Permit Under Review to Demolish Exploded House on Lincoln Street

A demolition permit for the remains of an exploded fourplex on South Lincoln Street is under review, but the process is moving slowly.

Submitted in January, about five months after the August explosion, the permit has made its way through the various state and city departments for approval, including Denver Water and the Office of the City Forester. According to the Denver Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD), the city can issue the demolition permit once the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) ensures that the plan fits asbestos regulations.

After nine months of waiting, neighbors and those who pass graffiti-covered fences and warning signs surrounding the remains wonder what’s taking so long to fix the dangerous situation.

At the time of the explosion, neighbors reported hearing it from blocks away. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and a dog also reportedly died from the blast. Half the building was destroyed and has been partially covered with a tarp since. The building next door sustained damage and has been empty since August, though squatters have been spotted there by Westword on multiple occasions.

According to CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division spokesperson Leah Schleifer, state inspectors have visited the site to collect and provide information about required actions for demolition permit approval.

The APCD works to ensure that laws surrounding asbestos and other hazardous materials are followed during demolition — but the building’s risky condition has made that work difficult.

“An asbestos consulting firm conducted a partial asbestos inspection of the site, but was unable to access the entirety of the building due to safety concerns surrounding unstable structures,” Schleifer says. “Division staff have been working with the consulting firm to develop a plan to safely remove the building remains.”

The CDPHE has received a revised asbestos remediation plan from the demolition firm and will issue an abatement permit and demolition notice upon review and approval of the new plan.
Along with safety concerns creating delays, the building’s owner — listed as DPC 457 LLC — wasn't originally "as responsive as the city would hope,” Amanda Weston, a spokesperson for CPD told Westword in November 2023.

However, Weston says the owner is currently cooperating with the department.

CPD wasn’t able to contact the property owner for more than a month after the August 2023 explosion. Shortly after the explosion, the department issued an emergency work order and order to comply, finding the building unsafe and hazardous under the Denver building code.

But by applying for the permits, the owner has complied and avoided fines, according to CPD.

"Once we were able to get in contact with the owner — which took a little time, as they are out of state — there has been good communication, and they have made the necessary efforts to resolve the issue," Weston adds.

In September 2023, an engineer went to the site after the city required the owner to hire one. That engineer determined that emergency shoring was needed to secure the rubble in order to complete a full investigation. Shoring was completed at the end of September 2023, and the investigation by the Denver Fire Department is ongoing. There is no report on the cause yet, though the department initially suspected that a natural gas malfunction led to the explosion.

Once the permits are approved, the owner will have to notify the neighbors of the impending demolition. The state is keeping an eye on the site in the meantime.

“The division is closely monitoring the situation at 457-461 South Lincoln Street and assisting where possible,” Schleifer adds.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office business records, DPC 457 LLC is currently delinquent for failing to update required licensing information since last July.