The house at 800 S. Franklin St. has been through this before.
For the second time in four years, the two-story home across from Denver’s Washington Park is facing the wrecking ball — prompting a backlash from some who hope to save it.
In 2021, the home’s then-owner — Aaron Grant of Denver’s Grant Real Estate Co. — applied to Denver for a demolition permit for the home, which dates to 1890.
City staff wrote up a report on the 2,350-square-foot structure’s history, and posted notice of the application at the site. In response, a group of city residents indicated they wanted to see the structure named a city landmark, a status that would effectively prevent demolition.
A city-hired mediator sat down with both the residents and Grant, and they reached a deal. The property’s owner withdrew the application for a demolition permit, and the residents agreed not to file a formal landmark application, according to the city.
The home remained standing.
In February, records show, Grant — who did not respond to requests for comment — sold the property for $2.6 million. The buyers were Tony and Robin Kohake. He’s an engineering/procurement manager for an oil and gas firm. She’s a stay-at-home mom. They have four kids.
The Kohakes didn’t buy 800 S. Franklin for the house.
“There is dry rot, the chimney is in bad condition, and there is cracking around the foundation,” Tony told BusinessDen. “The flooring was removed before we bought it and there were holes in the walls.”
Rather, they wanted the property’s 11,600-square-foot corner lot.
“We were looking to build our dream home for our family and have a bigger backyard for our kids,” he said, adding it would be “a Tudor-style home that complements many of the homes in the neighborhood already.”
In May, the Kohakes applied to Denver for a demolition permit for the home. The city wrote a report and posted notice at the property. And in late June, two groups — 24 people between them — sent letters to the city about potentially landmarking the property.
The Kohakes had not been aware of the previous effort to save 800 S. Franklin. In fact, they weren’t aware of Denver’s landmark process at all.
“We are still a bit shocked individuals can landmark designate someone else’s property against their consent with almost no skin in the game (an $875 application fee),” Tony said. “We are all for preservation when/where it makes sense, but this process seems incredibly broken.”
The home joins an eclectic mix of Denver structures and their owners that have found themselves in similar situations in the past decades.
The Tom’s Diner building on Colfax was sold to a new owner, who preserved the structure. So was a shuttered funeral home in the Berkeley neighborhood. A Dutch Colonial Revival-style home in City Park West was named a landmark against the wishes of the developer who hoped to replace it with apartments. Preservationists gave up on landmarking the small Carmen Court condo building off Speer Boulevard, which was recently demolished. And the City Council rejected an effort to save a late architect’s home in Cherry Creek, as well as the office building where Denver7 previously operated.
But the Wash Park home’s situation most resembles 5013 E. Montview Blvd. in South Park Hill, an older structure that was also bought by a family hoping to build a larger home.
Last year, Denver’s Landmark Preservation Commission rejected a bid by neighbors hoping to preserve the structure. It has since been demolished, and the new larger home is finished.
Organizers of the two groups hoping to preserve 800 S. Franklin didn’t respond to BusinessDen’s requests for comment.
In a letter sent by one of the groups, they cited three reasons for preserving the house. First, its architectural significance as “a rare Queen Anne Free Classic-style structure.” Second, on a historical level, its ties to the early development of the neighborhood and the fact that it’s the former home of William Burnett, a Denver County Court and Denver District Court judge in the 1950s through the 1970s. And third, its prominent position across from the park.
The Kohakes and the preservationists are currently in mediation, which Denver requires in situations like this.
Tony said they’re willing to list the property for sale for a period of time, to see if someone wants to buy it and preserve the structure. That’s become a common offer in landmark discussions. The owners of the Montview property did the same thing back in 2023.
“Our only ask is just to be made whole,” Tony said.
The property’s current value is based on its land, he said, so his family could lose “well over a million dollars” if the house becomes a city landmark and must remain standing.
Robin Kohake said preparing to build a new home, and paying for 800 S. Franklin and their existing home, had been stressful enough even before the landmark discussions.
“Now this is delaying it by months and months,” she said.
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