The City of Denver says it no longer sees a need to lease a former school site to use as a shelter for new immigrants.
Last month, the city said it was pursuing a deal to lease the site of the former Remington School near Interstate 70 and Pecos Street from Denver Public Schools. The plan was to house up to 100 immigrants in an “emergency setting” if the city saw another wave of new immigrant arrivals.
On Wednesday, Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, said the city decided against leasing the land.
“Denver has experienced normal patterns of migration for several months and has not needed to provide newcomer-specific shelter since early October,” he wrote in an email. “We do not see that pattern changing and therefore have decided against securing a standby site for short-term shelter. The city will be ready to respond in the unlikely case of a surge in arrivals.”
The idea of a shelter at the Remington side drew “mixed reactions” from neighbors at a recent meeting, The Denver North Star reported.
The city closed its last short-term newcomer shelter in early October. The city has also rolled back some support programs, like covering the cost of transportation to other cities.
