DENVER — Sen. Cory Gardner announced Friday he will be changing Denver office locations.
The senator came under fire for his Denver location after the arrest of several protesters who were camped inside during the health care debate.
Many protesters argued that because his office is paid with taxpayer money, they should be allowed access to it.
Private security, which runs the building, made numerous attempts to block residents and the media from entering the building without permission.
The senator’s previous office building was at 1125 17th St., in a skyscraper downtown with high-profile tenants in the energy and banking sector.
Complaints from other businesses is one reason Gardner’s staff called the Denver Police Department to arrest protesters.
Gardner’s new office will be temporarily located in the U.S. Customs House at 721 19th St. Suite 150, a federal building, until a permanent location is found .
“This is something we have discussed for awhile, and we thought a government building would be best for our constituent services,” Gardner spokesman Alex Siciliano said.
“We were in a commercial building where we had private businesses as fellow tenants. When there were large groups of people in our office, it created challenges for some of our private businesses.
“We think this new location will be best for everyone as it is important we ensure continued constituent access to our office. All Coloradans are welcome in our new office space.”
It remains unclear what location will ultimately be decided for Gardner’s permanent office.
Gardner’s offices in other locations in the state remain unchanged.