Frequently Asked Questions

Discover Denver is a building and neighborhood survey meant to identify historic and architecturally significant structures citywide. This collaborative effort is led by Historic Denver, Inc., in partnership with the City and County of Denver and History Colorado. The survey gathers information using public records, neighborhood canvassing, academic research, and tips from the public.  Information collected by Discover Denver is posted on this website so that everyone can learn about Denver's past—building by building.

Discover Denver is important because it identifies the places that matter to Denver's history. Through this survey we can share the value of these historic properties to promote public pride and awareness, encourage neighborhood rehabilitation and reinvestment, and inform city planning initiatives.

Historic city surveys are fairly common and tend to inspire a sense of urgency to reinvest in the special, irreplaceable buildings and places that make a city unique. Many major U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Tulsa, have recently conducted their own citywide historic surveys. These efforts have helped property owners and visitors learn more about the community's history, supported municipal preservation and planning efforts, and led to environmentally sustainable practices like adaptive reuse of buildings.

Once the current survey area is fully defined, we will post a map on our website and notify the relevant registered neighborhood associations.

Most residents and business owners in a survey area will experience minimal – if any – impact from Discover Denver surveyors. Discover Denver will first review publicly-available data (such as assessor records) on all properties in a survey area. Properties within the area will then be surveyed in the field, which will consist of a survey worker observing the property from the public street or sidewalk and taking notes on the building’s physical integrity (whether or not the building retains its historic features). Workers will have project-specific identification and will identify themselves to you if asked.

If you live in a survey area, you may see Discover Denver workers walking throughout the neighborhood, taking notes on paper or handheld tablets, and snapping photos from the street or sidewalk. You may wish to participate in the survey by speaking with Discover Denver volunteers, sharing information or photos, or pointing out architecturally significant elements of a building that you own. Many property owners enjoy exchanging information with survey workers – to learn more about their own property or community, or to provide information that may be relevant to the survey. However, you are not obligated to participate, nor are you obligated to allow anyone access to your property. No one associated with Discover Denver will enter or access your property without your permission.

A historic survey is a wide-ranging look at a large number of properties, meant to gather basic data on elements like architectural style, year built, and historical significance (if any). It can occur with or without the involvement of the property owner, and the resulting data is included in a publicly-available database. The long-term goal is to survey every property more than 30 years of age in the city of Denver, to identify the places that matter to Denver’s history, communicate the value of historic resources, and nurture a culture of reinvestment.

In contrast, the official designation of a historic landmark or district at the local level is a legislative action. That  process begins when a person or group applies with Denver’s Landmark Preservation office. The property’s owner is involved in the process, usually as the applicant. Through the designation process, the city’s landmark preservation staff do research to determine whether the property or district meets a series of specific historic designation requirements. Ultimately, a local designation must be approved by Denver City Council.

The resulting landmark or district designation may make the property eligible for tax credits. When alterations are planned to the exterior of these historically designated buildings, the project is subject to design review to ensure the changes do not alter the building’s historic character.

State and National Register designations require a separate process, which is overseen by History Colorado.

Discover Denver hopes to uncover many more of Denver’s special historic resources, but properties will not be designated through the Discover Denver process. 

The survey is meant to collect basic data on all of the city’s vintage buildings and make it available to the general public. For most buildings, Discover Denver will record basic information like year built, architectural style, subdivision, square footage, and building footprint.

For many buildings, Discover Denver will seek additional information to verify the architectural integrity of the structure. This may involve recording exterior conditions or alterations to the structure and comparing the building of today with historic records.

An estimated 5 percent of properties may be historically significant. As a result of the survey, property owners will have the relevant historical information up front, and, if they choose, can learn more about historic designation options or financial incentives available to help them maintain and/or adaptively reuse their properties.

No. Properties will not be designated through the Discover Denver process.

All properties will be surveyed using publicly available records, such as assessor records, and properties 30 years of age or older will be field surveyed from public rights-of-way. Like an assessor’s survey, the Discover Denver survey will eventually apply to all properties in the city. The resulting data will supplement other city data and may be used to support city planning goals.

Reports from the Discover Denver are viewable by clicking here (need link).  

No. Anyone who is interested in applying for official local historic designation for a property may do so at any time through the Landmark Preservation office at Denver Community Planning and Development. To learn more, visit www.DenverGov.org/Landmark.