Landmark Preservation Design Review Process

To preserve and protect the integrity of Denver’s historical, cultural and architectural treasures, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC), the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission (LDDRC), and Landmark Preservation staff review exterior work, development, and demolition on locally designated Denver landmarks or properties located in a historic district. Design review ensures that proposed projects involving new construction, exterior alterations, or additions preserve key historic features and are compatible with the look and feel of historic districts and individual landmarks.

To find out if your property is in a historic district or is an individual landmark, please use this interactive map. 

Landmark Preservation reviews all exterior work on an individual landmark property or a property in a historic district that requires a building permit, a zoning permit, an encroachment permit, or a curb cut permit. When conducting design review of proposed changes, the LPC, LDDRC, and Landmark Preservation staff follow the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the treatment of historic properties as well as the applicable design guidelines. Once a project has been reviewed and approved, Landmark staff issue a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and a consolidated set of approved application materials. The Certificate of Appropriateness must be submitted with the subsequent, applicable building and/or zoning permit applications. 

Project Specific Information

The type of construction work you are doing determines whether you must undergo design review before you begin. The following projects are subject to design review.