City Cast Denver logo
September 6, 2023

A Defunct Westside Power Plant: Eyesore or Opportunity?

City Cast Denver

A Defunct Westside Power Plant: Eyesore or Opportunity?

00:00:00
View all City Cast Denver episodes

For more than 100 years, the brick power plant at Zuni Street and West 14th Avenue generated electricity for Denver using steam. But now that the plant has been retired, it presents a conundrum: Should the crusty old building and its two smokestacks be demolished? Or somehow redeveloped into an asset for the Sun Valley neighborhood? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi visit the defunct Zuni Generating Station with Denver’s first-ever chief urban designer Eugenia di Girolamo to talk about how the building known to some as “The Devil’s Castle” could become Denver’s next iconic landmark. 


The Denver Post has more on the old Xcel Generating Station, and the Colorado Encyclopedia has more on the Denver Tramway Powerhouse (Aka, the REI building). Bree talked about the latest development in DPS’s “seclusion room” controversy and flu season


What non-residential building would you most want to live in? Residential conversions are all the rage, but is everyone thinking way too small! Of all the non-residential buildings in Denver, which would you most want to move into? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your pick on the show: (720) 500-5418‬


For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.


Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver


Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:


Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Denver

Stay connected to City Cast Denver and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
June 26

Can Kiros Beat DeGette? Plus, AI ‘Polls,’ Astroturfing Local Politics, and Colfax Wins and Fails

Denver is on the precipice of what could be a historic moment; the city’s 30-year incumbent congresswoman, Diana DeGette, is facing a lat...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 25

‘Quid Pro Quo Corruption’ in the Governor’s Race? Plus, Kiros’ Late Surge and More Primary Madness!

Why did Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet just lend his campaign nearly $1 million? And is “former barista” Melat Kiros’s...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 24

Inside Alma Fonda Fina: How Johnny and Kasie Curiel Are Beating the Odds As Many Restaurants Close

After racking up two Michelin stars and opening six restaurants in less than three years, Johnny and Kasie Curiel are the Denver restaura...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 23

Zombies Are Attacking Denver! Where Do You Go? Who Do You Team Up With?

It’s officially summer in the Mile High City, and for many Denverites that means it’s time to high-tail it to the nearest shady spot on t...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 22

Denver State Senate Candidates Beef over Dark Money, Data Centers, and RTD's Budget

While there’s been plenty of coverage of the gubernatorial, congressional, and U.S. Senate primaries, smaller but equally important battl...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 18

New Rules for City Council Lobbyists, Primary Ballot Conspiracies, and Winning Wontons

This week Denver City Council passed new lobbying rules aimed at increasing transparency and tracking who lobbyists work for, how much th...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 17

Why Some Cherry Creek Trail Art Got 'The Landlord Special.' Plus, Downtown's Perception Problem and Our Summer Concert Picks

What makes a piece of public art “legitimate”? Denverite recently profiled artist Tom Dorsa, an appliance repairman by day who also insta...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 16

Why Three Venues Cancelled on The Kiros/Piker Rally, a Conservative's Tour of Downtown, and Juneteenth Expands

Over the weekend, a rally featuring congressional candidate Melat Kiros and leftist political pundit Hasan Piker was booted from three lo...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 15

How to Survive a Denver Summer

The National Weather Service and Climate Prediction Center are forecasting a warm and wet summer this year. So, how do you cope with incr...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
June 14

'Your City Could Be Better': Why Every Region Needs A Park Map Tool Like Salt Lake’s — Presented By City Cast Denver

Do you know how many parks Denver has? Residents of Salt Lake County have wondered about their parks for years — that is, until City Cast...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art