If you're looking for a good place to start your investigation into history at the Gates-Cherokee site, this may be a good place to start.

The attached 4-page historic nomination form provides a brief overview and reveals attempts over the years to recognize its historic character.

The most telling comment reveals the frustrating lack of a building-by-building survey of the site. "Since its approximate boundary was first defined in 1980, no subsequent surveys have been completed to identify contributing and noncontributing elements of the Gates property."

In September 1993, the Gates factory was officially declared eligible for national historic designation. The same determination had been made more than a dozen years earlier by CDOT, but this further survey of the area documented some of its significance.

The attached 5-page form indicates the broad outline of the property's historic merit.

Are historic resources being destroyed? The attached documents suggest so.

As part of the Valley Highway Project, Colorado Department of Transportation completed a review of the historical resources in 2004. As per the attached letter, they discovered that 3 of the 60 sites (namely, 677, 684, and 690 South Lincoln Street) should be considered contributing structures in a National Register historic district.

In addition, 36 previously-researched structures from 696-833 South Lincoln Street and 25-39 Exposition Avenue had already been been identified as part of the Gates historic district. 32 of these buildings were so architecturally and historically important that they were listed as contributing structures; 4 commercial buildings were considered non-contributing.

Other historic district buildings on Logan Street have since been destroyed. See the attached map from the Colorado Historical Society for an overview.

In 1993, RTD commissioned an analysis of the historical resources along the southwest corridor, in anticipation of the new light rail. The results of this rather preliminary investigation indicated that four sites (Gates Factory, Denver Water, Coal and Lumberyard, and Overland Subway) needed further study by a team of architectural historians.

In all, a total of six sites were indicated as officially eligible for the national register, though further discussion of the sites or determination was not available in the abbreviate report attached below.

Cherokee Denver Redevelopment Advisory Committee (CDRAC)
For questions please contact Charlie Busch at 303-722-6220

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Design Center Promenade Conference Room
595 S. Broadway

Agenda
I. Welcome, Introductions, and Project Updates
II. Vanderbilt Park East (VPE) Design
III. First Source Hiring Program
IV. North Pedestrian Bridge Update
V. Public Comment