Progress on cleaning up a Denver four-plex on South Lincoln Street that exploded after a suspected gas leak in August is slowly moving forward.
The property’s owner, a company called DPC 457 LLC, hired a demolition contractor, which submitted a demolition permit application to the city on Jan. 19, said Community Planning and Development spokesperson Amanda Weston.
“It’s hard to say exactly how long it will take to approve the application and issue the permit,” Weston wrote in an email last week.
The city requires approval from several departments on demolition applications, including landmark, forestry and wastewater, as well as sign-offs from Denver Water and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Issuing a demolition permit also requires a preinspection and notifying neighbors.
“Ultimately this application will get all of the required approvals, but agencies may have requirements that the applicant must meet before they give their approval,” Weston wrote.
That could include making sure all utilities and services are shut off or preserving any established trees in the primary and setback areas.
While those situations could slow down the process, once the permit is issued, actual demolition only takes a few days, Weston wrote.
The city’s website on demolition permits gives a time frame of 50-60 days for approvals and an additional 20 days for neighbor notification, preinspection, permits, demolition and final inspection.
The investigation into what caused the explosion is also ongoing, according to the Denver Fire Department.
In the days following the Aug. 10 explosion, fire officials said the cause was likely a gas leak, though it was not clear if anybody was working on a stove or gas appliance or any construction work in the area.
The fire department’s investigation into the incident was still ongoing as of Friday, said spokesperson JD Chism.
The rubble has sat largely undisturbed since the building exploded the evening of Aug. 10, with some exceptions, according to a record of calls for service obtained from the Denver Police Department.
Officers have responded to the property eight times since Aug. 11, including five reports of trespassing and three calls for a disturbance, criminal mischief and assault.
Police have not received any calls to respond to the address since Dec. 27, according to department records.
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