A 55-year-old relic of Littleton’s industrial past is now gone.

Demolition crews on Tuesday brought down the Qwest Tower, a 130-foot structure originally built in 1970 as a drying tower for Gates Rubber Co. The building was more recently repurposed by Qwest and Lumen Technologies, which used it as a fiber-optic testing site, according to a release from the project’s developers.

Its removal marks a major milestone in the Mineral Place redevelopment, a 63-acre project that will transform the site at 700 W. Mineral Ave. into a mixed-use hub with commercial and residential development. The plan includes 45 acres of retail space and 18 acres of multifamily housing.

“This demolition marks a significant step toward reimagining this former industrial site,” said Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter, who attended the tower’s toppling. “Littleton welcomes the economic investment, new jobs, and overall benefit that Mineral Place will bring to our community.”

The commercial section will feature two anchor stores: a Costco Wholesale with a fuel facility and a second, yet-to-be-announced big box retailer. Nine smaller retail sites are also planned.

The project is being led by Republic Investment Group, operating as RIG Mineral, LLC, which acquired the site from Qwest Corp., a subsidiary of Lumen Technologies, for $50 million, according to the city.

“We’re thrilled with the excitement from the crowds that gathered to watch the toppling of the old tower and welcome Mineral Place to Littleton,” said Grant Nelson, owner of Englewood-based Republic Investment Group. “Saunders, Earth Services and Abatement, and the City of Littleton have been outstanding to work with.”

Embrey Partners LLC is developing the housing component, a 370-unit luxury apartment community. Nineteen units will be designated as affordable housing in compliance with Littleton’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.

“We take pride in bringing EMBREY’s award-winning design and meticulous attention to detail to one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the Denver metro area,” said Jimmy McCloskey, chief development officer at Embrey, in the release.

As part of the redevelopment, roughly 800,000 square feet of existing structures, including the Qwest Tower, are being removed. Saunders Construction is the project’s general contractor.

“This effort represents an important opportunity to support the City of Littleton’s long-term economic growth,” said Ryan Balakas, vice president and general manager at Saunders, in the release. “We’re grateful to help lay the infrastructure—both literally and figuratively—for its future success.”

Grading and demolition began after the property transfer in late 2024. Construction is expected to continue through the end of 2025, with Costco projected to open in 2026.

According to city estimates, the site is expected to generate more than 800 jobs and $2.8 million in net sales tax revenue in its first year, increasing to over $9 million by year 10.

In October, the City Council approved an Economic Partnership Incentive Agreement allowing Republic to recoup up to $29.5 million over 10 years through a 50 percent share-back of sales tax revenue from the retail portion. The agreement has no upfront cost and is performance-based.

The city also commissioned a traffic study of 13 nearby intersections. The study found that while daily traffic will roughly double compared to the site’s previous use, morning peak traffic is expected to decrease, with only a slight increase projected during the evening commute.

Planned infrastructure improvements include two new traffic signals on West Mineral Avenue, a roundabout at Southpark Drive and Southpark Terrace, and upgrades to bike lanes, sidewalks, and turn lanes.

The traffic study also considered nearby schools, including Littleton Academy and the Primrose School of Littleton. City officials said the new signal at West Mineral Avenue and South Mineral Place should improve safety near both campuses.

Environmental upgrades are also in the works. Although the project will remove a landscaped drainage ditch and several trees along West Mineral Avenue, it will add more than 950 new trees, resulting in a net gain of 670. City officials said many of the existing trees are ash, a species vulnerable to emerald ash borer infestations.

The Littleton Planning Commission and City Council approved all subdivision and rezoning requests in fall 2023. City staff handled additional approvals for Costco’s site plan and a small zoning amendment administratively. 

For Littleton, the tower’s fall represents not just the end of an era but the beginning of a long-anticipated transformation.