The building at 710 10th St. in Golden, constructed in 1924, was formerly a high school. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
A pair of mountaineering nonprofits have sold the former high school in downtown Golden where they’ve operated for three decades.
The Colorado Mountain Club and American Alpine Club sold their 54,000-square-foot building at 710 10th St. — known as the American Mountaineering Center — last week for $9.5 million, according to public records. That works out to $176 a square foot.
The building, constructed in 1924 and formerly Golden High School, was bought by an entity affiliated with the Coors family’s development firm, AC Development. The entity’s name — Clayworks Block D LLC — alludes to the firm’s “Clayworks” development, a plan to redevelop five city blocks of downtown Golden. AC Development declined to comment.
The Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club and a third group — which later exited the partnership — bought the building in 1993. Both groups used it for their programming and offices.
The American Alpine Club has also operated a museum and library with more than 50,000 titles within the building. In a news release, the alpine club said the museum and library will close on Friday.
The club said in the release that it is “committed to an inspiring future for the AAC Library” but did not provide details about where and when it might reopen. Shane Johnson, the club’s vice president of marketing, said in an email that “we do not currently have plans for our next location.”
Colorado Mountain Club CEO Madeline Bachner Lane, meanwhile, told BusinessDen her organization will move and “is looking into Golden-area opportunities,” but declined to give specifics.
“We haven’t finalized anything yet,” she said. “We are hoping to have some news about a new location in the coming weeks.”
Asked if her organization would again share space with the American Alpine Club in a new location, Bachner Lane said the group is “doing their own thing.”
An entrance to Colorado Mountain Club’s space at 710 10th St. in Golden. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
Bachner Lane cited two reasons for the sale: the costly nature of maintaining the historic building and the Colorado Mountain Club’s ongoing recovery from the pandemic, which impacted the group that relies heavily on in-person seminars, trips and events.
“Through the pandemic, that business really suffered,” Bachner Lane said. “And that really impacted our ability to stay in the building.”
Nearly half of the nonprofit’s $2.7 million in revenue in 2023 came from programs and events, per its annual report.
The Colorado Mountain Club was founded in Denver by 25 mountain-minded individuals, and now has 6,000 members across the state, Bachner Lane said. It was first led by James Grafton Rogers, an important figure in the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. Other early members include Carl Blaurock, one of the first people to summit all of Colorado’s 14ers. In its early days, only those who had climbed at least one 14er were able to serve on the group’s board of directors.
Before moving to Golden, the group had a “small office” along West Alameda Avenue in Denver.
“It’s a really cool space and we really loved it, and I know a lot of our members had memories in this place,” Bachner Lane said.
The building at 710 10th St. in Golden, constructed in 1924, was formerly a high school. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
A pair of mountaineering nonprofits have sold the former high school in downtown Golden where they’ve operated for three decades.
The Colorado Mountain Club and American Alpine Club sold their 54,000-square-foot building at 710 10th St. — known as the American Mountaineering Center — last week for $9.5 million, according to public records. That works out to $176 a square foot.
The building, constructed in 1924 and formerly Golden High School, was bought by an entity affiliated with the Coors family’s development firm, AC Development. The entity’s name — Clayworks Block D LLC — alludes to the firm’s “Clayworks” development, a plan to redevelop five city blocks of downtown Golden. AC Development declined to comment.
The Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club and a third group — which later exited the partnership — bought the building in 1993. Both groups used it for their programming and offices.
The American Alpine Club has also operated a museum and library with more than 50,000 titles within the building. In a news release, the alpine club said the museum and library will close on Friday.
The club said in the release that it is “committed to an inspiring future for the AAC Library” but did not provide details about where and when it might reopen. Shane Johnson, the club’s vice president of marketing, said in an email that “we do not currently have plans for our next location.”
Colorado Mountain Club CEO Madeline Bachner Lane, meanwhile, told BusinessDen her organization will move and “is looking into Golden-area opportunities,” but declined to give specifics.
“We haven’t finalized anything yet,” she said. “We are hoping to have some news about a new location in the coming weeks.”
Asked if her organization would again share space with the American Alpine Club in a new location, Bachner Lane said the group is “doing their own thing.”
An entrance to Colorado Mountain Club’s space at 710 10th St. in Golden. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
Bachner Lane cited two reasons for the sale: the costly nature of maintaining the historic building and the Colorado Mountain Club’s ongoing recovery from the pandemic, which impacted the group that relies heavily on in-person seminars, trips and events.
“Through the pandemic, that business really suffered,” Bachner Lane said. “And that really impacted our ability to stay in the building.”
Nearly half of the nonprofit’s $2.7 million in revenue in 2023 came from programs and events, per its annual report.
The Colorado Mountain Club was founded in Denver by 25 mountain-minded individuals, and now has 6,000 members across the state, Bachner Lane said. It was first led by James Grafton Rogers, an important figure in the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. Other early members include Carl Blaurock, one of the first people to summit all of Colorado’s 14ers. In its early days, only those who had climbed at least one 14er were able to serve on the group’s board of directors.
Before moving to Golden, the group had a “small office” along West Alameda Avenue in Denver.
“It’s a really cool space and we really loved it, and I know a lot of our members had memories in this place,” Bachner Lane said.
