JS stops paying rent to city for downtown building

JS is facing issues as it tries to buy out its long-term lease of the 11-story building it once occupied, with rent payments exceeding $2 million unpaid to the city. The building at 101 W. Colfax Ave., which was purchased by the city in 2024, still carries The Post’s name despite the newspaper no longer operating from the location for seven years.

DP Media Network LLC, the legal entity of The Post, has expressed its intention to buy out the lease and is in discussions with the city to reach a favorable agreement. The delay in rent payments, as reported by CBS Colorado, has exacerbated Denver’s budget crisis, leading to layoffs and service cuts due to a $200 million revenue shortfall in 2026.

The city is working to resolve the issue with The Post and is determined to recover all outstanding payments. The decision to purchase the building was based on the lease extending to 2029, making it financially viable. However, Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez, who voted against the purchase, highlighted concerns about the city’s financial burden in the absence of guaranteed income.

The building, which opened in 2006 and housed both The Post and the now-closed Rocky Mountain News, was sold to the city in 2024 for $88.5 million. The Post still has four years left on its master lease and subleases space to other entities, including the city of Denver.

As downtown Denver’s commercial spaces struggle to rebound from the pandemic, the building remains mostly empty. The city has vacated some floors previously subleased from The Post, while other parts of the building are still subleased to entities like Enova International.

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Original Publication Date: October 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM MDT