- Will the Emory property be used as a navigation center or overnight shelter for individuals who are unhoused?
No. The city is currently renovating its Navigation Center at 8000 W. Colfax Ave. to provide over 100 beds for shelter with full-service, professional support to address homelessness in Lakewood. When completed, the renovated center will be designed to provide around-the-clock service each day of the year to program participants who will no longer remain unsheltered on the street.
Additionally, the nonprofit, RecoveryWorks, now operates the 34-unit Mountain View Flats at 14825 W. Colfax Ave. that serves as the home of its Bridge Housing program, which offers immediate, short-term housing for residents without housing in Jefferson County.
Other nonprofits are also working to provide additional facilities in the West Colfax corridor for those who are unhoused.
Lakewood’s housing and homeless navigators who work with those who are unhoused or at risk for being evicted from their homes will work to connect those in need of housing to the city’s renovated Navigation Center and facilities that provide housing.
The Action Center’s interest in potentially buying the former school property is to determine the ability for the center to provide health and behavioral care, enrichment activities for children and seniors, summer programs, workforce development, and educational classes as well as the center’s existing food pantry, clothing market, coaching, and resources that help residents connect to the services they need.
- What was the process for the city to begin negotiating the purchase from Jeffco Public Schools?
The work that has been performed leading to the April 28 City Council agenda item for the Emory property has followed Jeffco Public Schools property disposition process.
As part of the Jeffco Public Schools surplus property disposition process, the district created the Municipal Interest process that allows cities the first right of refusal in expressing interest in acquiring a surplus property in their jurisdictions.
As outlined in the Municipal Interest Flow Chart, the school district engaged with Lakewood to understand its interest in surplus properties in Lakewood. The Action Center indicated its interested in the surplus properties located in Lakewood as well because the Action Center’s board of directors has been focused on creating a long-term vision for the center’s future. Because the Emory property was following the Municipal Interest process, district leadership connected the Action Center with Lakewood officials.
The city participated in these discussions because Lakewood maintains the school’s property along with the city’s fields adjacent to the school under a cooperative maintenance agreement. Lakewood also participated because it sees both the Action Center and Jeffco Public Schools as important community partners that serve and support the needs of Lakewood residents and families.
With tentative terms reached and as shown on the Municipal Interest Flow Chart, the request to purchase the property was brought to City Council for approval. Any sale also will require a vote of Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in a public meeting.
City Council’s action on April 28 declared the city’s intent to purchase the property and authorized the city manager to execute a purchase agreement, which will begin an extensive process to complete the acquisition process. The approved ordinance for the purchase states that the 10-acre site will be used as a family resource center and that the property will have a deed restriction to ensure the site will be used for that purpose.
As shown on the Municipal Interest Flow Chart, and in addition to the City Council’s approval process, the City Council’s April 28 action kicked off the public involvement in the purchase process, which will require public meetings and input from the community.
- What community outreach was conducted ahead of the April 28 meeting?
The action that the City Council took on April 28 was to authorize the city manager to negotiate the purchase contract for the property. As noted in Jeffco Public School’s Municipal Interest Flow Chart in the answer to Question 2 above, this City Council action marked the opening of a community discussion about the potential future use of the property. Any proposed use beyond the city’s ownership of the property will be brought back to City Council for its review and approval, and during this process there will be a neighborhood meeting for community input. Any sale will also require a vote of Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in a public meeting.
- Will the community have an opportunity to provide input on what happens with the former Emory property?
Yes. As noted in the answers to Question 2 and 3 above, there will be a neighborhood meeting with community input regarding the potential use of the property.
Additionally, any potential use of the 10 acres will require City Council’s approval during a City Council meeting that is open to public comment, and any contract to sell the property to the Action Center will also require City Council approval during a City Council meeting that is open to public comment. Any sale will also require a vote of Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in a public meeting.
- Is there a timeline for this purchase to be completed?
There currently is no defined timeline. The vote on April 28 began what is expected to be a lengthy process to complete the city’s acquisition of the property. More information will be provided on this webpage as it becomes available.
- What does the Action Center propose to do at the former school site?
The Action Center has served Lakewood and Jefferson County residents for nearly 60 years, and the center has said it wants to hear from the community about its potential use of the property. But its vision includes providing health and behavioral care, enrichment activities for children and seniors, summer programs, workforce development, and educational classes in the former school building as well as to continue the center’s existing food pantry, clothing market, coaching, and resources that help residents connect with the services they need.
As noted in the answer to the second question, the ordinance that City Council approved for the purchase states that the 10-acre site will be used as a family resource center and that the property will have a deed restriction to ensure the site will be used for that purpose.
- Will the presence of the Action Center attract unhoused individuals to the area?
Homelessness is a major and growing problem across the country, including in Lakewood and Jefferson County. Lakewood has developed an interdepartmental response to this issue, including adding homeless and housing navigators, increasing outreach to those without housing and creating a new Housing and Thriving Communities Division.
The city’s Navigation Center at 8000 W. Colfax Ave. is currently undergoing major renovations to develop a full-service facility that would provide shelter until residents who are unhoused can transition into long-term, stable housing.
The city’s resources would be directed at connecting those without shelter to the city’s Navigation Center and other facilities set up specifically to shelter those without stable housing. The Action Center is not designed for this kind of shelter and does not provide these kind of shelter services.
- Is this an easy-to-reach location for those who need these services?