Ballot for Multi-Story Jail Again Faces Denver Voters

DENVER – In May 2005, Denver voters will be asked to pass a $335 million bond to build a new downtown justice center. However, when voters were last asked to fund a new jail facility–back in December 2001–they rejected the proposal.

The proposed project would be built at the Rocky Mountain News site, as recommended by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), which just released a formal report outlining an aggressive timeline to gain voter backing. The ULI report stresses a sense of urgency in moving ahead with the project because overcrowding at the existing jail is such a problem that federal intervention is possible.

There is also a financial incentive to begin construction as soon as possible–avoiding escalating construction costs. The $335.4 million, 1,500-bed justice center with 32 courtrooms is already priced $5 million higher than originally estimated.

A land-use master plan should be complete by December and will offer guidelines for construction of the justice center, as well as future construction within the Golden Triangle and Civic Center areas. The first public hearings were in August.