Building History

Constructed in the 1880’s of solid masonry wrapped around a Douglas-fir timber frame, Wazee Exchange was originally Colorado headquarters for highly respected grocers C.S. Morley Mercantile Company, Sprague Warner & Company of Chicago, Colorado Coffee & Spice Mills, and William R. Harp Company. The mercantile use evolved over time into primarily warehousing since a railway line terminated at the rear end of the building.

In 1936, the Rodelle family moved to Denver from the south of France. They founded Rodelle Laboratories at Wazee Exchange, where they manufactured their famous gourmet Rodelle Vanilla Extract. From 1930 to the late 1950’s, Safeway Grocers took advantage of the railway access and became the biggest and longest occupancy tenant in the building’s history.

In 1979, market analysis revealed that a strong demand for office space existed in the LoDo area of Denver. The conversion of Wazee Exchange from warehouse to office was completed in 1980, and the renovation earned a Colorado Society of Architects Award of Honor for innovative design.

When MAVDevelopment purchased the Wazee Exchange Building in 2007, they did so with a commitment to its past. After extensive research on the history of the building, it was decided that restoring the building to its original design elements was appropriate. The entire façade was cleaned, revealing historical painted billboards. The 19th street elevation was reconstructed using details matching its original design.

Several new amenities were added including lobby entry, elevated accessible walkways and additional windows. These are more contemporary in detail to allow the original building’s history to read through.

On October 21, 2009, MAVDevelopment Company received the Historic Denver Community Preservation Award for their preservation efforts on the Wazee Exchange Building.

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