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From 13,000 Lights To Data Center Hub: 5 Shocking Facts About The Denver Gas And Electric Building's Digital Transformation

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The Denver Gas and Electric Building, a towering downtown landmark, has undergone one of the most significant and modern transformations of any historic structure in the Rocky Mountain Region. As of late 2025, this 1910 architectural marvel, once famous for its dazzling facade of 13,000 electric lights, is no longer a traditional office space but a powerhouse of the digital age: a critical data center facility owned by CoreSite, an American Tower company. This shift from a beacon of early 20th-century utility to a hub for AI workloads and critical business infrastructure represents a fascinating convergence of history and high-tech necessity, securing the building’s relevance for decades to come. This article dives into the five most compelling facts about the building's storied past and its fresh, unique, and highly relevant present as a network-rich asset in the heart of Denver.

The Building's Storied Biography and Architectural Profile

The Denver Gas and Electric Building, located at 910 15th Street in Downtown Denver, boasts a rich, multi-layered history that spans over a century of utility and commerce.
  • Original Name: Denver Gas and Electric Building (later Denver Gas and Electric Light Company).
  • Other Names: Public Service Company Building, Insurance Exchange Building.
  • Location: 910 15th Street, Downtown Denver, Colorado.
  • Construction Date: Completed in 1910.
  • Original Client: Denver Gas and Electric Company.
  • Architect: Harry W.J. Edbrooke (sometimes in partnership with Frank Edbrooke & Company).
  • Architectural Style: Sullivanesque style (also categorized as Chicago Commercial style).
  • Height/Stories: Ten stories.
  • Unique Feature: Facade originally covered with 13,000 electric lights.
  • Current Owner/Operator (2025): CoreSite, an American Tower company.
  • Current Function: Historic Carrier Hotel and Data Center (CoreSite DE1).
  • Key Figures: Henry Doherty (connected to the utility company's early years).

1. It Was Denver's Original Illuminated Skyscraper and Utility Advertisement

The most famous historical fact about the Denver Gas and Electric Building is its spectacular, glittering exterior. When it was completed in 1910, the ten-story structure was immediately distinguished by its facade, which was covered with an astonishing 13,000 electric lights. This feature was not merely decorative; it was a brilliant and highly visible advertisement for the Denver Gas and Electric Company, the original client. The building’s illuminated presence, considered by many to be Denver's grandest illuminated structure, served as a tangible display of the power and reliability of electric light, promoting its use to the entire city. This forward-thinking use of light made the building a true landmark of early 20th-century Denver, standing out among other commercial structures.

2. The Architecture is a Masterpiece of Sullivanesque Design

Designed by prominent Denver architect Harry W.J. Edbrooke, the building is a significant example of the Sullivanesque style, which is closely related to the Chicago Commercial style. This architectural approach emphasizes verticality and functional design, often featuring ornate facades and intricate detailing. The building's exterior is clad in beautiful terra cotta, a material that allowed for the complex, decorative elements characteristic of the style. The design successfully marries the practical need for a modern office building with the aesthetic desire for a grand, eye-catching structure. Its vertical lines and ornate facades draw the eye upward, celebrating the technological and commercial progress of the era. The building’s historic significance led to its later inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, ensuring its preservation even as its function evolves.

3. It Has Transformed from Office Tower to a 'Carrier Hotel'

Over the decades, the building shed its original name, becoming known as the Public Service Company Building and later the Insurance Exchange Building. However, its most radical transformation occurred in the digital age. The structure’s prime downtown location and robust infrastructure made it an ideal candidate for a "carrier hotel"—a central hub where numerous telecommunications carriers and internet service providers (ISPs) can interconnect. This physical concentration of fiber optic networks and switching equipment makes it one of the most interconnected buildings in the entire Rocky Mountain Region. This crucial infrastructure role is what set the stage for its current ownership.

4. The Building is Now a Critical Data Center for CoreSite (2025 Update)

The most pressing and current piece of information about the Denver Gas and Electric Building is its acquisition by CoreSite, an American Tower company, which was finalized earlier in 2025. The historic structure is now home to CoreSite’s DE1 data center operations. This acquisition was a strategic move to increase operational efficiency and expand CoreSite's footprint in the Denver market, a vital center for cloud computing and enterprise-grade data services. The company is actively investing in the building to ensure it offers a reliable and high-performance environment for customers running critical business and AI workloads. This transformation is a perfect example of how historic preservation and modern technology can coexist. The building's solid, century-old construction now houses the delicate, high-tech machinery of the internet.

5. It's Part of a Larger Digital Expansion Plan for the Region

The CoreSite acquisition of the Denver Gas and Electric Building is not an isolated event; it is a key component of a larger digital expansion strategy in Denver. The building’s role as the DE1 data center complements CoreSite's plans to launch its new, state-of-the-art DE3 enterprise-grade, purpose-built data center in 2026. By securing the historic carrier hotel at 910 15th Street, CoreSite has solidified its position at the center of Denver's digital infrastructure. The building, which once advertised the dawn of the electric age with 13,000 light bulbs, is now facilitating the next wave of technological innovation—from cloud services and interconnection to the massive computational demands of modern AI workloads. Its journey from a dazzling public utility showcase to a quiet, powerful digital engine is a testament to its enduring importance in the Mile High City.
From 13,000 Lights to Data Center Hub: 5 Shocking Facts About the Denver Gas and Electric Building's Digital Transformation
denver gas and electric building
denver gas and electric building

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