The Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, home to the Colorado Supreme Court, is pictured in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)
Portions of the downtown Denver building that houses Colorado’s highest courts are set to reopen after nine months of mitigation, repair and cleaning following a January break-in that led to extensive fire and water damage.
The first two floors of the Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center’s office tower in Denver will reopen to the public on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Colorado Judicial Department announced Thursday.
The department previously estimated repairs to the building would cost more than $35 million after a man broke into the building and lit a fire on the seventh floor on Jan. 2.
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Fire sprinklers ran for two hours, causing extensive water damage to several floors of the building. Smoke from the fire also circulated throughout the building through its HVAC system, which required “industrial hygienic cleaning,” according to the department.
The Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals and a number of other state judicial offices are located inside the Carr Center, which first opened in 2012. The courthouse side of the building has remained open to the public during reconstruction.
The first and second floors of the office tower will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Floors eight through 12 will be open to the public by appointment only, and floors three through seven remain closed and under repair. The department estimates full reconstruction will be completed by summer 2025.
“The Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center is an important symbol in our legal community,” Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Márquez said in a statement. “Its partial reopening marks a significant milestone in the recovery process from the devastating events that severely damaged the tower complex earlier this year. A dedicated team has worked tirelessly for many months to ensure that employees can safely return to their workspaces.”
Brandon Olsen, a 44-year-old man from Arizona, is accused of starting the fire that led to the damages.
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