Denver, CO

City strikes nearly $89 million deal to buy former Denver Post building at Civic Center

Published

6 months ago

November 30, 2023

City strikes nearly $89 million deal to buy former Denver Post building at Civic Center

The city of Denver, no longer content to be a tenant in the former Denver Post building downtown, is moving to buy the 11-story structure for $88.5 million.

Its purchase deal with the New York-based owner of 101 W. Colfax Ave. is intended to make room for the city and county’s courts. Many of the non-criminal courts are squeezed into the historic City and County Building across Civic Center Park. They’re expected to need another 280,000 square feet of space by 2040, according to a courts master plan.

The building is just shy of 306,000 square feet and is located in the heart of downtown, with building security, an auditorium, connections to the city’s computer network and a 635-space parking garage. The Post reported earlier this week that city officials were considering purchasing the building.

The proposed contract is up for consideration before the City Council’s Finance and Governance Committee on Tuesday morning. If it earns approval from the entire council in coming weeks, the deal could close in March, according to city documents.

“The Post building would help the city meet space requirements for district, county, probate and juvenile courts as well as provide dedicated space for non-profit and judicial advocate services, like Colorado Legal Services and multiple rental assistance programs, which currently have undedicated space in other city buildings,” Laura Swartz, a spokeswoman for Denver’s finance department, said Thursday.

In addition to courtrooms in the City and County Building less than two blocks from the building it plans to buy, Denver has court uses in the Minoru Yasui Building, the Lindsey Flanigan Courthouse and the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center today, Swartz said. All of those buildings are clustered along West Colfax Avenue, between Bannock and Fox streets.

The building opened in 2006 as the joint headquarters of The Post and the Rocky Mountain News, which went on to close down in 2009. The Post’s newsroom and other operations moved out of the building in 2018, into space at the paper’s printing plant in Adams County. But The Post’s ownership group still holds a master lease for the building and subleases that space to other tenants, including the city.

The building is owned by Kayan LLC, an affiliated created by American Properties, which paid $93.4 million for it in 2006, as construction was concluding. That price was higher than the city proposes to pay now, especially when adjusted for inflation.

The difference likely reflects, in part, the impact of high vacancy rates in downtown office buildings after the pandemic changed commuting and remote-work habits. A presentation prepared by the city for the council committee hearing says the negotiated price “falls within the appraisal value.”

The city’s contract will come before the council just as work is ramping up on a two-year, $133.5 million renovation of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building at 201. W. Coflax, across the street from The Post’s old building

That building is already home base to 2,100 city employees. The renovation has been touted as a way to maximize space in that building and make room for 600 city workers now using subleased floors in The Post building.

Its proximity to other city buildings makes the former Post building an even more attractive opportunity for a city seeking to grow its real estate footprint to meet future needs.

“The Post building’s proximity to existing downtown courthouses makes this a preferred location,” Swartz said. The building also already houses city staff and has the city’s IT infrastructure installed.”

The city began subleasing space from The Post’s owner in 2016, and it has expanded since then to include more floors. The city’s cumulative sublease deal is worth just shy of $44 million through 2029.

Late that year is when The Post ownership’s master lease will expire, according to the council hearing presentation. Until then, city documents say, the building’s leasing structure will help pay off debt the city is taking to finance the purchase.

The city plans to issue certificates of participation, a form of borrowing that pledges city assets and isn’t subject to voter approval, unlike municipal bonds. As the city takes over as landlord, it plans to continue charging rent to The Post’s ownership, amounting to $7.8 million in the first year. That money will come from parking revenue and sublease payments made by tenants — including the city.

After 2029, the city will take over all leasing functions, according to the documents.

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Denver, CO

Denver area events for Sunday

Published

6 hours ago

June 2, 2024

Press Room

If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Sunday

Sunday Funday Series — Watch polo from the sidelines with cocktail bar, food trucks, mingle with players and ponies and more, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Denver Polo Club, Sedalia, $35 and up. Tickets: denverpoloclub.com.

Alley Soundscapes Live Music Series — With NameBackwards, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Dairy Block Alley, 1800 Wazee St., Denver; dairyblock.com/events.

Be Kind Rewind — With Blue Ribbon Band & Guided Tantrum, 4 p.m., Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver, $15. Tickets: globehall.com.

Kutandara — With Mokomba Ensemble, 5 p.m., Levitt Pavilion, 1380 W. Florida Ave., Denver, free general admission, $35 VIP. Tickets: levittdenver.org.

Sammy Mayfield and His Blues Band — With Jack Hadley, 6 p.m., The Oriental Theater,4335 W 44th Ave, Denver, $40 and up. Tickets: theorientaltheater.com.

Colorado Cello Quartet — 6:30 p.m., Dazzle at Baur’s, 1080 14th St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: dazzledenver.com/#/events.

Kutandra — With Mokimba Ensemble, 7 p.m., Levitt Pavilion, 1380 W. Florida Ave., Denver, free GA — open lawn, $35 VIP. Tickets: levittdenver.org.

Joe Russo’s Selcouth Quartet — Featuring Stuart Bogie, Jonathan Goldberger and Jon Show, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $35. Tickets: axs.com.

Evening Elephants — With Seth Beamer & BRiNK, 8 p.m., Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver, $15. Tickets: larimerlounge.com.

Cloud Nothings — 8:30 p.m., HQ, 60 S. Broadway, Denver, $24 and up. Tickets: hqdenver.com.

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Sunday-Monday

James Taylor & His All-Star Band — 8 p.m., Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, go online for prices. Tickets: axs.com.

Carlotta Olson, the Denver Gazette

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Denver, CO

PHOTOS: March in support of Rafah hits Denver streets

Published

13 hours ago

June 2, 2024

Press Room

PHOTOS: March in support of Rafah hits Denver streets

(Photos by Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post)

A large crowd gathered in City Park to march through the streets in response to recent Israeli military strikes on Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Denver, Colorado.

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Denver, CO

Denver Christian holds off Limon to repeat as 2A baseball champ

Published

20 hours ago

June 1, 2024

Press Room

Denver Christian holds off Limon to repeat as 2A baseball champ

PUEBLO – Brayden Epperhart’s last prep baseball game was one for the memory books.

The senior fired 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and had an RBI bunt, powering Denver Christian to a 2-1 win over Limon Saturday for its second-consecutive Class 2A state championship at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Rawlings Field.

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep (Friday night), I’m going to be honest,” the 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander said. “I came in with the mindset that we have been here before. This isn’t anything new and just trusting in the Lord and making sure that everybody is working in unison and the only way we can win a baseball game is if we are all working together.

“This feels pretty great. I give all the honor and the glory to the Lord. It’s an awesome legacy to leave at an awesome school. It is great way to go out.”

This is Denver Christian’s fourth state baseball crown in school history to go along with the ones it captured in 1996, 2013 and 2023. DC, which beat Limon 5-3 to win 2A state in 2023, finished the season with a 24-4 record.

Limon (28-2) was playing in its fourth-consecutive 2A title game – it won state in 2021 and 2022.

The Badgers would have had to beat Denver Christian twice to earn the 2A state championship because Limon lost to Lyons 5-1 in the first weekend of the state tourney and came back through the consolation bracket, finishing with a 4-2 record in the double-elimination tourney.

This season Limon edged Denver Christian 8-6 on March 23.

“This year was an absolute battle,” Denver Christian coach Sam Jones said. “The first one is nice, you get the monkey off your back, and this one was a whole different animal. I’m so proud of these guys and I love them so much. I’m so blessed to be their coach and I’m so grateful for the opportunity God has given me to be their coach and lead this school and this program, all the glory to Jesus Christ. It is just a privilege to coach these young men and coach alongside these amazing assistant coaches, they do an outstanding job every single day.”

The game turned into a marvelous pitching battle between Epperhart and Limon star athlete Jordan Rockwell as the game was scoreless through five innings.

That set the table for a drama-filled sixth inning.

With one out in the top of the frame, Mason Reilly registered an infield hit beating the throw by Limon shortstop Cale Bennett to the bag. Asher Hawes then smashed a single up the middle, allowing Reilly to race to third and Hawes to move to second on the throw to third.

Up came Brayden Epperhart and he bunted a slow roller to Rockwell. Rockwell scooped up the ball and threw to catcher Trey Smith, but Reilly slid in safely.

“Our philosophy in this program is to find ways to manufacturer runs and I’m a big believer in small ball,” Jones said. “I think that is the way the game should be played and Brayden Epperhart did an amazing job of executing that well and Mason did an outstanding job getting in there and diving into home. That’s stuff we practice every single day. They get so sick of practicing bunting, but it shows up in the big moments like this and you never know when the little things are going to translate in those big moments right there.”

Patrick Elson then stepped to the plate and the junior, who struck out in his two previous at-bats, was given choices by Coach Jones – bunt of hit away.

Elson selected the second option and responded by cracking a single up middle to score Hawes and give DC a 2-1 advantage.

“This feels amazing,” Elson said. “I was going up there expecting that Coach (Jones) was going to rely on me to bunt and then he gave me that option and put that faith in me and asked me if I wanted to swing the bat. I told him I did and there is just no more rewarding feeling than getting that hit and scoring for the team and having all my brothers behind me cheering me on.”

Limon countered in the bottom of the sixth.

Keon Bandy drew a one-out walk and then Lance Beedy, the next batter, drove a double over left fielder Nolan Epperhart’s head, plating Bandy. Epperhart, a sophomore, and the younger brother of Brayden, however, was able to fire the ball back in and Beedy was tagged out at third.

Holding on a slim 2-1 lead, Brayden walked the next batter Brody Scherrer. That brought Cale Bennett to the plate and Coach Jones summoned for relief pitcher Reilly.

Reilly came through by striking out Bennett.

Limon had one final opportunity in the bottom of the seventh to tie or win the game, but Reilly slammed the door again. The junior struck out the side to secure DC’s title.

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