The city has ordered Alluvion Health to remove the shipping containers from public right of way in front of the Rocky Mountain Building.
The shipping containers have been in place for roughly two years on Central Avenue in front of the building to create a covered pedestrian walkway as the sidewalk was blocked and construction was underway.
Alluvion ceased construction on the building last summer and the crane that had been on site was removed in May.
Crane being removed from Alluvion project downtown
The sidewalk on the 6th Street side of the building is partially open and does not have any overhead coverings for pedestrians.
City officials told The Electric that there’s a concern about the structural stability of the northeast corner of the building’s upper floor and have, for months, been awaiting an engineering assessment that Sletten Construction was conducting to determine its stability.
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On Oct. 29, Brock Cherry, city planning director, sent an email to Bill Preston, interim CEO of Alluvion, regarding the shipping container.
In his email, Cherry wrote, “due to ongoing construction inactivity and a significant increase in community complaints, the container must be removed from both the project site and the city’s right-of-way by Nov. 15. Failure to comply will result in the city taking necessary action regarding the container’s illegal encroachment on public right-of-way. It is important to note that a shipping container will not be permitted for pedestrian or site protection, regardless of any potential resumption of construction.”
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Cherry wrote that before the container can be removed, Alluvion must provide the city with either a signed letter from a licensed engineer confirming the safety and stability of the building or a proposed alternative to the container, which must be approved by city staff.
As 4 p.m. Nov. 6, the city had not received any information from Alluvion, Cherry told The Electric.
Maia LaSalle, Alluvion spokeswoman, told The Electric that they’ve received the letter and “have been in communication with the city and our partners. We are actively working with all parties to resolve the situation in the best interest of patients and the downtown community.”
The shipping container remains on site as of Nov. 7.
