After months of haggling, a truce has been struck between Washington Park residents who want to preserve a century-old school and a developer who paid nearly $7 million for the site in hopes of building single-family homes.
However, a major zoning change by the City Council is required to seal the deal, and there is no guarantee that a majority of Washington Park residents will support it.
“We can now begin the second phase of a very tenuous process,” said City Councilman Charlie Brown, who represents the neighborhood. “But this shows that reasonable people on both sides are able to compromise.”
Brown said the city attorney has advised him to remain neutral until after the council has a public hearing on the matter.
Originally, developer Jona than Miller wanted to build high-end single-family homes at the site of the old Denver International School at East Mississippi Avenue and South Race Street.
But the proposed deal between Miller and Friends for the Washington Park School calls for preserving some of the former 1928 addition to the school on the corner of South Race and Mississippi, which will include eight to 10 lofts. Miller, who could not be reached for comment, would build nine homes on the west side of the property facing South High Street and attached homes such as rowhouses on the south end of the property.
“Together, we are about to preserve the major contributing part of the old school while simultaneously allowing for a unique redevelopment that addresses the neighborhood’s concerns of historic preservation and density, as well as those of the developer,” Alice Gilbertson, a member of the Friends group, said in a statement.
The Denver Park East Neighborhood Association will hold a meeting for residents Oct 11. The group does not intend to give the proposal an up-or-down vote but instead sees its role as educating area residents on the plan.
“We have suggested to people that a straw poll may be taken at the meeting. It won’t be official, but it says something to various parties,” said association president Emilie Ailts. “But (the association) will not have a point of view.”
Staff writer Karen E. Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
