About 50 leaders from the University of Colorado and the city of Denver convened on Aug. 12 in the lobby of Independence Plaza for a news conference to celebrate its acquisition. The University of Colorado completed the purchase of the downtown Denver building on Aug. 10.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone for CU Denver’s role as the Denver metro area’s anchor higher education partner—and for the students and communities it serves. “This space will create new ways for our learners to connect their education to careers—increasing access to hands-on learning experiences, internships, employer partnerships, and stronger workforce pathways,” Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen, PhD, said at the event. “Because Independence Plaza further positions CU Denver in the heart of downtown, it creates new opportunities to connect our learners and employees with the people, organizations, and ideas driving Denver’s future.”
The building, located at 1050 17th St., sits along the pedestrian portion of 16th Street, an area of focus for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. “There’s no better way to make a downtown vibrant than to put young people at its heart,” Johnston said during his remarks at the news conference.
A key component of the building’s vision is the planned 30,000-square-foot regional innovation and entrepreneurship hub, which CU Denver will develop with the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO). The hub will support startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurship among CU Denver and metro Denver community members through resources, programming, and connections designed to boost job growth. “Putting CU Denver and this innovation hub in this central location is really what is going to make a difference in this city in the years to come,” said Executive Director of DEDO Adeeb Khan.
In her remarks, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership Kourtny Garrett shared what the acquisition means for downtown Denver: “Imagine seeing students, faculty, and researchers connecting daily with our downtown employers,” she said. “Over and over again, we hear we need talent, we need more homegrown talent, we need to retain our talent, so to continue to expand these institutions directly into the core is absolutely imperative.”
