A roughly $50 million proposal for Denver to lease space for the district attorney’s office in the downtown Republic Plaza is moving through the city council, having received approval from the finance panel on Tuesday.

In a presentation to the Finance and Governance Committee, the district attorney’s office said that it needs new space to accommodate growth of the office and expects DA staff will require more than the 20% of the Wellington Webb building it currently occupies.

The proposed 13-year lease for 73,924 square feet would cost $49.92 million, according to documents filed for the proposal.

It would include a year of free rent, possibilities for two five-year extensions of the lease, and the ability to build out the space. Money would come from the city’s general fund. BusinessDen reported Brookfield Properties and MetLife, which own the Republic Plaza space at 370 17th Street, would pay to build out the leased office area. The city would bear responsibility for building out technology components.

The City Council committee approved the proposal, 7-0, on Tuesday.

If the city approves the lease, it also expects to give up the office space it has subleased in the former Denver Post building on Colfax Avenue at the end of its terms and move employees back into the Wellington Webb building starting in 2025.

Denver City Council expected to approve several contracts