After Almost a Year, Exploded House on Lincoln Street Is Being Demolished

Demolition has started at the remains of a fourplex on Lincoln Street that exploded last August, but the owner won't be facing any fines.

Cranes and workers wearing construction equipment are at 457-461 South Lincoln Street today, July 2, cleaning up rubble left behind after an explosion destroyed half the building and left its remains leaning toward a house next door. Since the explosion on August 10, 2023, the four units have been unoccupied, and the damaged building next door has been empty, too, with the exception of squatters seen there by Westword several times.

Now a work crew is at the property, using a crane to remove half of what was left of the second floor. The City of Denver issued a demolition permit on June 4, allowing ASR Companies to begin construction any time after that day. Workers wearing neon yellow vests with ASR branding were on site July 2.

At the time of the explosion, thought to be caused by a gas leak, neighbors reported hearing it from blocks away. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and a dog also reportedly died from the blast. The Denver Fire Department still has not announced the cause of the explosion, however.

Denver's Department of Community Planning and Development initially struggled to contact the property owner for over a month after the explosion. According to the demolition permit, a Michigan-based company called DPC 457 LLC owns the building. According to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office business records, DPC 457 LLC is currently delinquent for failing to update required licensing information since last July.

There were over 120 derelict buildings in Denver as of June, including the exploded Lincoln Street property.

Shortly after the explosion, CPD issued an emergency work order and order to comply, as the department had found the building to be unsafe and hazardous under the Denver building code. Though it took until January, about five months after the initial explosion, for the owner to apply for a demolition permit, CPD says the owner avoided fines for the delay by applying.

According to the permit, the value of the buildings was just $42,500, and the owner paid $529 to the city for the demolition to be approved.