national medal of honor museum to get second denver review

The board of the Regional Transportation District in Denver has decided to take a second look at leasing out a 20,000 square foot gravel lot it owns for the proposed National Medal of Honor Museum.

The lot is located on the south side of the city’s Civic Center Station and would be used as an entryway to the planned $150 million museum.

As proposed, the museum would give to the RTD around $123,000 annually to lease the lot.

The museum itself is proposed for the corner of East Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street, directly across the street from the Colorado State Capitol. 

The board’s decision follows an earlier tie vote, which essentially killed the gravel lot proposal. 

In response, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, an enthusiast of the museum idea, asked the board to reconsider it again.

The RTD has since issued a statement saying that the matter will be taken up once again during its upcoming September 24 meeting.

Earlier this summer, officials with the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation announced that two cities - Denver and Arlington, Texas - were being considered for the new facility.

The Financial Administration & Audit Committee, operating under the auspices of the RTD board, had earlier voiced its approval of the project.

RTD board members have long said that they wanted to find a revenue-producing means for the gravel lot, and have at various times entertained the idea of it being used for art installations, a food truck site, and even a new hotel.

The upcoming board vote regarding the Medal of Honor museum proposes to authorize David Genova, RTD’s General Manager, to “negotiate and execute all documents necessary for a sub-lease of the vacant portion of the real property” adjacent to the station.

By Garry Boulard

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