City Council statement on Emory

City Council statement on Emory

Published on November 05, 2025

Mayor Strom and Lakewood City Council unanimous statement on the Emory-Action Center Project

Mayor Strom and Lakewood City Council want to set the record straight about the proposed partnership among the City of Lakewood, Jeffco Public Schools, and The Action Center.

For sixty years, The Action Center has been one of Lakewood's most trusted and effective community nonprofits - serving 300 households a day with food, clothing, financial assistance, and pathways to stability. The Action Center has worked closely with our community over the past year, laying out a vision to transform the former Emory Elementary site into a vibrant, family-friendly community campus that brings together workforce training, local community college classes, early childhood and youth enrichment, senior programs, youth sports programming, school and clothing supplies, and critical family supports under one roof. This center is crucial to City Council's vision of supporting hard-working families to ensure they are able to pay their rent and mortgages at a time of unprecedented financial pressures. Enabling working families to access so many critical services in one location will make a big difference.

This process 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. Despite the spreading of misinformation to the contrary, the Emory campus will not include overnight shelter or housing. It is a daytime family resource hub.

The financial terms of this project are both fair and forward-looking and represent investments in the community for significant public benefits. The City negotiated a $4 million purchase price for the 17-acre Emory property - $3 million for 7.2 acres of open space the City will retain, and $1 million for the former school site, which will be resold to The Action Center for the same $1 million. The City Council is purchasing The Action Center's current facility on West 14th Avenue for $4 million, the value of the property determined by an independent appraisal last year, a strategic investment in a site that can support future affordable and transitional housing. This is a smart, community-minded use of public dollars.

Further, Lakewood has a long partnership working collaboratively with schools, including but not limited to donating school resource officers from Lakewood Police agents to support safety in Lakewood schools. Indeed, there is a long history of Jeffco Schools transitioning unneeded school properties to Lakewood and other municipalities below market rate, recognizing the value of keeping these properties under local public ownership and converting closed schools into different community assets. We are proud of our work, in partnership with Jeffco Public Schools, toward a solution that ensures these publicly funded properties continue serving our communities.

Last week, a temporary injunction prevented City Council from voting on ordinances needed to move this project forward. The City disagreed with the propriety of the injunction, but we honored the separation of powers that are granted each branch of government and awaited resolution of the judicial process. We are grateful that after hearing all of the relevant information the judge lifted the injunction on Monday. On Monday evening, City Council unanimously approved all three ordinances needed to advance the project, by an 11 to 0 vote.

Pending Jeffco Public Schools approval, we are looking forward to advancing this vital project of immense public benefit, on behalf of thousands of Lakewood families who will benefit from these services and resources.

Mayor Wendi Strom
Ward 1 Council member Jeslin Shahrezaei
Ward 1 Council member Glenda Sinks
Ward 2 Council member Sophia Mayott-Guerrero
Ward 2 Council member Isabel Cruz
Ward 3 Council member Roger Low
Ward 3 Council member Ken Cruz
Ward 4 Council member David Rein
Ward 4 Council member Bill Furman
Ward 5 Council member Jacob LaBure
Ward 5 Council member Paula Nystrom

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