Copyright The Denver Post
A complicated real estate deal between Lakewood, Jeffco Public Schools and The Action Center is back on track after a judge lifted a temporary injunction this week, allowing the City Council to take a vote. Jefferson County District Judge Meegan Miloud lifted the injunction on Monday after a court hearing. That evening, the Lakewood council met in a special meeting and passed three ordinances that paved the way for The Action Center to move out of its facility on West 14th Avenue to operate out of Emory Elementary School. The ordinances call for Lakewood to buy the long-shuttered Emory from Jeffco Schools for $4 million, along with the West 14th Avenue property for the same amount. The city would then turn around and sell part of the school property to The Action Center for $1 million. The Action Center would use its new campus to provide workforce training, local community college classes, senior programs, and school and clothing supplies to families in need. Former Lakewood Councilwoman Anita Springsteen had sued the city, alleging it violated the state’s open meetings law by not adequately giving notice of two executive sessions held in September 2024 regarding the transactions. She also questioned whether the prices agreed upon in the proposed deal reflected fair market value. Miloud on Monday ruled that Lakewood had “erred” in its meetings notification but found that publicity around the situation since then had revealed which properties were in question. “Therefore, the Court finds the actions of the City Council to be harmless error,” the judge wrote. In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the Lakewood council’s members said its process over the land deal “has been transparent and inclusive.” “Lakewood held and energetically promoted at least five publicly noticed meetings on this proposal over the past year, and The Action Center hosted and promoted at least two more,” the statement read. The deal is still contingent on the Jeffco Board of Education approving the sale of Emory to Lakewood — a vote that’s expected to occur on Nov. 13. Springsteen, a lawyer, said she might challenge the school district if it votes to sell, claiming that the $4 million price tag is well below market value for the 17-acre property on South Teller Street. “They have no business giving away valuable property in a budget crisis,” she said.
