AURORA| A new mayor is slated to be at the helm of Aurora city council by the end of the regular meeting on Monday. But not before council members take on a new condo project that has attracted criticism from some of the lawmakers.

Council members will vote on one of the four candidates who were interviewed earlier this month. They are: current council member Bob LeGare, former members Renie Peterson and Debi Hunter Holen, and Timothy Hogan, the son of late mayor Steve Hogan who died earlier last month after announcing he had cancer.

A candidate must win the majority of the council’s votes to be appointed. If there are nine voting council members tonight, the winning candidate will require five votes. 

The appointed candidate is slated to be sworn in at the end of the meeting and carry out Steve Hogan’s term, which is up in November 2019.

At the Monday meeting council members will discuss annexations, vote to put a question on the November ballot asking voters to change the charter to allow extending the probationary period for newly appointed firefighters and police officers, and give final approval on a condo project at East 14th Avenue and Potomac Street. 

The ordinance rezones 4.8 acres at that spot that would allow the developer, Elevation 5471 LLC, to build “future mixed use or high density condominium development on the site,” according to city documents.

Currently there are 176 rental units in four 3-story apartment buildings at that location. 

The ordinance drew criticism from some city lawmakers earlier this month at a council meeting because the rezoning would displace low-income families living in those existing apartments. 

Councilwoman Allison Hiltz said the rezoning is an example of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” She, Nicole Johnston, Angela Lawson and Crystal Murillo voted against the project. Those council members said they couldn’t support the rezoning with an existing need for affordable housing in Aurora. 

But other council members said they were excited that a condo project was finally eyeing Aurora. 

“It’s a good sign for the Aurora economy,” said councilmanr David Gruber. 

Projects like the one expected to happen near East 14th Avenue and Potomac Street if the rezoning is approved have been a rarity throughout the Denver metro region in recent years. 

But many are hoping that recent construction defect litigation reform will help lure those projects back.