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Besides offering a one-of-a-kind indoor ski ramp and rooftop tennis courts, the Gart Sports store brought chaos to their south Broadway neighborhood every Labor Day with its “Sniagrab” ski sale, sometimes called the largest ski sale in the world. Gart Brothers even claim to be the first big-box specialty store in North America. Its huge sales floors and funky architecture drew shoppers from around the metro as well as out-of-town visitors. Gart Brothers sporting goods was the primary public ski supplier for Denver residents. Auto ramps, formally used to ferry autos from different levels to the Chrystler Showroom, supported 6-passenger golf carts that carried sporting goods shoppers to different store levels. Sports gear customers were treated to a giant 20′ X 60′ hand-painted mural at the start of the downstairs auto ramp depicting sports figures. Generations of DU students, faculty and locals drove to Gart Brothers to buy ski gear and other sports equipment beginning in the early 70’s. Devoid of a full-time tenant since 2016, the 100,00 square foot building was recently sold by the Gart family to construction executive Tom McLagan who plans to redevelop the building into offices and event space. Sports Authority took over the space from 1993 until 2016. Gart Brothers sporting goods opened a second retail location there in 1971 and operated at the location for 22 years. The Sports Castle building, located at 1000 Broadway, was built in 1926 as a Chrysler showroom by the Cullen-Thompson Motor Company. However, surely the most entertaining era for this iconic structure was as the Gart Brothers Sports Castle. Old-timers may remember it as a former Chrysler dealership. DU alumni may remember it as the old Sports Authority building on Broadway.