Cheyenne council votes to list historic pump house for sale; adds demolition deadline if unsold by Jan. 14, 2026

The Cheyenne City Council voted to put the Cheyenne auxiliary pumping station at 1504 Dylan Avenue up for sale, adopting an amended resolution that directs staff to solicit buyers and to include preservation conditions but also establishes a fallback demolition deadline.

Councilmember Seagrave moved a substitute resolution that requires the city to list the property for sale or lease, seek an appraisal or market analysis, and, crucially, states that if the parcel has not been sold, leased, or contractually committed by Jan. 14, 2026, the city will “cease further efforts to sell or lease the property and shall proceed with demolition of the structure and repurposing of the parcel for a beneficial community use.” The substitute was seconded and discussed at length.

The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board and preservation advocates urged the council to keep the original pump house from surplus and to pursue adaptive reuse. Milward Simpson, chair of the Historic Preservation Board, said the board “feels very strongly…and passed at our June regular meeting that the original pump house structure not be put into surplus, but be preserved.” Historic Cheyenne Inc. president Stephanie Lowe urged salvaging historic elements and installing onsite interpretation if demolition occurs.

Supporters of the substitute and its added demolition deadline said the building has been a long-standing nuisance and that the city needs a final decision. Councilmember Seagrave said he hopes the property will sell but added, “if it doesn't, it's time for this governing body to take ownership.” Speakers and councilmembers noted a range of possible outcomes: full private rehabilitation, stabilization estimates, or demolition with site conversion.

The council amended the substitute to require that any demolition move be preceded by an estimate of demolition cost and identification of funding. That amendment, advanced by Councilmember Layborn and seconded by Doctor Aldridge, also allowed an existing city architectural contract (TDSI) to be used to estimate demolition costs where permitted. The amendment passed.

Council discussion identified two cost estimates previously mentioned in public testimony: a $4,000,000 full rehabilitation concept and a $1,000,000 stabilization proposal. City staff and the city attorney said statutory controls govern disposition of city property (cited: Wyoming statute 15-1-112) and that, depending on the route chosen, council authority varies between required public sale to highest qualified bidder or other statutory disposition methods.

The substituted resolution was adopted as amended. The record shows Councilmembers Esquivel and Roybal voted no on final adoption. The resolution directs staff to list the property with conditions, solicit bids or proposals, and prepare demolition cost and funding information should the Jan. 14, 2026 deadline be reached.