200 Linden Street is just across Walnut from Old Town Square in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has long been the home of The Wright Life sporting goods. It’s hard to believe now, but in 1904 it was the three-story brick Elks building, before it was decapitated in an unfortunate 1980’s ‘renovation.’ The top two stories were removed, the windows along Walnut filled in, and the brick scarred to help the new stucco adhere.

We were approached to refresh the facade and subdivide the space to allow for multiple tenants. Short of a new development that matched the scale of the original structure, our initial proposal took advantage of the prime downtown location for a rooftop restaurant. We proposed a high cor-ten screen with perforated “ghost windows” to recall the original brick structure; our “in a perfect world” idea. In a compromise with the project budget, we removed the screen while maintaining the key characteristics — restored brick and openings along Walnut, new storefronts and cladding along Linden, and a rooftop patio exposed to the street below.

We are pleased to see the new storefront, uncovered brick and unmasked windows on this important corner. Together with The Wright Life’s relocation to the Walnut/Alley corner, these modifications are a big step in the re-activation of Walnut street, and we look forward to watching another hundred years of vibrant life unfold on the site.