Denver Public Library is on the verge of closing a deal that would allow them to open a long-awaited centralized maintenance and operations facility.
On Monday, Denver City Council approved a purchase of about $3.5 million from the library’s Capital Projects Fund, which is funded through a voter-approved property tax hike in 2022. In return, the library will receive a 52,000-square-foot site, with a warehouse and parking lot.
The property is in an industrial part of Valverde, near a number of city-owned properties, including the Denver Animal Shelter. The city will buy the site from WoodrowMae Investments, which paid about $2 million for the property in 2018. It isn’t clear what the building has been used for, but it is zoned for general industrial use.
How the new building will be used:
Despite not housing any actual books, the library expects the new Valverde building to be pivotal to its mission.
During a committee hearing on the deal, Lisa Lumley, the city’s director of real estate, said the library has been searching for a centralized location to house their maintenance and operations facilities for a year.
“This proposed location will allow for a timely response to critical system maintenance and repair, vital to caring for the portfolio and preserving historic facilities,” a city presentation said.
The 17,000-square-foot warehouse on the property will be used to store “critical parts, shelving, stock, seasonal equipment and equipment for special events.” An attached parking lot will allow the library to park its 29-vehicle fleet in one location.
“[The library is] experiencing vandalism with a number of their vehicles right now at just different library locations,” Lumley said.
With city council’s approval of the deal, the acquisition just awaits Mayor Mike Johnston’s signature to be finalized.
