The preservationist and developer Dana Hudkins Crawford, accredited to save the Larimer de Denver square in the demolition in the 1960’s, died on January 23 at the age of 93.
Born in Salina, Kan., Crawford moved to Denver in 1954 to pursue a career in public relations. He married Geologist John W. Crawford III in 1955, and together they raised four children.
One day, Crawford’s car was broken down to the block of the city’s Larimer Square, when it was known as Denver’s “Skid Row” and Denver Urban Renewal Authority (Dura) was planning to demolish the historic buildings that go to it. Find. That serendipid mechanical failure catalyzed a stubborn and fierce initiative to save the block called the founder general of the city, William Larimer, and the home of the first commercial district of Denver and the original City Council.
Crawford started a company, Larimer Square Associates, which would frustrate the vision of redevelopment of hard buying and restaurant historic buildings, catalyzing the revival of a block that has been at the forefront of the dining and sale scenes of Denver in the Denver. decades since the decades.
“It was obvious that the Denver Center needed a place where all kinds of people could meet,” Crawford told The Denver Post In 2000. As the status quo involved destroying balls that erased the road for car parks, it lasted “had a plan to level a lot of Larimer Street, and most of LODO (in the center of the city) would have to retire for a ‘added’ motorway.
Crawford founded the Historic Denver organization in 1970 to lead the preservation efforts in the city, focused on Lodo. Beyond Larimer Square, Crawford was involved in the preservation of the Union Station, the Molly Brown House, the Far Mill Lofts (before the pride of the rock flour factory) and the Oxford Hotel de Denver. Union Station’s Crawford Hotel was appointed in his honor. Throughout his career, he redeveloped more than 800,000 square feet in the city through his company, Urban Neighborhoods.
Crawford’s legacy as a conservationist extends far beyond the boundaries of the city of Denver, with projects in other cities in Colorado as Trinidad, Idaho Springs and Pueblo, as well as efforts in more than 50 communities elsewhere. of the United States, including Dallas-Fort Worth, New Orleans and Savannah, Ga.
He was part of the Council of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the organization granted him his highest honor, the Louise Dupont Crownshield Award, in 1995.
“I think for many years they have not been taught to obtain the shared vision of the community where they want to build or change,” Denver’s 9 News told in a television interview in 2018. “And I strongly believe that people Who has lived there for some time has legitimate ideas, good ideas and everyone feels better if they have the opportunity to participate. “
Historical Denver recalled Crawford in a Facebook publication, stating: “From Saving Plaça Larimer to the redevelopment of the Union station, Dana shaped Denver that we know today. In 2014, he received the Denver Historical Award. Due to his contribution of life to preservation.
Colorado governor Jared Polis honored Crawford in a post on Instagram. “The impact of Dana in Denver, the south of Colorado and our entire state has been immense. It was Dana’s vision that helped to revitalize Larimer Square and other corners of the city center, to promote economic development in Denver and help to turn it into the place we know and love today. He took the same passion for reimaginating communities such as Idaho Springs and Trinidad. “”
