Wheat Ridge advances Wilmore Davis negotiations; Jeffco sale approval pending

Wheat Ridge City Council directed staff Monday to continue negotiating a proposed purchase of the former Wilmore Davis Elementary School site, but the city has not approved the deal and Jeffco Public Schools’ final sale decision remains pending.

Under the proposal, Wheat Ridge would buy about seven acres from Jeffco for approximately $2.84 million. The city would keep roughly 2.5 acres for a neighborhood park and transfer the school building and about 4.5 acres to Spectra Centers for approximately $2.75 million. After closing and brokerage costs, city staff told council the city’s estimated net investment in the park land would be about $172,000, funded from money already set aside in the open-space fund. That includes $2 million budgeted for Wilmore Davis and Collar Strand; the city also is exploring Jefferson County Open Space grants.

The council’s action was direction to continue negotiations, not a purchase vote. Staff said final agreements would return to council next month, but no specific date was identified.

The proposed arrangement would leave the city with a permanent neighborhood park while keeping the school building in use. Staff described Spectra as the preferred partner because its proposal would reuse the building for a community-serving educational purpose, preserve park land, require no zoning change and limit neighborhood impacts. Spectra operates a Colorado-approved facility school for students with disabilities, but no public Spectra document reviewed for this story details a Wilmore Davis redevelopment or operating plan.

A future development agreement would address shared parking, access, utilities, maintenance and coordination between the park and Spectra. Staff also proposed a right of first refusal for Wheat Ridge if Spectra later seeks to sell the property. Those protections are not final and would apply only if included in agreements the council approves.

The city plans to retain the park parcel rather than convey the full site to a private or nonprofit partner, with separate public engagement on park design and programming after acquisition.

Jeffco approval remains required

Jeffco Public Schools’ property-disposition process says a Board of Education vote declaring property surplus does not guarantee a sale. The board retains final authority over a long-term sale or lease after district staff negotiate terms and make a recommendation.

As of July 28, no official Jeffco record reviewed for this story showed final approval for the Wilmore Davis sale. The city’s July 27 discussion also treated the transaction as a proposal still under negotiation. Staff said that, if Jeffco approves the deal, Wheat Ridge would hold a neighborhood information meeting with Spectra later in the summer. No exact meeting date or final Wheat Ridge action date was posted in the records reviewed.

The next approvals will determine whether the proposed $172,000 investment produces a neighborhood park and whether the development agreement and resale protections preserve public use over time.