Denver Suburb Prepares to Redevelop 92-Acre Hospital Campus

Voters in a suburb west of Denver passed a ballot measure that will allow the redevelopment of a 92-acre former hospital campus, now for sale to a potential developer.

The passage of Measure 2C creates lower building height limits for the vacant Lutheran Hospital site at 8300 West 38th Avenue, in Wheat Ridge, about seven miles northwest of Denver, the Denver Business Journal reported.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health has listed the hospital campus for an undisclosed price. In August, the hospital owner opened a new, $650 million facility nearby.

The city of Wheat Ridge is creating a new zoning district dubbed the Lutheran Legacy Campus for future development.

Before passage of the ballot measure, Wheat Ridge worked with Intermountain to create a master plan for redevelopment of the hospital campus for homes, offices and civic facilities such as libraries. The plan also seeks to preserve a historic chapel and house.

New zoning plans also seek to create parks and open spaces for public use.

The existing vacant hospital stands at 91 feet.

Measure 2C changes the city charter to cut the maximum height of buildings along the outside of the former hospital campus and in its center.

For buildings beside neighborhood homes, the height limit was lowered to 30 feet, from 35 feet. For structures at the center of the campus, the height limit was lowered to 70 feet.

The mixed-use zoning recommendations are expected to go before the Wheat Ridge Planning Commission on Dec. 19 and the City Council on Jan. 27 for approval. After the zone change, the city expects developers to submit redevelopment plans before 2026.

— Dana Bartholomew