The site of a former Goodyear auto repair shop in downtown Denver could soon become affordable housing.
The city government could buy the 12,500-square-foot property for $2.5 million. If the Denver City Council approves the plan, the city would own the land and building at 1460 and 1480 Tremont Place and work with a developer to convert it into affordable housing.
It would be the first housing built in the area since 2020, the city said. The land is right behind the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building and walking distance from 16th Street and Civic Center Park.
The former Goodyear building still stands and has become a makeshift parking lot, according to Lisa Lumley, the city’s director of real estate.
Committee members moved the proposal forward, but anxiety remains over budget priorities.
Denver City Council members considered the proposal at a committee meeting on Tuesday. Some asked whether it was the best use of funds given the city’s budget crisis.
The money for the purchase would come out of contingency funding from the city's Capital Improvement Fund, which has typically been reserved for repairs and other emergencies. Still, Jackson Brockway, the Department of Finance’s capital planning and budget manager, said it’s not uncommon for the emergency fund to be used for real estate deals.
Some still questioned whether the city should be using contingency funding for this instead of other projects that have previously been identified.
“What I'm worried about is that projects that are smaller, more locally based things that have been on the list for a number of years in Southeast Denver continue to get rolled forward and never get completed,” said District 4 Councilmember Diana Romero Campbell.
While some members recommended delaying the deal to get more information, Lumley said the city was on a timeline to get it done. Lumley said the out-of-state sellers have given “personal reasons” that would prevent a delay.
“I have a deadline that if this doesn't move forward … they have told me that they may go ahead and just walk,” Lumley said.
The committee advanced the proposal to the full council, which is expected to vote on the deal by the end of October.
