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A judge has cautioned that a 415-foot tall skyscraper in Denver might risk collapsing after a contractor reportedly removed sections of concrete from its base amidst a heated dispute with the developer.
Last week, Denver District Judge Bruce Jones issued a rare restraining order against the GCon company, preventing its staff from accessing The Upton towers, which dominate the crowded downtown area of Colorado’s capital.
Judge Jones stated at a Tuesday court hearing attended by Business Den, ‘A judge is taught to consider a temporary restraining order when there is a claim that a building could collapse.’
The Upton Residences, which will be home to 461 luxury condos, comprise an asymmetrical two-prong tower of 38 stories and 32 stories respectively.
Situated at 1800 Welton Street, this condominium represents the city’s largest project since The Spire, completed in 2009. The 2026 opening has been eagerly anticipated by realtors and prospective residents who have already purchased units.
Nevertheless, legal battles have postponed its debut, involving the building’s Canadian general contractor, Amacon Construction, and the subcontractor GCon.
GCon is accused of abandoning the construction amid escalating tensions between the two firms.
Amacon has filed a lawsuit against GCon for $10 million, asserting that the subcontractor violated the contract by not meeting construction standards on the towers and allegedly removed concrete slabs amid escalating tensions.
A judge has warned that The Upton Residences, a 415-foot Denver skyscraper, could be in danger of collapsing, after a contractor allegedly removed pieces of concrete from the base amid a bitter feud with the developer. (Pictured: The Upton during construction)
The Upton Residences, which will be home to 461 luxury condos, comprise an asymmetrical two-prong tower of 38 stories and 32 stories respectively. Its 2026 opening was being eagerly awaited by realtors and future residents who have already bought units in the skyscraper
Denver District Judge Bruce Jones (pictured during another hearing) placed a rare restraining order on GCon company last week as he banned its employees from entering the vicinity of The Upton towers which loom over the Colorado city’s dense downtown neighborhood
GCon joined the project during its early days in mid-2022, and signed a contract for $16 million, according to the lawsuit seen by Business Den.
But the relationship between the contractors began to sour this year when GCon demanded payments and Amacon hit back by complaining about the quality of the subcontractor’s work.
GCon refused to continue working on the project on May 23, and a stalemate ensued as bosses wrangled over the issues for several weeks.
On August 6, GCon abandoned the project for good and removed key stabilizing materials from the site in the process, according to Amacon’s lawsuit.
‘They were removed not in the dead of night or without notice or an opportunity for Amacon to observe what was happening, but in fact in coordination with Amacon’s local representatives,’ Ryan Williams, an attorney for GCon, said at the court hearing attended by Business Den.
Amacon has accused GCon of removing the bracing which stabilized one of the towers, along with a temporary support system which was laid beneath the building’s concrete slabs, triggering the level beneath it to start cracking.
‘GCon is only thinking of itself, acting out without thought just to make a point,’ Amacon wrote in the emergency request for a temporary restraining order seen by Business Den.
‘GCon has put at risk the lives of all personnel on site at the project as well as the general public.’
Engineers have said that the towers are safe for the time being, but Amacon has said they are concerned that GCon could remove more materials – with potentially deadly consequences.
The Upton’s launch has been delayed amid legal wrangling between the Canadian general contractor, Amacon, and subcontractor GCon, whose signage can be seen in the image above
Located on 1800 Welton Street, the condominium is the city’s largest development since The Spire in 2009. Its 2026 opening has been eagerly awaited by realtors and future residents
Amacon bosses have claimed that a GCon executive said on August 7 that they would continue to remove equipment.
‘The concern is that GCon could come in,’ Amacon attorney Kirsten Kube told the court hearing on Tuesday, per Business Den.
‘It’s a big construction site and they can’t be monitoring every single person that is coming in.
‘GCon has been there since 2022, they know the site, they know the personnel, the trades.’
‘This is an emergency,’ Kube added. ‘This is a building that needs to be secure.’
Williams denied that his client had any ‘plans’ or ‘immediate need’ to remove any further materials or equipment.
However, he said GCon is concerned that it will be obliged to keep paying Amacon $25,000 per month to continue renting the equipment.
‘There is concern that if this project, for whatever reason, takes longer than expected, there continues to be an accruing debt for the equipment rental,’ Williams said.
Judge Jones urged the two attorneys to discuss the best way to move forward, and gave them 20 minutes alone in the courtroom.
Business Den reported that the lawyers agreed that GCon would not enter The Upton site for the foreseeable future, and Jones imposed a restraining order on GCon to cement this agreement into law.
The lawsuit will continue moving through the courts in the coming months as Amacon attempts to secure $10 million in damages from alleged money it paid GCon, the cost of fixing GCon’s work, and delays to the project.
The Daily Mail has contacted Amacon and GCon for comment.
