By Jesse Adkins, principal at SAR+ Architects
The decline of department stores has become a familiar narrative in the retail world, a trend that has spurred innovative approaches to repurposing large commercial spaces. Department stores, once a mainstay of American consumer culture, have faced a perfect storm of challenges over the past two decades. The rise of big-box retail chains like Walmart, combined with the explosive growth of online shopping and delivery services, has significantly undercut the traditional department store business model. This shift has not only led to decreased foot traffic and sales but has also forced many iconic stores to close their doors for good.
Macy’s, a retail giant that boasted over 850 stores across the United States in the early 2000s, is a prime example of this decline. As profits dwindled and the demand for large, physical retail spaces decreased, Macy’s began to shut down many of its locations, leaving vast, vacant buildings in its wake. Today, the number of Macy’s stores has nearly halved, and the real estate left behind presents a unique opportunity for redevelopment and adaptive reuse. One such example is the Macy’s store at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street Mall, which had been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years before the decision was made to transform it into a modern office space.
The History of Macy’s in Boulder
Macy’s opened its doors at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street Mall in the early 1980s, becoming an integral part of the shopping center and the broader Boulder community. For decades, it served as a retail anchor, drawing in customers with its wide range of products and well-known brand. However, as consumer habits evolved and competition intensified, the store, like many others, began to struggle.
By the mid-2010s, rumors of Macy’s closing stores across the country began to circulate, leading local developers to consider the future of the Boulder location. Recognizing the potential of the site, Eric Komppa of Corum Real Estate saw an opportunity to breathe new life into the area. The Twenty Ninth Street Mall, an open-air shopping center with sidewalk access and integrated parking, had been lagging due to a lack of activation and connectivity. The Macy’s building, located at the mall’s north end, was a particularly challenging space, given its inward-facing design, which offered little interaction with the surrounding environment.
The Project’s Origin and Evolution
In 2017, Eric Komppa with Corum Real Estate took the initiative to reach out to Macy’s directly, exploring the possibility of a partnership to repurpose the building. Over the next few years, Macy’s and Corum Real Estate worked together through Boulder’s complex entitlement process, ultimately leading to Corum and Fair Street Partners acquiring the building for redevelopment.
The property went through several redevelopment scenarios before arriving at its final program. Given Boulder’s housing-jobs imbalance and the city’s stringent land use and open space requirements, initial proposals to convert the site into housing were deemed impractical. The density potential of the site was too low to make residential development financially viable, and the project team had to pivot toward other options.
After extensive discussions and studies, the team settled on an office use that would not only align with the site’s constraints but also provide a public benefit. The decision to add height to the building and contribute to the enhancement of the plaza space to the south of the site was a important part of the entitlement negotiations. These changes were designed to activate the north end of the Twenty Ninth Street Mall, bringing much-needed energy and foot traffic to an area that had long struggled to attract visitors.
Design Priorities and Challenges
Transforming a large department store into a modern office space presented significant design challenges. One of the primary concerns was how to adapt the building’s scale and layout, originally designed for retail, to suit the needs of office tenants. We (SAR+ Architects) collaborated with Saunders Construction to evaluate the building’s distinct design challenges and identify opportunities to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible while modernizing it and adapting it for a new use. The solution lay in mimicking the bay spacing and depth typically seen in office buildings while also incorporating outdoor courtyards to bring fresh air, natural light, and outdoor spaces into the heart of the building.
Daylighting was also a critical consideration, as the original Macy’s structure was enclosed and windowless, creating a dark and uninviting environment. The design team opted to remove the standard brick envelope of the Macy’s store and replace it with a glazing system that would flood the interior with natural light. This approach not only brightened the space but also created visual connections to the outdoors, enhancing the overall work environment.
Additionally, the west-facing facade of the building was removed to create unobstructed views of Boulder’s iconic Flatirons and provide direct connections to the surrounding landscape. Given that the building was set into the grade of the site, the design team had to carefully plan the accessibility of each level, ensuring that both the east and west sides of the building could be easily connected and navigated by future tenants.
The Final Product: A Transformed Space
The transformation of Macy’s at Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street Mall has been nothing short of remarkable. The building, once a symbol of the declining department store era, has been reimagined as a vibrant office space that has revitalized the mall’s north end. The new design, with its emphasis on natural light, outdoor connectivity, and breathtaking views, has not only enhanced the work environment for tenants but also reinvigorated the surrounding retail area.
Today, the former Macy’s building stands as an activation anchor for the Twenty Ninth Street Mall, drawing in visitors and contributing to the overall vibrancy of the shopping center. The project is a testament to the potential of adaptive reuse, demonstrating how thoughtful design and strategic planning can turn a declining retail space into a thriving community asset. The project also achieved a LEED Gold certification and exceeded Boulder’s strict energy code. As department stores continue to close across the country, the success of this project offers a blueprint for how these spaces can be repurposed to meet the needs of a changing economy while preserving their place in the urban landscape.
Project team:
- Architect: SAR+ Architects
- Client: Macy’s & Corum Real Estate
- General Contractor: Saunders Construction
- Photographer: James Stukenberg
