The Colorado Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the controversial Strawberry Hill land swap between Colorado Springs and The Broadmoor Thursday morning.

The appellant, local nonprofit Save Cheyenne, sued the city and The Broadmoor in 2016 seeking to block the swap in which Colorado Springs traded more than 180 acres at Strawberry Hill with the hotel in exchange for 371 acres, split between 14 parcels.

The case was sent to the Court of Appeals after it was dismissed by a district judge.

Save Cheyenne argued that the City Council should have been bound by an 1885 vote of city residents to buy the land and that precedent means the land should only be sold if residents approve via a referendum. But City Attorney Wynetta Massey argued that Colorado Springs is a home rule city, which allows the council to circumvent state laws for local matters. In this case it means the swap was legitimate, she argued.

This story will be updated.