Denver school board approves buying new building for Emily Griffith

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Karen Augé
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/20/2012 07:16:42 PM MSTDecember 21, 2012 3:36 AM GMTUpdated: 12/20/2012 08:36:43 PM MST

Purchase of a 13-story building downtown got a green light Thursday from the Denver Public Schools board.

On a vote of 4-to-2, with members Andrea Merida and Jeannie Kaplan voting no and member Arturo Jimenez absent, the board approved a contract to buy the 1860 Lincoln building from a group of owners.

The building will house much of the Emily Griffith Technical College and high school, as well as a new downtown elementary school and relocated administration offices.

The purchase, which will be funded with some of the proceeds from a $466 million bond sale approved by voters last month, is part of a sweeping package of real estate moves planned by DPS.

The district hopes to sell the Emily Griffith building, which sits on a prime downtown spot, at 15th and Welton streets. In addition, DPS has once again put its administration offices, located at Ninth Avenue and Grant Street, on the market. The district tried unsuccessfully to sell that building in 2007.

Karen Augé: 303-954-1733, kauge

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Despite mayor's plea, Denver parks board nixes open-space land swap

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Karen Augé
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/13/2012 09:40:18 PM MSTDecember 14, 2012 6:46 AM GMTUpdated: 12/13/2012 11:46:00 PM MST

After hearing Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's appeal on behalf of a land exchange that could lead to a domestic-violence center, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Thursday refused to approve the deal between Denver Public Schools and the city.

The board was asked to remove an open-space designation from part of an 11.5-acre parcel abutting Paul H. Hentzell Park in east Denver's Hampden Heights.

The school district hopes to build an elementary school and possibly an early-learning center for kindergarten- and preschool-age children on the site.

In exchange, the city would get a building on Fox Street that currently houses DPS administrative offices. The mayor wants to convert that building to a domestic-violence resource center.

But by a vote of 11-6, the board decided not to recommend removing the open-space designation that currently exists on 9 of the 11.5 acres. One board member, a DPS employee, abstained.

Their recommendation is nonbinding.

The parks and recreation department manager will make a recommendation to the Denver City Council, which will make the final decision on the open-space designation.

The advisory board's vote came after two long meetings in which dozens of residents addressed both sides of the issue.

Hancock told the board Thursday he was committed to adding more open space to the city.

But he said going ahead with the land swap would be "a good transaction for the city of Denver, a good transaction for Denver Public Schools," and for all residents.

That didn't sway the more than 20 residents who spoke against the proposal, most emphasizing that open space is priceless and that removing an open-space designation would set a dangerous precedent.

Several board members said they were unhappy at being asked to choose between open space and much-needed schools and aid for victims of domestic violence.

But the majority concluded their function was to protect parks and open space and therefore voted no.

Karen Augé: 303-954-1733, kauge

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KRG Investment Board Chair visits Austria, Slovakia

Maliki meets US Deputy Secretary for Resources Advancing Iraq’s Unfinished Constitutional Agenda New Date for Anbar Investment Commission Conference Categorized

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Advisory Board OKs Dillon's Path Toward A Detroit Emergency Financial Manager

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APUC Quarterly Board Meeting

Posted on 11/13/2012

The North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC) will hold their quarterly business meeting on November 15th at the North Dakota Department of Commerce via conference call.

APUC is a program of the North Dakota Department of Commerce which administers grant programs for researching and developing new and expanded uses for North Dakota agricultural products. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, marketing and utilization, farm diversification, nature based agri-tourism, prototype and technology, and technical assistance.






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