The penthouse where prodigious Denver developer John W. Madden Jr. lived for decades was relisted earlier this month for $3 million, offering a glimpse into the personal sanctuary of the man who shaped the Denver Tech Center skyline.
The 5,500-square-foot residence, perched atop the office building at 5700 S. Quebec St. in Greenwood Village, is perhaps the only penthouse in the Denver metro area built atop a commercial office building.
With three bedrooms and four bathrooms, the property offers something rare in urban development: nearly an acre of private outdoor space with unobstructed Front Range views.
“It’s very special. One of a kind,” said listing agent Anne Dresser Kocur of LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
“You feel like you’re on top of the world … yet you’re in the center of Greenwood Village.”
Madden, who died in 2024 at age 94, previously tried to sell the penthouse for $6.8 million in 2021.
Madden built the office building in the late 1970s and added the residential penthouse as an afterthought during construction.
Son J. Madden called his parents “characters” who left a home near Castle Rock for the urban penthouse. The elder Maddens, who also spent time in Florida, lived there for more than 40 years without making major updates.
That makes the current space, with no load-bearing walls, the perfect canvas, Kocur said. She had a series of renderings created to better showcase the space’s potential.
In addition to a private elevator, the penthouse features skylights throughout, hardwood floors, Italian travertine tilework, antique doors with etched glass, two marble gas fireplaces, and a walk-in wine locker.
It also comes with three covered parking spots and four additional spaces near the building’s entry. Madden’s son said the space has great potential.
“It’s an amazing retreat,” he said. “The views are forever, but it’s dated. It needs someone with creativity and imagination.”
The property’s mixed-use zoning allows for residential, commercial or combined use.
“It needs a special buyer,” Kocur said. “We’ve contacted law firms, businesses and advertised widely. We just haven’t found that special buyer yet.”
The penthouse’s standout feature is its expansive rooftop deck, which Kocur described as ideal for everything from wedding receptions to a private pickleball court. It offers three patio areas.
Unlike typical condominiums, the property has no homeowners association dues — an advantage that could save owners $1,500 or more per month. The seller is also willing to include Greenwood Athletic Club memberships.
The John Madden Trust has completed extensive due diligence and permitting for an additional private elevator, giving the next owners a head start on their vision.
Madden’s legacy looms over the property. The Omaha, Nebraska, native moved to Colorado in the late 1960s and developed an estimated 20 projects, including the Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre.
The John Madden Co. built more than 10 million square feet of office and mixed-use space over its 60-plus-year history, with Madden’s emphasis on art and landscaping producing some of the Denver Tech Center’s most distinctive buildings.
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