Denver Blake Street Rennovations

Pink Fog Studios is proud to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Millennium Builders, Mark Jermano, to lead the rennovation of its photography studio located  in Denver’s North Downtown district (NoDo) within the Silver Square Lofts complex, the heart of Denver’s oldest industrial neighborhood.

Once home to iron and steel manufacturing and sprawling railroad yards, the North Downtown district is now in transition, honeycombed with craft shops, artist’s studios, galleries, graphic design firms, upscale lofts and the new home to Pink Fog’s Denver photography studios.

The rennovation that will span 3-5 months will provide Dave with an elegant facility in the heart of historic Denver for wedding, portrait, and fine art family photography sessions, reviews, and meetings.

Silver Square Lofts are Denver’s original loft development. They are a historical collection of buildings originally built in the 1930s. One of the property’s most striking features is an original crane standing over 50 feet tall in the middle of the property. One building is wrapped in corrugated metal that was originally brought in from Boston around the time of construction. The brick buildings on the property were used for Sugar processing. The buildings later became Denver’s first artist community and then in the 90s were converted into condominiums. Blake Street Glass, Neo Source Design and the late Fred Meyers were some pioneering studios. … and now Pink Fog!
 

“Blake Street Area - Denver, CO” Waymark

The plaque reads:

Blake Street was named after Charles Blake, who came to Denver in 1858, and established supply depots throughout Lower Downtown.

Originally, the area was Denver’s warehouse, brothel, and sporting house district. Some of the most infamous establishments included “http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_char_rogers.asp”>Jenny Roger’s House of Mirrors at 1942 Market Street. This was later bought by Roger’s rival, Madame “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattie_Silks”>Mattie Silks, who also had a house of ill repute at 2009 Market Street.

After the completion of the transcontinental railroad through Cheyenne in 1871, a large number of Chinese immigrated to Lower Downtown where many operated laundry businesses.

Toward the turn of the century, Lower Downtown experienced an era of decline until 1912, when reformers began a moral clean-up campaign to shut down illicit activities in this area. To access nearby Union Station and the rail yards, several manufacturing, distributing and warehouse uses located in some of the original buildings. By the 1920’s, new warehouses built along Blake Street gave the street its variety of architecture.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, many of these fine old buildings were renovated for use by wholesalers, retailers, and design professionals. A community of Denver artists also lived and worked in these spacious, older buildings.