The Loft Lady and her team are proud to have been involved in the development of residential housing in downtown Colorado Springs for more than 20 years, including the very first building ever converted to lofts in 2000 at the Daniels building. Situated in the middle of the 100 block of North Tejon, the location proved ideal for residential units and set the stage for many loft development projects in years to come. From historical research and design consultation to marketing and sales, The Loft Lady team is involved in the process of creating successful projects from start to finish, and Daniels Lofts is the building that started it all!
Daniels Building History
The Daniels Building was constructed in the early 1880s by G.W. Perkins to house the Colorado Springs Furniture Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for the era confirm that the building was originally two stories, and that Perkins and his wife resided in the upper level of the building while their fledgling furniture business was established on the main level. The Perkins' owned the building and business until 1906, when Fred Tucker purchased both and changed the name to the Fred S. Tucker Furniture Company. The Tucker's also lived in the upper level of the building until it was once again sold in 1912. Photos dating from the 1920s depict the building with a third story, so it is assumed that the third level was added sometime before the 1920s.
When the Tucker Furniture Company vacated the building in 1912, the namesake Daniels Home Furnishings Company moved in and remained until 1941. The original painted advertisement for the Daniels store is still visible on the north facade of the building to this day. There was a succession of owners and tenants over the next twenty-odd years including the USO National Catholic Community Service and the American Furniture Company of Denver. In 1965, the Dave Cook Sporting Goods Store moved into the building, and around that time the facade received an 'update' that stuccoed over the original brick facade and filled in many of the windows facing Tejon Street. Dave Cook was sold to Gart Bros. Sporting Goods in 1991, and the company remained until the building was sold to the Daniels Lofts developer in 2000 with the intent of converting the upper-level space into residential lofts with retail space on the main level.
Loft Development
Daniels Lofts has the honor of being the very first residential loft building in downtown Colorado Springs. When construction on the project began in 2000, one of the major aspects of the rehabilitation was to remove the stucco and create a new facade that more closely resembled the original brick facade. The project team, including The Loft Lady, also worked to ensure that as many of the historic features of the building as possible were preserved. This included the preservation of the wide entry staircase and soaring ceilings, exposing the exterior brick walls throughout, exposing the wood structural beams and refinishing the original hardwood floors.
The building features six unique units ranging in size from approximately 1,200 square feet to 2,500 square feet with no two exactly alike. The roof level was raised for the third-floor units to create larger, two-story spaces though this modification is not visible from the front of the building, thus maintaining a more historically accurate street front appearance. All units feature excellent views; whether over the Tejon Street streetscape or from western-facing rooftop decks with unobstructed Pikes Peak views.
If you are interested in learning more about loft living or are ready to make a move downtown contact your local expert, The Loft Lady!
