When Dr. Bronwyn Bateman moved into her Cheesman Park penthouse almost 30 years ago, she couldn’t sleep because Denver’s sparkling skyline and the golden-domed Capitol were so captivating.
Now 77, Bateman is ready for someone else to enjoy the view from Unit 17A at 1133 Race St. She has listed the fully remodeled, 4,000-square-foot penthouse for $5.8 million.
The condo features two private exterior elevators and a private 1,800-square-foot rooftop terrace that looks out on the mountains and Denver Botanic Gardens.
“The view is stunning,” Bateman said. “Whoever buys it is going to have to get sleeping pills so they don’t end up looking at the view all night long.”
Bateman and her husband, Douglas Hershey, an obstetrician-gynecologist and maternal-fetal medicine specialist from California, bought the penthouse for $820,000 in 1994. They wanted a home for Bateman, their twin sons, and their nanny when she moved from UCLA.
They are the third owners of the penthouse. The first was Hank Robinson, who founded Argonaut Wine & Liquor.
(Courtesy TJ Romero of Architectural Storytelling)
The view from the penthouse. (Courtesy TJ Romero of Architectural Storytelling)
In Denver, Bateman was the first woman to chair the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She also served as the founding director of the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute at the Anschutz Medical Campus and expanded clinical services at major hospitals in the area.
“I was working 70 to 80 hours a week,” Bateman said. “I’d get up early. I had a research laboratory at the University of Colorado. My father always said work never hurt anybody.”
She joked that United Airlines must have loved their family because they often traveled between Denver and Sacramento.
The penthouse is in Huntington House, a boutique high-rise with 30 units. It’s one of the few Denver high-rise penthouses located on a park.
Along with the two private exterior elevators, there’s an interior elevator that goes up to the exclusive rooftop terrace.
Twenty-foot windows let natural light fill the open floor plan. The large primary suite has a five-piece bath and a steam shower. The property includes three heated garage spaces, private guest parking, two garden courtyards, a shared rooftop pool, and concierge service six days a week.
Residents have private access to the Denver Botanic Gardens and a back gate that opens onto Cheesman Park.
Recent updates to the penthouse include a new kitchen, new HVAC system, new flooring and refinished hardwood throughout.
Listing agent Marilyn Kal-Hagan of Compass-Denver oversaw the rooftop terrace renovation, which now features architectural fencing, curated furniture and designer lighting.
Kal-Hagan said the terrace gives off a Central Park in New York vibe, “at a fraction of the cost.”
While Bateman used the terrace for entertaining, “I’m sure whoever buys it, the parties will be even nicer,” she said.
(Courtesy TJ Romero of Architectural Storytelling)
Stairs within the penthouse. (Courtesy TJ Romero of Architectural Storytelling)
Now mostly retired and doing some work at UCLA, Bateman said it’s time to sell.
“Birthdays keep coming,” she said. “I feel like the time is right. I’ve had it since 1995. It is such a wonderful place, and the view is so stunning.”
Kal-Hagan imagines that the next owner could be a young, successful professional drawn to Denver’s urban energy, or maybe an empty nester looking for a refined, easy-to-maintain retreat like a New York or London pied-à-terre.
“This isn’t Cherry Creek,” Kal-Hagan said. “It’s historic Denver — boutique, comfortable and unique. The feeling here can’t be found anywhere else in the city.”
Read more from our partner, BusinessDen.
Get more business news by signing up for our Economy Now newsletter.
