Thinking About Anschutz - The Man And The Medical Campus

I took my sister Susan to have cataract surgery yesterday at the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and seen in the photograph on the left. When I first moved to Colorado, what was then called the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center was located at 9th and Colorado Boulevard in the heart of Denver. And then there was talk of a huge expansion that would require the surrounding neighborhoods to be demolished, which was not too popular with local homeowners (some people can get really bent out of shape about such things). Fortunately, the Fitsimmons Army Medical Center out in Aurora was scheduled to be closed, and CU decided to move there, which is at the very edge of the metropolitan area, not too far from Kansas. It was named the Anschutz Medical Campus because Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz donated $95 million to help construct it. And this campus is huge. And ugly. And very busy all the time, not that I am complaining. I have yet to see a hospital that is not ugly and depressing, even if someone gives you $95 million to play with.

Phil Anschutz is reported to be worth 15.4 billion dollars, which means he is one of the few people who find Denver affordable these days. He built his fortune in energy, sports, railroads, real estate, and entertainment. Among his holdings are the Union Pacific Railroad, the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and the Washington Examiner, which I know from reading articles on my web browser's home page has a right-wing slant, which is not a surprise, since Anschutz is a conservative Christian who donates to Republican candidates and causes. He also owns The Navarre, built in 1880 and located across the street from the Brown Place Hotel. The Navarre started out as a girl's school, but eventually became a bordello. A tunnel was built connecting it to the Brown and used as a "discreet passageway to transport gentlemen between the two buildings." It was purchased by Anschutz, returned to its Victorian splendor, and is now the home of the American Museum of Western Art - The Anschutz Collection. It is open to the public for both guided and self-guided tours, at the bargain price of $5 per ticket. I need to call and find out what days Phil will be guiding the tours, since he will be the most knowledgeable about the collection, and you won't have to tip him. And as you can see from the photo on the right, The Navarre is much prettier than the Anschutz Campus. And I bet it didn't cost $95 million, either.