In September 2022, a nearly century-old home in South Park Hill sold for the first time since the 1950s.<\/p>\n
The new owners paid $2.5 million, records show — for the land. They\u2019d like to demolish the structure and build something much larger, plans indicate.<\/p>\n
But a handful of Denver residents are pushing to mandate preservation of the home.<\/p>\n
The property in the 5000 block of E. Montview Blvd., along one of the neighborhood\u2019s stately corridors, is Denver\u2019s latest setting for an owner-opposed landmark application. Three women who live nearby, with the help of the nonprofit Historic Denver, submitted the application earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this home is capable of being designated as a landmark, anyone buying or selling a home in Denver should be concerned,\u201d said Mark Rinehart, who owns the home with his wife.<\/p>\n
The application comes months after the Denver City Council\u00a0approved an owner-opposed landmark application\u00a0for just the second time ever. A subsequent lawsuit filed by the owner of that home in City Park West, a developer who hoped to build apartments, was\u00a0recently paused.<\/p>\n
Records show that Mark and Marianne Rinehart bought the two-story, 3,200-square-fot Park Hill home through a trust last year. Prior to that, another couple, now deceased, had owned it since 1959. The home is fenced off and unoccupied.<\/p>\n
Mark Rinehart is a founder of Legal TV Leads, which helps personal injury attorneys with television advertising, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously worked in advertising for Denver\u2019s Fox31\/KDVR.<\/p>\n
A contractor working for the couple requested a demolition permit over the summer, records show. Following a regular process, city staff that reviewed the demolition request set aside time in case anyone wanted to lobby the city to name the structure a landmark.<\/p>\n
Landmark designation effectively prevents demolition of a structure. The city generally sees a handful of owner-opposed landmark applications a year. Most don\u2019t result in designation, but in some cases the owners and preservationists reach some sort of compromise, like in the case of the\u00a0Tom\u2019s Diner\u00a0building along Colfax.<\/p>\n
Owner-opposed landmark designation applications must be filed by at least three Denver residents. The one in Park Hill was filed by Margaret McRoberts, Trish Leary and Bernadette Kelly. Each indicated they live within a mile. Kelly and the CEO of Historic Denver, which helped draft the application, did not respond to separate requests for comment Friday.<\/p>\n
The home dates to the mid-1930s. The applicants pointed to the home\u2019s previous occupants, prominent location, architectural style and original homebuilder as reasons to preserve it.<\/p>\n
The original residents were Harry Eugene Huffman and his wife Christina Mae. Huffman owned and managed movie theaters in the Denver area, according to the applicants. He later moved to the \u201cShangri-La\u201d mansion he built at 150 S. Bellaire St. in Hilltop.<\/p>\n
The Park Hill house was then owned by Robert and Betty McClennan Hawley. He was a lawyer, and she was a socialite and philanthropist, according to the applicants. Then came Universal Tractor Co. owners Alston McCarty and his wife Ann, who had the property for more than 60 years. The home was sold to the Rineharts after their deaths.<\/p>\n
The home exemplifies the \u201csimplified Italian Renaissance Revival\u201d style, and was built by Douglas M. Sugg, according to the applicants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe home has been a prominent and familiar building along Montview Boulevard for over 89 years,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s landmark process only takes into account the exterior of a structure. Reached by BusinessDen, however, the first thing Rinehart did was email photos of the interior of 5013 E. Montview.<\/p>\n
The photos show cracked walls and stained, deteriorating ceilings. The roof was not properly maintained, Rinehart said, which resulted in leaks and mold. The electrical system needs to be replaced, he said. The foundation has settled. An addition isn\u2019t level with the rest of the home.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you can see from the pictures, it would take considerable work and expense to make the home safe to live in, much less structurally sound,\u201d Rinehart said by email. \u201cBecause of the roof issues and water damage, I don\u2019t even know how much of the original structure could even be salvaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plans submitted to the city earlier this year indicate the Rineharts want to build a new two-story brick home on the 0.43-acre lot. It would be about 7,500 square feet counting finished basement space, plans show. An outdoor pool was initially proposed, but later nixed.<\/p>\n
Rinehart said nothing has been finalized, but the goal is to build a \u201cforever family home\u201d that \u201cfits the character of the neighborhood and is consistent with the beautiful homes around it.\u201d The family has lived elsewhere in Park Hill for over a decade.<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s process for owner-opposed landmark applications requires those seeking preservation to attend mediation sessions with the property owner before filing. Three sessions were held, but the two sides \u201cwere unable to come to an agreement on a compromise between complete demolition and preservation of the original contributing structure,\u201d according to the application.<\/p>\n