Denver nonprofit group Commún has selected Lakewood’s Pinkard Construction to renovate the 39,000 square foot Machebeuf Hall on the Loretto Heights campus. The announcement was made during a press conference celebrating a $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, attended by community members including Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet.
Slated to become Loretto Heights Community Center, the renovation of the 75-year-old Machebeuf Hall will include a retrofit of the existing mechanical system, a commercial kitchen renovation, a new dining hall and food bank, a coffee shop, classrooms, and activity rooms for ESL and yoga classes, a small business incubator, a community garden, and office spaces for various social services.
Community programming is expected to include childcare, a grocery store, and mental health services. “Our entire team has been captivated by this project,” said Pinkard president, Tony Burke. “The builders in us are excited for the technical challenges ahead. The historians in us are excited to honor a beautiful piece of Colorado history by giving new life to Machebeuf Hall. And as members of this community, we are thrilled to be a part of creating this important, special space that means so much to so many.”
The primary scope of work will focus on interior renovations, which will also protect existing architectural features including stained glass, a statue of the Virgin Mary, intricate woodwork and metalwork detailing, terrazzo tile and vintage linoleum flooring. Pinkard was selected following a four-phased CM/GC procurement process that included a complete, transparent 30% construction document estimate.
A phased construction start is anticipated for March 2025, which will feature owner-contracted abatement, an intensive discovery phase, and interior demolition. The construction budget is estimated at $27.6 million. Pinkard will work with owners’ representative Collective Potential and Anderson Mason Dale Architects to finalize construction documents. The project is focused on sustainability and aims for Zero Carbon Certification, with the facility designed to serve as a disaster refuge.
Funding sources for the project include the recently awarded EPA grant, along with grants from Denver’s Office of Economic Development & Opportunity and The Gates Family Foundation. The Loretto Heights College campus, founded in 1891 by the Sisters of Loretto, closed in 2017 after 126 years of operation. The site features historical brick structures and a cemetery for the original Sisters of Loretto, all incorporated into the new development plan for Machebeuf Hall.
