Located at 101 S. Union Boulevard in Colorado Springs, the Union Printers Home is one of the architectural wonders of central Colorado.
The 5-story, 100,000 square foot limestone and sandstone structure was built by the National Typographical Union and opened in the spring of 1892, designed to serve as a care facility for members of the union who had tuberculosis.
Sitting on a 26-acre site made up of a farm, gardens, and a dairy, the property was purchased eight years ago by the Valor Health Network, which is based in Crested Butte, Colorado.
Last year a group of investors, operating under the name of UPH Partners, bought the home and site for $18.5 million.
Now that entity wants to upgrade the building, with the hope of turning it into a mixed-use space that will house offices, residential units, and restaurants and bars, among other features.
The new owners say they also want to maintain the historic integrity of structure, which to the surprise of many is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
If all goes as expected, the renovation and upgrading of the building could be completed by late 2023 or early 2024.
Besides tuberculosis, the original home was built to provide a medical facility for members of the typographical union suffering from chronic lung disease due to having inhaled the carbon-based ink used in printing newspapers in the late 19th century.
By Garry Boulard
