A roughly 66,000-square-foot gravel lot in the heart of downtown Denver has become a bargaining chip in the city’s bid to become the home of a future National Medal of Honor Museum.

Denver Regional Transportation District officials could have threatened the city’s chances on Tuesday night when they voted down a plan that would’ve cleared the way for the empty lot, at Colfax Avenue and Broadway, to become a grandiose entrance to the museum.

The RTD Board of Directors voted 7-7 against advancing that plan, which would allow the district to sub-lease the parcel to the city. Denver has proposed covering the annual grounds lease of $123,000 so that the museum could use the lot. 

“It doesn’t sound like a great deal,” said Director Kate Williams before casting a “no” vote. “‘It’s a break-even for us’ is the selling point that we’ve been presented with.”  

The RTD originally expected the lot would be part of the reconstruction Civic Center Station but later determined the parcel wasn’t necessary when the station design changed.

The district’s lease agreement on the property doesn’t expire for another 55 years, and officials have yet to decide on a use for it. 

The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation announced in June that Denver and Arlington, Texas, were the two finalists to become the site of the museum, which would highlight the stories of the 3,500 military service members who have been presented with the nation’s highest military decoration. 

The attraction’s proposed location in Denver is just east of RTD’s lot, across Lincoln Avenue. 

The museum foundation’s board of directors has indicated that the parcel is “a major part of the proposal” that’s “necessary for the project to work for them,” Chessy Brady, transit-oriented development manager for the RTD, told the district board before the vote.

Denver is expected to learn early next month if it’s been chosen as the final site, Brady said.

“It’s seen as a big economic development thing, and I would not like to see RTD stand in the way,” said Director Lynn Guissinger, who voted in favor of the plan.

“This is very important to our state and city partners, and that’s something we should pay attention to,” she later added.

Directors Bob Broom, Doug Tisdale, Peggy Catlin, Judy Lubow, Jeff Walker and Shelley Cook also voted in favor. Angie Rivera-Malpiede, Vince Buzek, Shontel Lewis, Claudia Folska, Natalie Menten and Troy Whitmore were opposed to the plan. Ken Mihalik was absent.

An eight-vote majority was required for the proposal to progress to a final vote next week.

Representatives from the museum foundation were in the city on Tuesday, touring downtown with state and local leaders, said Jen Morris, a spokeswoman for Denver Economic Development & Opportunity. 

A ceremony that took place at the proposed museum site, Denver CBS4 reported.

The RTD’s lot was once eyed as a site for a consolidated headquarters for the district. Directors floated other ideas for the parcel at the meeting, including a community garden site, a food truck plaza and even a spot to warehouse the electric scooters that are now scattered throughout Denver. 

“I’m more interested in some of these alternative uses for the property,” Menten said. 

As first reported by Colorado Public Radio, the museum foundation initially offered to pay a $1 annual sublease to RTD for the property, but directors turned down that offer amid concerns that the district would lose money.

Denver officials, however, have since stepped in, saying the city might be willing to cover the cost of the lease.

“If we get the chance to do something that’s actually pretty good that doesn’t cost us any money, it seems to me the logical answer is that we should do that,” Tisdale said during the meeting. “What we have is a very expensive, non-producing gravel pit.”