Crews demolish the building at 1450 Speer Blvd. on Tuesday, June 18. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
A Buddhist culture and worship building near the intersection of Speer and Colfax is undergoing a reincarnation of its own.
Earlier this week, demolition of the structure at 1450 N. Speer Blvd. in Denver began, ahead of construction of a new facility.
Soka Gakkai International-USA Denver has owned the three-story, 31,000-square-foot property there since the 1980s. The building dates back further, to 1962.
“It will beautify Speer Boulevard,” SGI-USA Denver Culture Center Director Paul Niihara previously told BusinessDen. “We also do community outreach for people to learn about Buddhism, and the new building will attract people to see what it can offer them and help them in any way.”
The 1450 Speer Blvd. building in 2022. (BusinessDen file)
The new two-story building on the 1-acre site will be about half the size of the old one, at 16,000 square feet. Special attention is given to the building’s landscaping, which was largely nonexistent at the old space.
The current structure runs right up against the sidewalk, while the new building will be set back further, with 8-foot-wide illuminated pedestrian walkways.
A rendering of the new Buddhist facility. (Public records)
The first floor of the new center will consist primarily of classrooms — “Gohonzons” in Buddhism — and a bookstore, along with some storage and office space. A Gohonzon contains objects of Buddhist teachings and helps people “bring out our unlimited potential,” Niihara said.
The upstairs will include the main Gohonzon, which previous reporting said would hold up to 300 people, along with an exhibit room. There will be 69 parking spaces to the south and east of the building.
Crews demolish the building at 1450 Speer Blvd. on Tuesday, June 18. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
A Buddhist culture and worship building near the intersection of Speer and Colfax is undergoing a reincarnation of its own.
Earlier this week, demolition of the structure at 1450 N. Speer Blvd. in Denver began, ahead of construction of a new facility.
Soka Gakkai International-USA Denver has owned the three-story, 31,000-square-foot property there since the 1980s. The building dates back further, to 1962.
“It will beautify Speer Boulevard,” SGI-USA Denver Culture Center Director Paul Niihara previously told BusinessDen. “We also do community outreach for people to learn about Buddhism, and the new building will attract people to see what it can offer them and help them in any way.”
The 1450 Speer Blvd. building in 2022. (BusinessDen file)
The new two-story building on the 1-acre site will be about half the size of the old one, at 16,000 square feet. Special attention is given to the building’s landscaping, which was largely nonexistent at the old space.
The current structure runs right up against the sidewalk, while the new building will be set back further, with 8-foot-wide illuminated pedestrian walkways.
A rendering of the new Buddhist facility. (Public records)
The first floor of the new center will consist primarily of classrooms — “Gohonzons” in Buddhism — and a bookstore, along with some storage and office space. A Gohonzon contains objects of Buddhist teachings and helps people “bring out our unlimited potential,” Niihara said.
The upstairs will include the main Gohonzon, which previous reporting said would hold up to 300 people, along with an exhibit room. There will be 69 parking spaces to the south and east of the building.
