Emily Griffith Technical College to buy $11 million building for move out of DPS headquarters
An $11 million building purchase, and millions more in renovation costs, are key to a plan for Emily Griffith Technical College to move out of Denver Public Schools headquarters and expand. The move comes at a time of rising popularity…
Emily Griffith Technical College plans to acquire an $11 million building for relocation away from its current Denver Public Schools headquarters. This investment, along with additional renovation expenses, will enable the college to expand its facilities and services. Established in 1916, Emily Griffith Technical College is the adult education division of DPS, with several programs currently operating at the district's downtown location.
However, parking limitations and the high cost (~$40-$60 per week) of parking are major deterrents for students, many of whom cannot afford to reside nearby.
During an April school board meeting, the Denver school board voted to purchase a different building, Centennial Hall, from the Urban Land Conservancy. The property, located near the former Johnson & Wales University campus, offers more parking and improved public transportation access. In 2021, DPS acquired four additional buildings on the same site for $30 million, which were intended for the expansion of the Denver School of the Arts magnet school.
Emily Griffith Technical College, which serves around 7,000 students annually with an average age of 29, will not draw funds from DPS' primary budget for this project. Rather, approximately $6 million will be sourced from the college's share of a bond measure approved by Denver voters in 2020, with the remaining $5 million coming from the college's budget reserves.
The remaining $17 million needed to renovate another DPS-owned building, Aspen Hall, will also be funded using the college's budget reserves.
Once renovations commence in January, students can expect to move into Aspen Hall by early 2028. The college's information technology, healthcare, and esthetician programs will relocate to Aspen Hall, while the workforce development and career coaching services will shift to Centennial Hall. The college's existing adult English language acquisition classes will continue to operate at the same campus.
Additionally, the college's student-run businesses, including a cafe and barbershop, are likely to persist at the downtown location. The skilled trades programs, such as welding and automotive repair, are currently housed in a leased space in west Denver.
Written by urgent.news from Chalkbeat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
