Downtown Denver boasts multiple office buildings that are owned by a lender: Denver Energy Center . Civic Center Plaza . Market Center . Trinity Place . 1660 Lincoln .

In each case, the former owner defaulted on a loan backed by the property, so the lender took ownership, either through a voluntary agreement or a county-facilitated foreclosure auction. Five years after the onset of the pandemic, the procedures have become almost routine.

But at 216 16th St., a 17-story office tower dubbed Columbine Place stands as a dubious anomaly. The tower’s owner has defaulted on its loan — but the lender doesn’t want the building.

The situation reflects Columbine Place’s increasing vacancy and deteriorating condition, but also the the ground beneath it. And while the lender’s decision means Columbi

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