Nationwide — In Denver’s famed Five Points Community where the spirit of jazz legends, perseverance and community still shape the streets, a single building is set to become something more than a redevelopment project. It’s a tribute, a promise and, for many, a long-awaited signal of renewal.
Michael B. Hancock, who served three terms as Denver’s mayor, spanning 12 years from 2011 to 2023, has purchased the 7,600-square-foot triangular brick office building located at 2413 North Washington Street for $1.4 million; a structure that carries more than a century of history. Once an early 1900s ice house and later the flagship office of late Black developer and philanthropist Carl Bourgeois. Hancock, Denver’s second Black mayor, said the building now stands at the intersection of past and possibility.
“My partners and I are excited to invest in the Five Points community, which I consider home,” he said. “This community embraced my family and me as a child, with its rich culture and heritage. I am proud to locate my companies and foundation here. We have some exciting plans for this building; we are just getting started!”
Under Hancock’s vision, the structure dubbed “the triangle building” will be transformed into a hub for nonprofits, community gathering and civic engagement, a place designed not just for commerce, but for culture, connection and continuity. Construction is expected to begin as early as this summer, with the final timeline dependent on the scope of the renovation project.
Behind the deal is a broker whose vision and passion for the Colorado community helped make it possible.
Michelle Glass, Principal & Senior Commercial Real Estate Broker with Glass Properties Group at KW Commercial, brings more than 15 years of experience advising owners of multifamily, office, and retail properties across Colorado. Her work is centered on a simple mission: help owners win – whether that means achieving top-dollar pricing, solving operational challenges or identifying the right exit strategy.
“This wasn’t just about a sale,” Glass said. “It was about helping the seller make the right decision for their goals, which in this case included positioning this building to remain anchored in what the Five Points community has long represented, while also allowing it to serve as something that serves the community long-term.”
A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, Glass is known for guiding clients through complex situations – including distressed assets, ownership challenges and repositioning opportunities – with a solutions-driven, strategic approach. She typically represents mid-market and larger transactions, often in the $IM to $20M+ range, while also advising owners of larger portfolios.
“She brings clarity to situations that feel complicated,” said Bourgeois’ daughter Nicole Stewart. “She helps owners understand their options and execute with confidence.”
For Colorado commercial property owners, Glass, who grew up in Aurora, serves as a trusted advisor – often beginning the conversation well before a property ever hits the market.
That perspective, Glass said, made this project especially personal, a most fitting tribute to Bourgeois who died at the age of 71 in July of 2022, owning a significant portfolio of commercial and residential properties in Denver and his hometown of Colorado Springs at the time. He was widely known to many as a quiet but powerful force of preservation and progress, especially for the Black community, in Colorado.
“He had a sincere love for the community,” said Glass, who has also emerged as a standout in Colorado’s commercial and residential real estate market. “He wasn’t just acquiring properties. He was saving them, rebuilding them and holding on to the history.”
Hancock plans to renovate the building, while preserving elements of its past, reimagining it as a shared space for nonprofit organizations and the headquarters of his post-tenure passion project, the Hancock Foundation. The project will include a coffee and bar-style social area, event
spaces, including a rooftop with Denver skyline views, and offices designed to foster collaboration.
The building will also be renamed in Bourgeois’ honor.
“It’s a way of keeping his spirit alive,” said Glass.”This building has already had multiple lives. From an ice house to Carl’s headquarters and now into something new that still serves the community.”
For Glass, this project also reflects the kind of future she has long worked toward; one where investment uplifts rather than erases.
“As a real estate professional from Colorado and someone who came from these communities, I feel a responsibility to give back,” she said. “Projects like this are what inspired me to get into this industry.”
She said she views Hancock’s return to invest in the neighborhood that shaped him as both symbolic and deeply personal.
Glass is also set to list another property in Five Points soon; a three retail condo storefront property down the street located at 2713-2717 Welton Street.
“This neighborhood has played a significant role in Colorado’s history and cultural identity,” she said. “To see someone like Michael Hancock, a former mayor and Denver native, invest in the historic Five Points community and pour into this space, matters. It sends a message that has the power to inspire continued investment and positive momentum.”
Michelle Glass is available to share this story of resilience in real estate through all media platforms. For more iriformation or to set up an interview, visit GlassPropertiesGroup.com or call Tanerra Shields at 720-780-7257.