Historic Denver school reopens as a cafe and beer garden

A stately brick building that once served as a Denver elementary school sat vacant for decades and greater part just now housed artist studios reopens in the modern day as a cafe and beer garden Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Cafe Acoma St occupies the grounds hallways and cafeteria of what was once the Evans School Built in the school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in One of the seating areas in the new Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Cafe is in the old boiler room inside the former Evans School building in Denver on April Photo by RJ Sangosti The Denver Post City Street Investors one of the redevelopers of Union Station and partners Fred and Jerry Glick closed on the million building in The coronavirus pandemic stymied the opening of what was initially going to be a co-working space reported Joe Vostrejs one of the firm s founders and partners We took a long time figuring out what we were going to do with the building Vostrejs explained last week They rented out classrooms as art studios at a fraction of the industry rent for three years at one point housing working and exhibiting artists The owners gathered focus groups consisting of business owners workers and residents to learn what would bring them to the building located in the Golden Triangle neighborhood Their biggest desire was to open it to the community and make it an affordable third place to commune outside of work and home he reported And so repurposed science-room tables on wheels line the main hallway ready to be used by remote employees or students on laptops The cafe next to the main entrance wraps around preponderance of the sun-exposed room beginning with a display occurrence for panini sandwiches salads and other grab-and-go items From there customers can order coffee and later in the day wine and frozen rose slushies espresso martinis and cocktails There s also an ice-cream counter a request from the focus groups Vostrejs reported The new Schoolyard Beer Garden will open soon inside the former Evans School building in Denver photographed on April Photo by RJ Sangosti The Denver Post The beer garden across the hall is modeled after other City Street Investors properties across the city Lowry Beer Garden Edgewater Beer Garden and Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden There are beers on tap majority of of which are Colorado brews pub fare like brats burgers and fries and salads and poke The food and beer concessions are located in the former school s cafeteria On a wall hung up are the school s design plans detailing every floor and subdivision of what was designed by architect David Dryden to be a children s elementary school The Evans School was open for years and its history lives on beyond the building City Street Investors own marketing director Kirsten Becker disclosed her father John Ness who is was a trainee there Velour banners with artwork of fish fowl and fauna hang from the tall ceilings of a lower seating area connected to the cafeteria They were designed by Colorado installation artist Lonnie Hanzon as an aesthetic answer to dampen noise and chatter Vostrejs noted The Evans School a -square-foot building with three stories was in disrepair and aside from the artists mostly vacant for years The developers upgraded the plumbing electrical mechanical systems and restrooms and preserved original elements like the wooden floorboards and the stairways brass-and-copper handrails Related Articles Venezuelan restaurant opens in Greenwood Village Denver restaurant on track to open despite death of much-loved chef owner My vision of retirement Sushi Den co-founder opens small chef s counter restaurant Pho King Rapidos founders will open Saigon Noodle Club in Edgewater more new Denver restaurants to get excited about in Aside from the beer garden and cafe they are remodeling classrooms for retailers and the second-floor auditorium for private events Vostrejs mentioned They ll lease the upstairs floor as office space he announced For now these areas are off-limits to the community The building grounds surrounded by black metal gates erected by the previous owner is Vostrejs favorite part of the property This really is the best outdoor space in the Golden Triangle he declared The greater part egalitarian use that you can have really is a beer garden because it s just open seating And the exterior of the building with its classical facade and copper-toned cupola is stunning its style only heightened as the city and its buildings have changed around it Workers continue to prepare for the opening of the new Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Cafe inside the former Evans School building in Denver on April Photo by RJ Sangosti The Denver Post Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox