointment that I couldn't walk around again.

******

Tuesday February 24, 2015.

Two months later, there's some more snow on the ground. But that's about it...

And that's about it for part one. 

Tune in soon to see what happens to the Columbine Square Shopping Center over the next three years!

(It's more than just snowfall...)