Denver wants to turn the downtown Crossroads Shelter into affordable housing and build a new shelter nearby.

The city’s departments of Finance and Housing Stability on Wednesday put out a joint Request for Expressions of Interest in the project. Denver owns and operates the shelter, which has a capacity of 300 men each night.

“Crossroads Shelter is a critical city asset located in a neighborhood experiencing significant appreciation,” HOST Executive Director Britta Fisher said. “We want to gauge how we might be able to leverage the market to support our sheltering and affordability goals.”

The request asks for two types of proposals: one to create a new shelter in the downtown area and one to build affordable housing where the shelter is now.

Denver asks that shelter proposals are walkable and near pubic transportation, with a preference for locations within walking distance from the St. Francis Center and Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Shelter. The boundaries of acceptable locations are I-70 to the north, I-25 to the west, Sixth Avenue to the south and York Street to the east.

Affordable housing at the Crossroads site, 1901 29th St., would serve those who fall into 30% of the area median income, which is $22,050 for an individual and $28,350 for a family of three. The city intends to maintain affordability either through a fair market land sale that includes a 99-year deed restriction, or a 99-year land lease.

The deadline for submissions expressing interest in either project is 2:30 p.m. April 22.