Blue State Blues: Downtown Denver’s Office Vacancy Rate Grows to 38.2% as Tenants Reimagine the Workplace
22nd January 2026
While many Denver office tenants went remote or fled to Cherry Creek or the ’burbs in recent years, law firm Ballard Spahr did the opposite.
It stayed downtown, though it swapped out its old headquarters for a newer spot a block away at 1800 Larimer in August.
“It was more about the amenities,” said Damon O. Barry, office manager partner, as he listed features like a full gym with towel service, a green space on the second floor, proximity to Union Station and lobby security. “My goal was to have a space that folks want to come into.”But a sign of the times was that the company opted for leasing less space. Its new 19,000-square-foot office is one-third smaller than its prior home at 17th Street Plaza. No, the 60-person company isn’t shrinking, Barry said. It’s growing. There’s hybrid options and “hoteling” desks, available to whomever is in the office that day. This is about efficiency.
Yeah. Efficiency. No mention of how many may be relocating to less Woke Red states.