The repurposed warehouse at 500 Quivas Street in the Baker neighborhood will remain the city's Office of the Medical Examiner for another decade.
On March 16, the Denver City Council adopted a Third Amendment to the lease agreement between the City and County of Denver and Denver Health and Hospital Authority. The move secures the facility's future through December 31, 2035, while injecting $6,087,673.51 into the contract.
This amendment brings the total lease value to $20,542,385.14. The funding covers essential operations including autopsy services, forensic science, evidence storage, and administrative offices. The facility, which the city moved into a decade ago to accommodate growth, replaced a smaller 14,000-square-foot space with a modern 29,000-square-foot operation housed in the city-owned building.
The decision underscores the critical infrastructure role the Baker neighborhood facility plays for the Department of Public Health & Environment. By extending the lease rather than seeking a new location, the city avoids the logistical and financial hurdles of relocating sensitive forensic operations again. The 120-month extension aligns the lease term with the department's long-term operational planning.
Residents with questions about the lease details or the Medical Examiner's operations can review the full record on the Denver city portal at https://denver.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=56551.