A real-estate deal between the city of Denver and Xcel Energy was scuttled after a building being discussed in a property transfer was identified as a possible historic structure.
Xcel Energy walked away from the deal, and the Denver City Council on Monday voted to rescind the real-estate exchange.
Under the proposed transaction, the city would have paid Xcel Energy $500,000 to remove the chiller plant at Cherokee Street and West 14th Avenue to make way for a crime lab. Also, the city would have given Xcel the old Cherokee Steam Plant at 1348 Cherokee St.
Earlier this month, Councilwoman Jeanne Robb said the building should be considered a historic property and wanted additional input from the community.
“We’re still working with Xcel to restructure a deal so we can move forward with the crime lab at 14th . . . ,” said Heather Barry, the city’s director of legislative services.
