Newsrooom

Thursday, June 18, 2009

DPS has begun a process to consider options for action on empty buildings

Denver, CO - The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education today voted to begin considering the possible sale or lease of four vacant surplus properties. Three former school buildings: Byers, Gove and Remington, and one transportation depot on the city's northeast side will now enter into a disposition process, which will include community input. The school board must vote again to approve a final transaction for each facility, which is not expected to happen until winter at the earliest and will be subject to market conditions.

This spring, DPS completed an assessment of the district's vacant or soon-to-be vacant real estate assets. In doing so the district worked closely with the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DR COG) to examine the demographics regarding growth in school-age populations in each area of the city over the next 25 years. Twelve school facilities and four non-school properties were considered. Nine of 12 school facilities were recommended to be held for future use as schools. Based on the demographic data, three school properties and one former transportation depot were recommended for possible sale or lease.

"These four properties have been sitting vacant - for years in some cases - and will not be needed in their former use by DPS for the foreseeable future," said David Suppes, DPS Chief Operating Officer. "The dollars we gain through a sale or lease and save on maintaining empty buildings are dollars we can invest in classrooms serving children."

DPS will seek a sale or long-term lease of a facility when market conditions allow.  If market conditions are not attractive, DPS will consider various interim arrangements until market conditions are appropriate for sale or long-term lease.

Decision-Making Process

No timeline is set for disposition of any of the four properties. The district will allow market conditions and quality of offers to drive the decisions on the possible sale or lease of facilities.

Going forward, DPS will actively seek additional community input as one consideration in the future use of these facilities, alongside the need to obtain maximum value in the use or sale/lease of surplus properties to best serve the educational mission of the school district and to steward the taxpayer-owned assets. 

In the coming months, DPS will host meetings for each property for community members to provide feedback related to their neighborhood vision and ideal uses for each building. The input documented at each community meeting will be incorporated into a marketing document that will be issued to potential buyers or lessees. Meeting information and regular updates will be posted in advance at www.dpsk12.org.

Vacant Properties

Byers Building (150 S. Pearl St.)

Byers Middle School was built in 1921 and closed in 2004. The building has been designated as a Denver Landmark.

Though DPS conducts regular basic maintenance, the condition of the building is deteriorating due to vacancy. The cost to restore it is estimated at a minimum of $6 million for major renovation and construction of code-compliant fire suppression, ADA compliance, flooring, roofing, exterior restoration, grounds updating and maintenance and windows.

Gove Building (4050 E. 14^th Ave.)

Gove Middle School closed in 2005. The building has an estimated cost of less than $1 million for renovations and construction including roofing, ceiling replacement, flooring replacement and painting.

Remington Building (4735 N. Pecos St.)

Remington Elementary School, built in 1954, closed in 2008. Estimated cost to reopen this property as a school is estimated to be less than $500,000, for relatively minor building updates.

Northeast Bus Terminal (4850 Brighton Blvd.)

The 44,533 sq. ft. building on 13.2 acres was built in 1976 and closed in 2005 when an updated transportation facility was constructed near Stapleton.

For more information, please visit www.dpsk12.org or contact Will Lee-Ashley at vacantproperties@dpsk12.org.  For media inquiries contact the DPS Communications Office at 720-423-3414.