Mill Street Eats and the Morrison Holiday Bar have been institutions for years on Morrison's main downtown stretch. Now both are up for sale in one of the largest parcels ever to be put on the market in the Colorado town's biggest corridor.
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Mill Street Eats CBS
Dave Killingsworth owns 1.25 acres of property that encompasses the two restaurants as well as Tom's Upholstery and Red Rocks Grill. After over two decades, he's looking to turn over ownership of the land.
"I had my Medicare birthday this month, my brother is 72, it's my third career, and it's time to wrap it up," he told CBS Colorado. "It's the right time age-wise. I've been doing this for 20 years."
The plot went on the market, listed at $15 million. It would include the buildings as well as a back parking lot and rooftop deck that Killingsworth built.
"It's a lot of opportunity. If I had $5 or $10 million and five or 10 years left, I'd probably keep trying to go for things, too," he said.
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Dave Killingsworth CBS
It comes at an interesting time in Morrison's town history. Over the last year, the area has been embroiled in controversy. The Morrison Police Department was disbanded, turning over stewardship of the town to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office while debates over parking and marketing businesses in Morrison spilled into contentious town council meetings.
But Killingsworth said that the biggest piece pushing his choice to sell was the sale of land just east of him, towards the edge of downtown. That plot, a .25 acre parcel that will eventually be the future site of a Red Hotel in Morrison, gave Killingsworth all the information he needed.
"The site for the hotel was the first major sale in years," he explained. "I just needed to know what comparables are in town, and once there was a good comparable in town, I put it up for sale."
As a future hotel, as well as potential new ownership of the 1.25-acre plot, might change Morrison's main strip. But the town, Killingsworth mentioned, will always be a welcoming one and a place where people are flocking to in increasing numbers.
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Morrison Holiday Bar CBS
"You can take this, expand it, change it, upgrade it, do what I've done for the last 20 years," he finished.
In order to sell, there needs to be a buyer, followed by an agreement and approval by the town council. The Morrison Holiday Bar had an open house with prospective buyers on Wednesday afternoon.
Andrew Haubner
Your Reporter Andrew Haubner specializes in reporting about Jefferson County in Colorado. Share you story ideas with him by sending an email to yourreporter@cbs.com.