Colorado Supreme Court building to reopen after break-in caused $35M in damage

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Parts of the Colorado Supreme Court building are set to open next week following months of repairs after a costly break-in.

In January, the Colorado State Patrol said a suspect breached the first floor of the east side of the building, known as the Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center, located at 2 E. 14th Ave.

Police said the suspect shot out a window, held a security guard at gunpoint, fired shots from the seventh floor and started a fire in a stairwell during the nearly two hours he was inside. The sprinkler ran for two hours, leaving ankle-deep water on one floor and damaging the floors below.

In total, the damages were estimated to surpass $35 million .

Over the past 10 months, the Colorado Judicial Branch said the restoration process included completely rebuilding some floors significantly damaged by the flood. Smoke from the fire also affected the HVAC system and it needed substantial industrial cleaning.

After months of reconstruction, the Colorado Judicial Branch said portions of the tower will reopen to the public on Tuesday.

Starting next week, the public will have access to floors one and two of the office tower, which will be open during regular business hours. Meanwhile, access to floors eight through 12 will be available by appointment only.

Floors three through seven will remain closed because of the extensive water damage. The branch estimated the center won’t be fully complete until next summer.

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