An auto repair shop on the edge of town has been redeveloped since 1965.
Tennessee-based GBT Realty Corp. sold the city of Denver to 2000 N. Submitted a concept plan proposing the construction of a 25-story residential building on Broadway, which is currently home to the Firestone shop.
GBT already owns about half an acre of property, which it was paid $5.4 million in May 2021 to buy from Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC, records show. Bridgestone and Firestone merged in the 1980s.
A representative for GBT declined to comment on the proposal. Firestone has operated at the site for 57 years, a store manager confirmed by phone on Wednesday. A photograph from the Denver Post from 1965 shows that the building has not undergone significant changes.
Concept plans are early-stage development proposals, sometimes submitted before physical construction begins. Bridgestone spokeswoman Jackie Husser gave no timeline for when the shop might close.
“We are working closely with the property owner to better understand future plans and timing for this development,” she said. “We are committed to caring for our employees who work in this location and our customers who depend on Firestone Complete Auto Care for their automotive service needs.”
Hussar said the company is “constantly assessing our store footprint,” and noted that Bridgestone has about 30 other stores in the Denver area. The first Firestone store opened in 1926 and “we still have many older stores today.”
The proposed building of GBT will have 262 residential units and 247 parking spaces on an underground level and several above ground levels, as planned. It will not have ground floor retail space.
There will be some convenience spaces on the fifth floor, such as a dog park and an outdoor terrace. There will be a gym and pool on the 23rd floor. Above this will be mechanical space, which GBT appears to include when its plans describe the building as 25 stories.
Gresham Smith of Nashville is listed as the project’s architect.
The Firestone facility, which is still operating, is located across from the Goodyear Repair Facility in Broadway, which sits on a 0.34-acre triangular block. That property is being marketed for sale by Marcus & Millichap for $5.2 million. According to marketing materials available on LoopNet, Goodyear has leased the property since 1987, and last year extended its lease through the end of 2031.
This story was reported by our partner BusinessDen.
