DENVER (KDVR) — The future of the historic Zuni Power Plant remains in limbo, but community groups hope things are becoming clearer. A month ago, Xcel Energy put it on the market for 30 days to try and find a buyer rather than demolish it.
That window has now passed with no sale, but a community effort has put a hold on demolition plans.
“There’s some really interesting stories associated with this building that deserve to be told long into the future,” said John Deffenbaugh, CEO of Historic Denver.
Stories he hopes aren’t lost to a wrecking ball. As Xcel’s self-imposed 30-day deadline to sell the property neared its end last week, Deffenbaugh started to worry.
“Historic Denver believes that 30 days to sell a building this size is an incredibly short, unrealistic period of time,” he said.
That’s why Historic Denver, the La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association and Sun Valley Community Coalition partnered to apply for a landmark designation from the city. Deffenbaugh hopes this delays any demolition plans.
“I’m really hopeful that we can all work together with the appropriate amount of space and time to have the conversations that needed to be had about the future of this building,” says Deffenbaugh. “And those conversations weren’t going to take place in a rushed manner, in 30 days.”
In a statement from Xcel, the company said:
“We have worked closely and transparently with the community, the city and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), over the past five years to understand how the property can serve the community’s vision and future.
As stated in our community letter, it’s important to note the property is currently listed for sale and we are willing to work with interested buyers and developers towards a purchase who have the requisite experience to potentially redevelop the building. Formally listing the property on the market allows for greater awareness beyond the local developers and interested parties we’ve provided showings for over the last few years. We would consider an offer outside of the 30-day timeframe of the property being listed for sale publicly. We do not disclose confidential information about offers made. The listing would be updated accordingly if it was under contract.“
Xcel Energy
The property listing is still active, and Deffenbaugh says an offer to buy the property was made but declined by the company.
“I’d really love to talk to them more about why that was declined,” he says. “What can we all do to work together to allow them to get to a point where they can accept an offer on the building?”
Xcel declined to disclose any information about that offer. Deffenbaugh hopes Xcel will indeed look at an offer outside of the 30-day window, and that no matter how it gets done, that the Zuni plant and it’s stories live on.
“I’d really love for us to rediscover that can-do spirit and that vision which has defined Denver in the past and really could do again,” said Deffenbaugh.
The asking price Xcel wants for the plant is not on its listing and the company has yet to confirm it, but Deffenbaugh says they were seeking more than $7 million. He said that he had a positive conversation with Xcel last Tuesday and hopes to continue collaboration in the coming weeks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
