One of Denver's most recognizable riverfront breweries is on track for a dramatic redo. Local firm Weins Development has moved to buy land around the STEAM on the Platte complex and wants to kick off the broader River Mile redevelopment by replacing the former Raices brewery and restaurant with new housing and riverfront amenities. The stretch already reshaped by Meow Wolf and fresh stadium plans is set for another big change, and neighbors who packed Raices' beer garden are watching closely as the parcel inches toward a full rebuild.
According to the Denver Business Journal, Weins' vision centers on riverfront housing and recreation, with a pair of apartment buildings, a kayaking club, pickleball courts, and a barbecue restaurant planned around the STEAM on the Platte campus. The outlet reports that the first move would be to overhaul the Raices space and scoop up adjacent parcels near Empower Field and the Broncos' planned new stadium.
Weins' Proposal And Past Plans
The latest concept lines up with ideas Weins Development floated in late 2024, when the firm had the 2060 W. Colfax parcel under contract and released renderings for a hotel tied to connected apartment buildings, according to BusinessDen. Company leaders Eric and Evelyn Weins have described the South Platte as a key growth corridor for Denver and have been working to piece together riverfront lots for new housing.
The property listing for the STEAM complex identifies the retail space at 2060 W. Colfax Ave. as the former home of Raices Brewing and pitches it as riverfront retail, according to commercial listings on LoopNet. The STEAM on the Platte project page lists 1401 Zuni Street as the complex's address and notes that Raices was an adaptive reuse tenant completed in 2019.
Raices Closed After Tax Dispute
Raices Brewing announced in October 2025 that it was closing, after an open letter from ownership said the business could not absorb unexpected tax bills and audits from the City of Denver's Department of Taxation, Westword reported. The shutdown left a rare Spanish-language brewery and community hub sitting vacant on the river, which in turn opened the door to fresh redevelopment interest in the space.
What This Means For The Stadium District
The parcels in play sit in the fast-changing River Mile corridor between Empower Field at Mile High and the Broncos' proposed new stadium, a pocket that Denver business and sports leaders have highlighted as ripe for entertainment and housing projects, the Denver Business Journal reports. The outlet also notes that an industry gathering, Reimagine Denver: Stadium City, is set for April 16 to bring sports and development figures together to talk through opportunities tied to new stadium construction.
Local organizers and former patrons have stressed Raices' importance as a Spanish-language gathering space and worry that losing affordable, culturally specific spots will be difficult to reverse as the River Mile area fills in, concerns that have been documented by Westword. Those voices are likely to shape the tone of community meetings once Weins formally files its plans.
For now, both the purchase and the development program remain in early stages. Weins will need to assemble the necessary parcels, submit detailed plans, and clear the city review process before any construction can start. How fast the riverfront plot shifts from brewery garden to mixed-use project will depend on permitting timelines and whatever community meetings the city requires.
