The City of Lakewood has offered to purchase 65 acres on the Denver Federal Center from the U.S. General Services Administration, a significant step toward ensuring that the Center remains a strong employment and commercial area in Lakewood.

Lakewood also has reached purchase agreements with St. Anthony Central Hospital and the Regional Transportation District. All the agreements were signed Monday. Under the terms of the agreements, St. Anthony and RTD will buy the land from Lakewood for $25 million in cash and offsets, the same amount the City will pay GSA. Concurrent closings on the property should occur later this summer.

St. Anthony plans to build a hospital and medical buildings on the property, while RTD has designed a transit facility with parking for both bus and a station for the West Corridor light rail line on the site. The new hospital would be Lakewood's first, and the station would provide light-rail access for employees and visitors to the hospital, the Denver Federal Center and Union Boulevard, one of Lakewood's major commercial corridors.

"These agreements show how much can be accomplished when different levels of government work together for the community, and this effort ensures that Lakewood will have a strong base of health care, transportation and jobs," said Mayor Steve Burkholder.

Information posted June 19, 2007