The Grand Cited by City, Must Begin Permanent Repairs Immediately

Life still isn't grand for residents of The Grand apartment complex at 1701 and 1777 Chestnut Place. Despite going public with complaints about their pricey homes, they say that Greystar, the apartment's property manager, which operates hundreds of other places around the country, continues to be unresponsive.

Conditions at the 508-unit complex behind Union Station got so bad this year that an anonymous, tenant-run Instagram account, notsogranddenver, began documenting everything from residents and their pets stepping through puddles of water inside to wrecked ceilings in the parking garage to staffers snoozing on the job. In June, a flood caused a power outage for over a day — during a record heat wave; residents say they were told that maintenance had found a "permanent fix," though problems persisted months later. The pool, billed as one of the complex's amenities, has been closed off and on because of unsanitary water.

On October 8, the Denver Fire Department cited the Grand for several violations. The department identified accessibility concerns in the North Building, including emergency exit doors that were blocked or missing signs; trash removal rooms and fire doors in need of replacement or repair; no current conveyance certificate of operation; and an outdated generator, boiler and swimming pool permit.

On December 2, a follow-up inspection noted a compromised fire suppression system, resulting in an order that the Grand obtain a master suppression construction permit and submit a structural design in order to avoid further fire code violations. The Department of Community Planning and Development received the design proposal permit on December 20; it still must be approved by the fire department before repairs can begin, according to Denver Fire Department Captain Greg Pixley.

"The situation hasn't been remedied yet. We want to ensure that their fire protection systems are going to be up and operational," Pixley says. "We have been in conversation with them and have been working with them to try to get this handled. There's every intention to have this done sooner than later."

The fire department's involvement does not satisfy some residents. Ashley Tauch, a North Building tenant who's been living at the Grand since 2019, still plans to move in January. Several other tenants are considering taking legal action against their landlord; because of a provision that she says was snuck into her lease, she's prohibited from participating in a class-action suit. Tauch was worried about mold problems in her unit, and the property manager told her the tests were negative, "but who knows if that's true," she says. "Every day is a bigger headache with them. I am livid."

The Grand's developer and owner, Shorenstein Properties, is registered under the business name 1709 Chestnut Place LLC, according to Colorado Secretary of State records. Shorenstein is expanding its Denver footprint quickly, particularly in the Union Station/Five Points neighborhoods. In February 2020, it announced plans to develop One Platte, a multi-use project at 1701 Platte Street that's expected to complete construction by 2022; last month it acquired the Rev360 building in RiNo.

According to Community Planning and Development, a tenant emailed the department on November 30 with this message: "Due to years of residents being forcibly kept quiet with NDAs and other predatory business practices, the residents have taken a stand and documented the horrendous issues on an Instagram account, The Not So Grand (@NotSoGrandDenver). From constant and excessive flooding, to replacing all the spandrel glass that was initially installed backwards, hiding proven mold hazards, having literal glass panes fall from the sky to balconies and the streets below, uninhabitable living conditions, not following security deposit laws, failing to reimburse tenants during repairs, and absolute apartment complex negligence from the property management team, this building is of huge concern. It is truly only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse."

After speaking with tenants, CPD issued an order on December 7 noting that the Grand has failed to maintain safe and sanitary conditions, citing such violations as broken or leaking water supply lines, partially broken or unsupported glass guard panels, and incomplete moisture barriers and insulation on some exterior walls.

In response to queries from Westword, the Grand issued this statement: “We are working closely with the city, fire department and public health officials to ensure the property remains in compliance, particularly as we are executing repairs. On Dec. 2, officials from Denver Fire visited the property and identified a single issue which was resolved within 24 hours."

The city says otherwise.

"You can't start the work without the permit, this permit will have specific portions that they need to work on, and they can't legally start working on something else that wasn't addressed in the approval process," says Pixley. "This is just the beginning if more issues are found."