Rock Drill

About This Project

The Rock Drill project is a major mixed-use redevelopment centered on the historic Denver Rock Drill Manufacturing Company site in the Cole and RiNo area of north Denver. The roughly 6.7–8.1-acre site once housed industrial facilities producing mining drills but has sat largely underused for years. The redevelopment effort aims to transform this former industrial campus into a vibrant, walkable district that preserves historic character while adding modern urban uses. Under plans advanced by OliverBuchanan Group and longtime owners, the site is being rezoned from industrial to mixed-use zoning allowing buildings up to around 16 stories tall. The concept calls for hundreds of new residential units (700–800 or more), office space, retail and restaurant space, a hotel, and public open space. Multiple historic sawtooth-roofed industrial buildings will be preserved and adaptively reused, anchoring the design and honoring the site’s industrial heritage. The project also incorporates historic preservation, affordable housing commitments (minimum income-restricted units), and significant public realm improvements, including plazas, walkways and connections to the nearby 39th Avenue Greenway and transit at the 38th & Blake station. A development agreement approved by Denver City Council includes tax-increment financing support to help cover remediation and rehabilitation costs. Overall, Rock Drill is envisioned as a new urban hub that integrates residential living, work spaces, hospitality, retail, public space and historic architecture, strengthening Denver’s River North corridor.