Dear Action Line,
Do you know what’s going on with Brown’s shoes and when it will, if ever, reopen? It closed in late February for a remodel to open in March. It’s still closed. I see that there’s renovations happening upstairs, too, and wonder if that’s also involved? I just miss a good place to shop for shoes in town with quality brands. Signed, Shoe Shopper
Dear Shoe Shopper,
I’m happy to report that Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. reopened after construction on the day that I’m writing this, Wednesday, June 18. The store did indeed close earlier this year in February, and initially planned to reopen in March.
The saying “walk a mile in my shoes” seems apt in this situation. From the outside, Brown’s looked like a long-delayed construction project. That’s true, but the story of why the construction project took longer than expected is more interesting than you’d expect. Take a walk with Action Line as we explain.
The story begins with lawyers. No, they didn’t need to shop for a new pair of dress shoes for court.
The Colorado State Public Defender’s office is currently located in Three Springs, but the office was looking to move downtown to be closer to the La Plata County Courthouse. The plan was to move into the upstairs space in the building above Brown’s.
The construction that began in February was initially planned to install an elevator to make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act before the defender’s office moved in, said Daniel Vagasky of Dock High Development, the building’s owner.
Once crews began the project, it became evident that the building had structural issues that would require extensive remodeling. The floor joists were cracked and failing in numerous locations, essentially requiring the entire second floor to be reinstalled.
In a way, it’s not surprising that an aging building needed work. In fact, it’s the second-oldest brick building in Durango behind only the Strater Hotel, Vagasky said. The building was originally built by the railroad, and it showed off the fire resistant properties of brick. That was a good call, as the building survived several downtown fires over the years. That’s why it’s one of the oldest-looking buildings along Main Avenue.
That’s all to say that the building has been there for a while.
Brown’s has been selling shoes in the building since 1977. Previously, the Kruschke clothing store was in the space, named after the building’s owner at the time, Isaac Kruscke. The building is still referred to as the Kruschke block in city records.
Vagasky emphasized that the city has been great to work with on the project, from securing permits to helping with the historic preservation of the building.
Brown’s is now open, though Gardenswartz Sporting Goods and Urban Market’s home goods and furniture stores are still impacted by construction. Vagasky expects the construction to be complete by Oct. 1, which is when the Public Defenders will move in – and they won’t have to walk far when they need a new pair of shoes.
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