Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Community pursuing sale after explosion

Trustees of the Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Public in southeast Denver are looking to sell the property after an explosion shuttered part of the campus this spring though agents say the move is years in the making Eastern Star s governing board released the decision Tuesday on Facebook describing it as an extremely hard and reluctant decision that was not based solely on the March explosion and fire that critically injured at least seven people when construction workers hit a power line in the Robert Russell building The explosion displaced residents in assisted-living and memory-care units who still had not been able to return home as of late April according to the organization s social media It has become evident in latest months the viability of our operation is being stressed the Board of Trustees declared in a announcement on Facebook The decreased occupancy levels since COVID increased operational costs and increasing regulations has become a difficulty for smaller operations Eastern Star executives are at the beginning of the sale process and do not have a timeline according to the post This is a advancing story and may be updated Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter