707 17th Street
Encyclopedia
707 17th Street, formerly known as the MCI Building and Arco Tower, is a skyscraper
in Denver
, Colorado
. The building was completed in 1981, and rises 42 floors and 522 feet (159 m) in height. The building stands as the sixth-tallest building in Denver as of 2010. It also stood as the tallest building in the city at the time of its 1981 completion, and held that distinction for two years until it was surpassed by the 709 feet (216 m) 1801 California Street
in 1983.
707 17th Street was known as MCI Plaza until 2005; MCI Inc.
filed for bankruptcy
in 2002, and the company was subsequently acquired by Verizon Communications
on February 14, 2005. Prior to its bankruptcy, MCI occupied the uppermost commercial floors of 707 17th Street, and served as the structure's primary tenant. However, even before MCI's acquirement, 707 17th Street stood partially vanant, and was nearing a 50% vacancy rate in 2002. This ended on September 30, 2002, when architectural, engineering and construction management firm Carter & Burgess signed a deal to lease 86000 square feet (7,989.7 m²) of office space. This deal was one of largest office transactions in Denver in 2006.
While the upper 22 floors of the building contain office space, the lowest 20 floors of 707 17th Street contain the Denver Marriott City Center, which contains 613 guest rooms and suites
. As the building consists of both commercial and hotel
space, it is classified as a mixed use skyscraper; it is the tallest such building in Denver.
707 17th Street has a somewhat unique "setfront" design, rather than the usual setback
found in other Denver skyscrapers such as 1801 California Street. The building bulges out and becomes wider at its 15th floor, and this widening is described as a "setfront". The narrower region at the bottom of the building is home to the Marriott hotel, whereas the upper, wider floors contain most of the commercial space. The building's façade
is composed of black glass, and it is an example of international-style "black box" architecture.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The building was completed in 1981, and rises 42 floors and 522 feet (159 m) in height. The building stands as the sixth-tallest building in Denver as of 2010. It also stood as the tallest building in the city at the time of its 1981 completion, and held that distinction for two years until it was surpassed by the 709 feet (216 m) 1801 California Street
1801 California Street
1801 California Street, also known as Qwest Tower, is a skyscraper in Denver, Colorado. The building was completed in 1983, and rises 52 floors and in height...
in 1983.
707 17th Street was known as MCI Plaza until 2005; MCI Inc.
MCI Inc.
MCI, Inc. is an American telecommunications subsidiary of Verizon Communications that is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia...
filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 2002, and the company was subsequently acquired by Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
on February 14, 2005. Prior to its bankruptcy, MCI occupied the uppermost commercial floors of 707 17th Street, and served as the structure's primary tenant. However, even before MCI's acquirement, 707 17th Street stood partially vanant, and was nearing a 50% vacancy rate in 2002. This ended on September 30, 2002, when architectural, engineering and construction management firm Carter & Burgess signed a deal to lease 86000 square feet (7,989.7 m²) of office space. This deal was one of largest office transactions in Denver in 2006.
While the upper 22 floors of the building contain office space, the lowest 20 floors of 707 17th Street contain the Denver Marriott City Center, which contains 613 guest rooms and suites
Suite (hotel)
A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation, denotes a class of luxury accommodations, the key feature of which is multiple rooms. Many properties have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best accommodation is called the "presidential suite".Suites offer multiple rooms, with more...
. As the building consists of both commercial and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
space, it is classified as a mixed use skyscraper; it is the tallest such building in Denver.
707 17th Street has a somewhat unique "setfront" design, rather than the usual setback
Setback (architecture)
A setback, sometimes called step-back, is a step-like recession in a wall. Setbacks were initially used for structural reasons, but now are often mandated by land use codes.-History:...
found in other Denver skyscrapers such as 1801 California Street. The building bulges out and becomes wider at its 15th floor, and this widening is described as a "setfront". The narrower region at the bottom of the building is home to the Marriott hotel, whereas the upper, wider floors contain most of the commercial space. The building's façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is composed of black glass, and it is an example of international-style "black box" architecture.