By Ron Rovtar
Cherry Creek Properties LLC
303.981.1617
Boulder Community Health has engaged two Denver brokers to manage the sale of the old hospital buildings at Balsam and Broadway, significantly changing the hospital's tactics for selling the site and making more tenuous Boulder city's position in its attempt to purchase the properties.
The hospital said it has hired Eric and Martin Roth of Denver Commercial Real Estate - CBRE.
Council members Tuesday expressed major frustrations with the change from what they had assumed would be a fairly cordial process. Councilman Sam Weaver encouraged area residents to "contact Community Health and let them know that the city is clearly frustrated with this." (You can e-mail the hospital with the this form.)
We like Weaver's idea! The hospital now demands purchase offers be presented by June 26, just eight business days after last night's public hearing about the possible acquisition. And the hospital seems to be actively blocking the city from getting an appraisal, which would be almost impossible by the deadline.
This is a prime piece of property near downtown Boulder. The city, and especially the surrounding neighborhoods including Newlands, Old North Boulder and Mapleton Hill, deserve a say in its future. The hospital's relocation to a site 15 to 20 minutes away by ambulance has already damaged the area and its residents enough.
Were the city to purchase the nine-acre site, it would move some city offices to the property by either re-purposing the existing structures or building new. The site would support a fair amount of additional residential, governmental or commercial construction. It seemed from council member's comments that the city would want to build some affordable homes on the site. There also was mention of finding space for some Boulder County offices. One organization, Goose Creek Neighbors, has mentioned building market-rate homes and some commercial office space along with the affordable homes and government offices.
Most of the property now is zoned for public use. An independent buyer/developer would have to ask the city to change the zoning if business or residential construction were planned. (Presumably, a new public use by another government or quasi-governmental entity would be allowed under current zoning.) Councilwoman Lisa Morzel suggested the city would have "significant control" during zoning and planning reviews if the city failed to obtain the property.
"I really would hate to see some out-of-state developer take this over," said Boulder resident Francoise Poinsatte, during a period set aside for public comments. "This is such a great opportunity," she added.
There was no mention during the meeting of any other known bidders, nor was "eminent domain" mentioned as a way of securing the property.
The city does have another option for building much-needed additional office space for city services. A plan also being studied would put a new building at the east end of the Boulder Civic Area between Canyon and Arapahoe. A third proposal would split city offices between the Civic Area and the old hospital site.
Here's the Daily Camera's article about the public hearing.
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Ron Rovtar, Cherry Creek Properties, LLC, is a broker associate in Boulder, CO. Please call Ron with all your questions. He can be reached at 303.981.1617. To learn more about Ron, please visit his website. For more about life in Boulder County and nearby, check out our facebook page. Ron Rovtar does business as Front Range Real Estate, Ltd. All photos © Ron Rovtar
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