DENVER (KDVR) — Construction is set to begin again at the corner of East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street, nearly two years after a five-alarm fire burned at the site for five days.
The five-story building was so large that, when also considering hot spots, fire crews were having a hard time fully extinguishing the blaze. Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, drawing dozens of fire crews to the scene.
2023 reporting: Fire at Colfax and Peoria construction site extinguished after 5 days
The fire also closed the intersection of Colfax and Peoria for weeks after, finally reopening incrementally in January 2024. The roads were closed during the demolition of the damaged building and the initial investigation into the fire.
The investigation into the fire’s origin and cause remains ongoing, according to Aurora Fire Rescue’s Investigations Team. The agency said in January 2024 that the fire was the largest in Aurora Fire Rescue’s history and had property loss valued at over $150 million. At the time, a flurry of fires at new construction sites in the Denver metro raised concern that the massive blaze was also arson — but officials have not indicated that is the case.
At the time of the fire, a 405-unit apartment building was under construction at the site that was going to have retail on the first floor and structured parking. If you drive past the site now, you’ll see a large, empty lot with concrete slabs marking the previous footprint.
Current site plans are the same as back in 2023, and the site developer and general contractor working on the project are also the same…