Back in the late 1980s-early ‘90s, Jim Judd was spreading his wings as a commercial developer and historic preservation enthusiast. He was quite excited about his plan to reclaim and redevelop a former Capitol Hill church as an office building. That was a novel idea then. Abandoned buildings were typically torn down and replaced with a modern structure, most likely not in keeping the historic character of the neighborhood.
Judd thought outside the box. He saw the value in preserving that simple church building and giving it a new purpose. As a result, the southwest corner of 9th Avenue and Sherman Street looks pretty much the same as it did a century ago when the church was built. The past lives on. The evolution of style is evident.
Judd got in on the ground floor of a trend that has seen the reclamation and preservation of historic properties as office buildings, loft condominiums, rental units and community centers.
The IJN covered Judd’s innovative contribution to the neighborhood in which the IJN has been headquartered for more than 60 years. In doing so, we got to know a man who loved Denver and its neighborhoods. Judd was a man of vision who could see a dilapidated space and visualize it very differently. He was proud of his work.
At the same time, Jim Judd was down to earth and very friendly. In fact, we can never remember him without a smile on his face. He was always on point, well thought out and buoyed by life.
Judd’s ventures contributed to Denver’s appreciation of its own history. He helped create Historic Denver, the mission of which is to promote and protect Denver’s storied spaces and places.
Judd’s — and Historic Denver’s — passion for historic preservation has been undermined over the past two decades or so with the ubiquitous emergence of behemoth, unimaginative, often ugly apartment units with little or no architectural flair, now occupying lots where older buildings with character once stood.
For the buildings in Denver which have been spared the wrecking ball and remain as tributes to the aesthetics of bygone eras, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the likes of the late Jim Judd.
It is impossible to recount the life of Jim Judd without recalling his late wife Eleanore Judd. Hers was the first comprehensive demographic study of Denver Jewry. It underlay much of the agenda of the Allied Jewish Federation for decades. Jim and Eleanore Judd were partners in dedication to our community. And now, Jim’s vision, passion and knowledge, as well as his personal warmth, are deeply missed.
© IJN 2025
