Colorado Supreme Court building to reopen after break-in, fire

After nearly 10 months of extensive repairs and cleaning, the Colorado Supreme Court building will reopen its doors to the public on Tuesday.

“The Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center is an important symbol in our legal community — it is the hub of activity for a number of agencies critical to our judicial system,” Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez said in a news release. “Its partial reopening marks a significant milestone in the recovery process from the devasting events that severely damaged the tower complex earlier this year.”

Brandon Olsen, 45, allegedly shot through a window and broke into the court building in the early morning of Jan. 2 while fleeing from a car crash at 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street, police said.

The 45-year-old faces charges of arson, robbery and criminal mischief in connection with the incident, according to court records. He is accused of holding a security guard at gunpoint and starting a fire on the seventh floor of the building.

The seventh-floor fire was extinguished by the building’s sprinklers, which ran for a couple of hours and caused significant water damage. In total, the break-in caused $35 million in damages and left four floors unusable, court officials said.

Floors 3 through 7 are currently being rebuilt from scratch and are expected to reopen next summer, building officials said.

During the building’s initial reopening next week, the public will have access to floors 1 and 2 of the office tower between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Access to floors 8 through 12 will be available by appointment only.