The deal to land Victory American Grill took months of negotiations, says David Spira, KEW's president and owner. The 10-year lease was negotiated in-house by Trish Herick, a vice president at KEW, and Mike Ledger, leasing coordinator. Win King of the Frederick Ross Co. represented the Armatas family, which will own and operate the restaurant.

"The space received national attention from several 'destination' type restaurants, which boded well for us, but also reflects the national attention the Central Business District has been receiving lately," Ledger says. "We were able to clearly convey the vision of the owner and gather interested parties who shared our goals of preserving the landmark while maximizing its full potential."

The building is the site of Colorado's first ice cream soda. Baur's candy confectionary operated there for almost 60 years. KEW is restoring the interior of the building. Spira says it is exciting to "peel away the layers to reveal its original architecture and at the same time reposition the building a an active participant in its vibrant Downtown setting."

The building has exposed brick and timber, giving the offices a "loft" ambiance. KEW owns and manages 32 office, retail and industrial properties in the metro area with a total portfolio of more than one million sf.