COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In celebration of the 130-year-anniversary of the Union Printers Home, UPH Partners announces its selection of the multi-disciplinary firm, Sasaki, to lead the visioning process and produce a master plan for the 26-acre campus and its landmark structures. The home originally opened May 12, 1892.
The property, located on the southeast corner of Union Boulevard and Pikes Peak Avenue, approximately two miles east of downtown Colorado Springs, was once a place of relaxation and healing for members of the International Typographical Union. The architecturally unique and majestic structures of the campus are situated in a park-like setting overlooking Memorial Park.
UPH Partners, comprised of longtime local philanthropic and civic-minded investors, purchased Union Printers Home in summer 2021 to preserve, revitalize and energize the campus and its iconic buildings. The master plan will blend elements of adaptive reuse with new construction encompassing a mix of uses including hospitality, retail, commercial, dining, entertainment, and residential. As a community asset, the campus will be available to the public and visitors alike with open park-like qualities.
Sasaki has a long history in Colorado including the historic design of the Pearl Street Mall and the University of Colorado, both in Boulder, the Non-Aviation Real Estate Master Plan for Denver International Airport, and the master plan for the redevelopment of Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. For the visioning of the Union Printers Home site Sasaki will serve as the lead consultant providing master planning, architecture, and the landscape architecture.
“The proud location of this site on the crest of a hill overlooking Memorial Park created a distinct position at the edge of downtown for decades,” said Joshua Brooks, Sasaki project lead. “Now, as Colorado Springs has grown around the property with diverse land uses including civic, institutional, commercial, and residential, the site has become a nexus that can serve as a community center in and of itself. Sasaki is thrilled to be a part of this landmark project to preserve and reimagine the Union Printers Home,” he said.
“One of the primary goals of the revitalization effort is to honor the historic significance of the property with special attention paid to the adaptive reuse of existing structures,” said Victor Vizgaitis, principal architect at Sasaki. “We also envision creating a diverse mix of uses that promotes year-round 24-hour activation.”
The master planning process, anticipated to take place over approximately 18 months, will inform the vision that blends elements of adaptive reuse with new construction encompassing a mix of uses to include hospitality, retail, commercial, dining, entertainment, and residential.
The Union Printers Home site is anchored by an iconic, 5-story, 93,500 square foot Romanesque-style building that earned the nickname, “Castle on the Hill.” Its opening was greeted with much fanfare on May 12, 1892. The original building was constructed of sandstone and white lava stone, at a cost of approximately $70,000.00 on land donated by the City of Colorado Springs. Three brick buildings were added to the campus in the 1930s.
“Preserving the rich and fascinating history of the Union Printers Home has been our first priority of the revitalization effort,” said Susan Pattee of the Loo Family. “To date, our team of conservationists and volunteers has documented thousands of pieces of the home’s past 130 years. It’s been a painstaking process, but one the partners are committed to because of the important tie to the history and development of Colorado Springs,” she said. “We will be sharing with the community historical materials we were able to save by purchasing the property. They will be archived in the months ahead and made available for public viewing through a dedicated website as well as possible display onsite once the project is completed.”
“On this 130th anniversary of the Union Printers Home, we are announcing the first step in a process that looks forward to the Union Printers Home as a revitalized piece of our collective history,” said Kevin O’Neil. “I am proud to be a part of this group of local owners who all share the goal of creating a space that will invite the community into a vibrant, thriving neighborhood that envisions and creates our future, while honoring our past.”
For more information visit: UnionPrintersHome.com