The Denver City Council is considering a proposal from used-car retailer Carvana to rezone a vacant lot adjacent to Interstate 25 in southeast Denver and build an eight-story “vehicle vending machine.”

The proposal, first submitted to the city in August, was advanced by the City Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week. The plan now heads to the full body for a decision, with a public hearing tentatively scheduled for March 8. 

Renderings of the plan for the lot at 4700 E. Evans Ave. show a single-story office/showroom building, partially topped by the Tempe, Arizona-based company’s car vending machine, which would stand 75 feet tall. 

Some council members, including District 6 Councilman Paul Kashmann, were wary of the proposal. Kashmann said his “concern” is that the building structure is “extremely unique,” so much so that he “can’t imagine what else you would use it for.” 

Officials from Denver Community Planning and Development stressed that the site development plan could still change, however, or even fail to materialize. The decision at hand now is not about the development proposal, however, but rather about the rezoning, a move officials said was consistent with adopted plans and neighborhood context. 

Carvana owns two dozen other vehicle vending machines across the south and eastern portion of the U.S. The company allows customers to purchase, finance and sell or trade cars through their website. After a car is purchased, customers can either have the vehicle delivered or pick it up at one of the vending machines. Customers are given a saucer-sized “coin” to insert that brings the desired car down, and car buyers get to keep the coin.