The Denver City Council on Monday unanimously rejected a measure to purchase a halfway house for $26.2 million.

The item, a purchase agreement with Denver 44th Avenue LLC for the property at 570 W. 44th Ave., was delayed by Councilmember Amanda Sawyer one week ago.

During the meeting, Sawyer asked members of Denver’s real estate department why the city would not purchase a property lacking a supporting appraisal.

“The answer is maybe, depending on the scenario and how close we might be to it,” Lisa Lumley, the department’s director, said. “In this instance, the appraisal for this property does not meet the criteria that we would need to move forward.”

The city’s finance department also requested the council vote against the purchase agreement, Sawyer said.

Still, Sawyer wanted to know how the non-purchase would impact the city’s community correction program. Community corrections in Denver has three departments and offers an alternative to incarceration. One of those alternatives includes halfway houses where adult felons receive supervision and treatment services in a “controlled environment before re-entering the community,” according to a city webpage.

In 2019, the council decided to move Denver away from a reliance on national, for-profit, private organizations providing community corrections. Over the next two years, five locations were closed, according to a slide deck from the city. However, that meant the city needed more slots in halfway houses.

In June of this year, the city estimated it had 273 slots in halfway houses available. It wants 550.

By not purchasing this property, however, citywide community corrections will not be impacted, Lumley said.

“The lease will still stay in effect going through June of 2034,” Lumley said. “So whether the property sells or not, our lease will still stay in place.”

With that information in hand, the council unanimously voted against the purchase – saving $26.2 million for now.

During a public comment period, the council chambers were filled with pro-Palestinian protesters. But protesters did not attempt to take over the meeting.

After City Council business concluded, they began to chant “From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free.” The saying has become a battle cry for some protesters who argue it is a call for peace and equality. But some Jews hear a “clear demand” for the destruction of Israel, The Associated Press reported.

The council shot down a request for a ceasefire proclamation last year, arguing it would do little to affect international efforts seeking a ceasefire in the Middle East.

Denver Gazette Reporter Noah Festenstein contributed to this report.