The Past, Present, and Future of the Colorado Springs’ Union Printers’ Home
Even people who have lived in Colorado Springs for decades often don’t know the significance of the 130-year-old building that sits on the corner of Union Boulevard and Pikes Peak Avenue. For the last several years, the property once coined “The Castle on the Hill,” has sat in a shadow with many not knowing its purpose or future.
The property’s main building, which sits around 100,000 square feet, once served a significant purpose when people flooded to the area for health reasons in the late 1800s. Over a century later, the building still served as an assisted living home, but it closed in 2020 after a tragic incident took place on the property.
However, it was announced last year that the building was purchased by new owners who want to maintain the historical qualities of the property and turn it into a viable part of the community at the same time. Although the specific plans for the site are not yet clear, the group of investors that purchased the property say they plan to invest big money into the project to the tune of $500 million or more.
History of the Union Printers’ Home
According to the Union Printers’ Home website, the Castle on the Hill held its grand opening on May 12, 1892, and housed 30 residents. The home was located on property donated to the International Typographical Union (ITU) by the City of Colorado Springs. The building was constructed using all union labor at a cost of about $70,000.
The property’s original purpose was to house for free people who were part of the printer’s union that were suffering from tuberculosis or “black lung,” which was caused by inhaling the inks used in printing.
The building started on an 80-acre plot, but it eventually expanded to a large, self-sustaining entity that spanned over 300 acres and could house around 500 residents. According to an article published by Rocky Mountain PBS, the property had farms, wheat fields, its own post office, a morgue, a power plant, and the largest dairy farm in the state.
But according to the Union Printers Home Foundation (UPHF) website, the need for such a facility began to dwindle over the next several decades, prompting the union to sell off most of the site’s surrounding property.
“Advances in medical treatments and technology began to minimize the need for the home, and effective treatments became widely available where members actually lived,” the UPHF website reported. “The members no longer had to go to Colorado Springs for treatment and could stay closer to their loved ones in their own hometown.”
The need for the printers union to have an assisted living facility also declined in the 2000s when computers took over many of the jobs that printers once performed. In 2014, there were only one or two union members left living in the building when it was sold to Kansas-based Heart Living Centers, a large private nursing home organization.
Why did the Home Close?
According to an article published by the Gazette in February 2020, the home was forced to shut its doors when the state health department revoked the nursing home’s license after there was a tragic death at the residence. On Feb. 3, 2020, a woman named Margarita Sam was found frozen to death on a bench outside of the home when she was allegedly left outside in frigid temperatures without proper clothing.
At the time the state revoked the home’s license, it housed around 100 people who all had to be relocated. The home closed later that year once all its current residents had been moved.
The Gazette reported that Medicare.gov gave the facility a two out of five stars rating, which is “much below average.” “The website lists the facility’s number of health citations at 29, above the Colorado average of 7.9 and the U.S. average of 8.2,” the article stated. “The Printers Home has been assessed two federal fines in the past three years: one of $61,770 in March and one of $31,107 in November 2017, according to Medicare.gov.”
Future Plans for the Property
According to an article published by CPR last year, the building was purchased in 2021 for $18.5 million by a small group of local investors. The printers’ home website reports that the investors plan “to preserve the buildings and creatively adapt the property into something new.”
According to the Union Printers Home website, the ownership team of the new project called UPH Partners consists of “several longtime Colorado Springs philanthropic and civic-minded investors who have come together to preserve, revitalize and energize this historic landmark property.”
“We expect that the overall cost of the project over probably 10 years is going to be in the hundreds of millions, probably upward of 500 to 600 million as we look at it going forward,” Susan Pattee, the spokesperson for the ownership group and one of the new owners of the building, told CPR.
Last May, the Union Printers’ Home put out a press release announcing that to honor the building’s 130th birthday, the group of investors selected the multi-disciplinary firm Sasaki “to lead the visioning process and produce a master plan for the 26-acre campus and its landmark structures.”
Sasaki, who is well-known for designing places in Boulder like the Pearl Street Mall and the University of Colorado, will produce a plan using public feedback that could take over 18 months to finalize.
“The master plan will blend elements of adaptive reuse with new construction encompassing a mix of uses including hospitality, retail, commercial, dining, entertainment, and residential,” the press release reported. “As a community asset, the campus will be available to the public and visitors alike with open park-like qualities.” “Preserving the rich and fascinating history of the Union Printers Home has been our first priority of the revitalization effort,” Pattee, a member of the Loo Family said. “To date, our team of conservationists and volunteers has documented thousands of pieces of the home’s past 130 years. It’s been a painstaking process, but one the partners are committed to because of the important tie to the history and development of Colorado Springs. We will be sharing with the community the historical materials we were able to save by purchasing the property. They will be archived in the months ahead and made available for public viewing through a dedicated website as well as possible display onsite once the project is completed.”
I was the President of Residents at UPH for 13 years. I saw the last of the Union residents. I was 1 of the MANY who was relocated. I cried many tears over the deplorable way the then owners of UPH, the Reids, treated this business. If there is anyway that I can help-please call on me.
akmdude99@yahoo.com
Thank you for reaching out to us. We will continue to follow the progress and see what happens in the future.
My husband was a resident of UPH from 1999 -2008 when management of this home was superior. He lived on 4, the Altzheimers floor, tho multiple sclerosis was his problem. When inspected by the state, the home always received a high rating with few black marks which were always corrected. I spent hundreds of hours with him and he loved his private room which was a bonus to all those living there. How sad that management deteriorated and needy Colorado Springs residents lost this historic home to live in. It’s good to see that those who can will bring the wonderful old building back to life.