It’s a new year, and with that comes both new and ongoing development plans in northern Colorado, from housing to hospitals.
Sarah Kyle, interim executive editor at The Coloradoan, joined KUNC’s Nikole Robinson Carroll to talk about some of the big moves happening in Fort Collins in 2024.
This year, housing is getting the most attention in Fort Collins development.
In 2024, housing developments such as Montava (4,000 homes planned), Heartside Hill (82 homes) and Bloom (1,600 homes) are in progress. These developments come during a time when affordable housing is in high demand. The Common Sense Institute said in its 2023 Fort Collins Housing Affordability Report: "Due to elevated prices and rising interest rates, the affordability of purchasing a home in Fort Collins is at the lowest point in more than 20 years. In just the past 8 years, the cost of purchasing a home has nearly doubled."
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There’s also work being done on the Fort Collins Rescue Mission's newest location, a 24-hour shelter that would serve 200 single men experiencing homelessness in the northern part of the city. So far, the rescue mission has chosen the site, raised much of the needed startup money, and formally submitted development plans last year.
“There has been a lot of controversy about that, particularly with Northside residents and businesses having some resistance, saying it's the wrong location that's going to impact their homes, their livelihoods,” Kyle told KUNC. “But it was the final location selected by Fort Collins Rescue Mission, and now that's going through the process with the city.”
Poudre Valley Hospital is also continuing an expansion in 2024.
“They're working on the main lobby, they're working on updates to the birthing center and a new orthopedics unit,” Kyle said. “Then still to come in that second phase is a behavioral health project, and all of that will hopefully wrap up in 2025.”
Kyle said 2024 is unclear for Sanctuary On The Green’s ongoing development limbo. Plans for the 41-acre site, including 212 homes, have been approved, appealed, approved again, and taken to court since 2022.
“(City officials) were expected to have a hearing,” she said. “As of earlier this month, that hearing had not been scheduled.”
The process of approving or rejecting the project has been significantly slowed by repeatedly rescheduled hearings.
“We could see continued appeals,” Kyle said. “So maybe a decision in 2024.”
