Denver approves demolition at Colorado Pharmacy site planned for housing, retail
The city is seeking a developer for a mixed-use project with workforce housing and street-level commercial space. A neighborhood business leader says the small parcel may be difficult to develop.
Denver City Council approved construction work for a new Police District 6 station that includes demolition of the Colorado Pharmacy building, as the city pursues a future mixed-use project for the site, the council meeting record shows.
Denver’s April announcement said the city intended to make the property available to a developer at little or no cost, with the selected developer required to build commercial space at street level and workforce housing above. A September presentation to City Council identified the site as a future affordable-housing development and said a request-for-qualifications process was underway.
In written testimony to Council, Colfax Business Improvement District director Frank Locantore said feedback from four affordable-housing developers led him to believe building on a site this small could be financially difficult or impossible. He urged Council to expand the parcel northward and give the district a role in planning and selecting a developer.
A 9News report republished by Yahoo said city officials told a Council committee that the station contract covers demolition, not housing design or construction, and that the city could not afford Locantore’s proposed expansion.