The brick facade of the former Denver Post building at 101 W. Colfax Avenue has found a permanent new owner, ending years of uncertainty for the city's most storied journalism landmark.
Denver City Council officially passed legislation authorizing the acquisition of the property through a $90 million Series 2024A Certificates of Participation deal. This move transforms a long-vacant icon on the nation's longest street into a publicly held asset, ending a decade of speculation about the site's future.
The approved transaction involves a Facilities Lease and a Lease Purchase Agreement between the City and the Denver Public Facilities Leasing Trust 2024A. The package includes all associated costs of issuance and targets Council District 10, ensuring the building remains under city control rather than falling into private hands. The committee greenlit the filing on February 27, 2024, with the final council vote occurring after the April 1, 2024, review period.
This acquisition anchors a street that has witnessed everything from the Gold Rush to the modern era. Colfax Avenue, named after former Vice President Schuyler Colfax, has long served as a cultural crossroads, historically home to Denver's Jewish community and now a vibrant hub for Hispanic and Asian populations. The 101 W. Colfax address, once the bustling headquarters of the state's largest newspaper, has sat largely empty in recent years, its Art Deco presence a stark reminder of the media landscape's rapid shifts.
Residents can track the implementation of this purchase at public meetings held at Denver City Hall. The deal ensures the historic structure will serve public functions, though specific future tenants or uses have not yet been detailed in the legislative record.