Denver Healthcare Aims High

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

Denver real estate news surfaced this past week, and the signs point towards important changes in how the city will develop going forward. Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital’s project for a new replacement facility has been making headlines. The new hospital, scheduled for completion by the end of 2014, is a necessary change for the health care institution. Its 826,000 sq. ft. will create space for 348 additional beds.

The only major problem the project faces is mandatory compliance with the City Park Mountain View Plane, which imposes a height limit to any building in the area. The main argument made by the institution is that the current structure is 78 feet into the view plane, while the new one will be shorter. A representative for Exempla Healthcare has argued that the height waiver the company is applying for is of only 51 feet, as the elevation point for the new structure is significantly lower. While the new structure will be shorter by only 13 feet than the old one, the elevation point is also lower, which effectively increases the view plane in comparison to the old one.

Also making local headlines is the city of Westminster’s plan to tear down the Westminster Mall and in its place begin the development of a long-awaited downtown for the century-old community. The plan is to close a $22 million deal for the mall with its parent company and have it demolished by the end of this year. The City plans to then secure a new owner for the site, as it has no intention of maintaining ownership.

The move will not close the JC Penney and Sears stores—they will continue to operate. This news comes as no surprise to area residents as the Westminster Mall has only a dismal number of stores. There are currently 15 tenants while during its high point the mall had about 300 stores.