A century-old Denver landmark that once drew generations of outdoor enthusiasts through its doors may soon begin a new chapter, as Seattle-based outdoor gear and apparel retailer evo has expressed interest in buying the city’s historic Sports Castle.
“The word ‘icon’ gets thrown around a lot but there’s no question that the Sports Castle is a true Denver icon. It’s also in need of revitalization and we see an extraordinary opportunity to play an important role in bringing the Castle back to life,” said evo CEO and founder Bryce Phillips in an email to The Denver Post. The company purposefully made its name all lowercase.
Phillips said his mother grew up in Allenspark and that much of his family is still in Colorado. Having spent so much time in the state growing up, and since opening evo Denver 10 years ago, he said the opportunity to restore the Sports Castle is especially meaningful to him.
“Layer in the fact that the Sports Castle comes with so much history, lore and soul, I’m especially grateful to have the opportunity to pursue something where together, we can have such a positive impact ton the community,” he said.
Built in 1926 as a Chrysler showroom for the Cullen-Thompson Motor Company, the three-and-a-half-story building at 1000 N. Broadway was designed by prominent Denver architect Jules Jacques Benois Benedict. The Beaux-Arts style structure is clad in ornate terracotta and features stained glass windows.
Gart Brothers Sporting Goods annual Sniagrab ski sale at the Sports Castle in downtown Denver on Sept. 3, 1978. Photo by Lyn Alweis/Denver Post
It became a Denver landmark in 1971 when Gart Bros. Sporting Goods converted the building into a “Sportsman’s Castle,” operating there for 22 years before Sports Authority took over the space from 1993 until 2016. Since then, the building has mostly sat empty, though it has occasionally been used as an urban event space by Non Plus Ultra, a California-based company.
However, its historic and cultural significance has remained strong, and renewed interest in the property has brought fresh attention to its future.
In 2021, the Sports Castle was purchased for $4.5 million by a partnership led by Tom McLagan, executive chairman of Hyder Construction, according to property records. The parking lot across the street was also acquired for $2 million.
Phillips said McLagan is now working alongside evo as a partner and brings deep experience and has strong roots in the city.
Concept plans for redeveloping the property were submitted to the city in December 2025 by Kemberlin Architecture, a Colorado-based architectural design firm specializing in single and multi-family residential, office, hotel, historic renovation, and transit-oriented site planning and design.
The plans envision the Sports Castle as a new retail destination and regional hub for a national sports equipment retailer and active lifestyle brand with a strong Denver presence.
The building would also house complementary retail tenants, limited assembly uses, and a small food and beverage component.
The concept documents describe the building as being in fair to good condition, though some older steel factory windows and other features are in need of repair.
Concept plans submitted to the city in December for the remodel of the Cullen-Thompson Motor Company building, "The Sports Castle." (Concept plan from Denver public records)
Interior work would include cleaning and restoring several features, removing non-historic partitions, and adding new walls, ceilings, floors, bathrooms, exit stairways, an elevator, as well as new lighting and millwork. The plans also include tenant-specific features like a bar, an equipment service shop, and grab-and-go food and beverage options.
Exterior work outlined in the plans includes a 4,500-square-foot rooftop amenity, restoration and stabilization of the historic terracotta cladding, repairs to windows and aluminum storefronts, and repainting of brick and concrete, along with additional exterior updates.
The plans also call for new signage and lighting, including a corner blade sign inspired by the original, as well as a small south-side ramp and pedestrian entrance to allow after-hours access.
All additions are designed to minimize visual impact on the building’s historic facades.
Honoring the building’s legacy
The Sports Castle is in the process of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Evo plans to honor that legacy, with Phillips saying the building’s history will be reflected in its design and programming.
He said creating community gathering spaces is central to everything evo does, and that updating a space while preserving its character is always a careful balancing act, pointing to past projects of his as examples.
Provided by Graham Gephart, evo
Evo's new Denver store is about a month way from its soft opening, but parts of the shop are beginning to take shape in the nearly 10,000 square foot former auto dealer at 860 Broadway, including space where Bicycle Doctor/ Edgeworks will keep tuning bikes, skis and snowboards. Oct. 10, 2016.
One is the Granary Campus in Salt Lake City, an adaptive reuse project developed in partnership with Seattle-based development team Lake Union Partners.
The project transformed five connected historic warehouse buildings in an underserved area into a “base camp” for outdoor enthusiasts along the Wasatch Front.
Other projects in Phillips’ and evo’s portfolio, among many, include revitalizing a 100-year-old mattress factory in Seattle, the historic Tahoe City Inn building in California, and evo’s Portland location, which transformed a former Salvation Army building built in 1890.
“I’ve received a lot of personal notes from people that would love to see a full circle story take place at the Sport Castle given how meaningful it is to Denver and the outdoor community,” Phillips said.
“People have seen the opportunity and also know that it’ll take the right concept and approach to renovating to make it work given the many complexities associated with a historic building like this one.”
Evo operates a retail location just a block away from the Sports Castle at 860 N. Broadway.
If the project moves forward, he said the team plans to backfill the space with another complementary brand or business.
“We’ve always loved curating a mix of businesses that fit together and would lean heavily into this here,” he said.
However, Phillips said that there are several challenges to address and additional work is required before moving forward with full confidence, given the importance of executing the project at the highest level.
He said the timing of the renovations and expected completion is still to be determined, but the team is actively working on it.
Phillips’ passion for the outdoors began in 1987, just around the time he was in the fifth grade, when his uncle Jack introduced him to skiing and paid for his first lift ticket and rentals at Mt. Ashland in Oregon.
Nearly two decades later, he founded evo in 2001, launching the company’s website while operating out of his garage. Since then, evo has expanded to 11 stores across the U.S. and Canada, according to the retailer’s website.
In January 2022, Rhythm Japan, a leading retail, rental and experience company with seven stores in Japan’s mountain resorts, became part of evo.
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