Talking Stick - July/August 2009 - 34

The Other Side of the Street with the architects to develop a design in line with the financial pro forma. A recent example is South College Avenue Student Housing, a project expected to begin construction in late 2009 or early 2010 near Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The CSU campus is landlocked, with a number of adjacent sites owned by fraternities or other organizations. Local regulations limit the number of students living in nearby rented houses, which created a shortage of housing for juniors and seniors. The chosen site will be directly adjacent to the new campus gateway, complementing the campus’ expansion along College Avenue and adding gateway buildings on the southeast corner. Located along the city’s major commercial thoroughfare, the site is highly visible and accessible. Three 1960s-era strip-center buildings currently exist on site, and two will be partially re-used and expanded to create a modern mixeduse development. A new commuter rapid bus line is proposed for the site’s entire western edge. Looking to capitalize on connectivity, visibility, and proximity to the campus edge, the developer has planned a three-phased project totaling 221 two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments and approximately 55,000 square feet of new and renovated retail space. The residences will feature common study lounges, community kitchens, game rooms, and a fitness center. This new mixed-use development will also house some flexible living-learning spaces and will feature many green design elements. “This project is a significant site for redevelopment – for the city of Fort Collins, the university, and university foundations – as its location enhances the emerging gateway into Fort Collins and Colorado State University,” says Jones. “This is the first prototype 3 Talking STick A site map of the future South College Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado key city officials. Fort Collins’ city planner, Anne Aspen, was a crucial participant in reviewing the plan. As the city adopted a policy for slow and smart growth, Aspen’s department worked with the architect and developer to achieve the city’s goals. From their perspective, the mixed-use project is an opportunity to fulfill city planning goals to achieve a more dense, urban feel. The project team also worked with the city’s transportation planning department. The Mason Corridor will link major destinations and activity centers, including the downtown commercial, cultural, and business centers, the university, an area shopping mall, and other retail areas. The Mason Corridor also includes a new bicycle and pedestrian trail and will include a Bus Rapid Transit system in a fixed guideway for the majority of the corridor. Stations will incorporate amenities that are similar to light rail, including low-floor boarding platforms, new buses, arrival information, and prepay fare machines. mixed-use development to be located along the city’s new bus rapid transit lines. So, this prototype offers an early yield on city, state, and federal investments that will continue to make Fort Collins a sustainable, walkable, and highly appealing community. Effectively integrating retail and residential spaces was a challenge as the project has a frontage on an active thoroughfare. Yet the rear of the site is insulated from that frontage and has beautiful views to the front range of the Rocky Mountains. A dry channel (95 percent of the time) has been designed to address and satisfy local, state, and federal guidelines for stormwater management.” Early in the planning phase, the architect and developer met with The Power of Community Though it doesn’t show up on a blueprint or a budget sheet, the involvement of the surrounding community in each stage of the process is critical. Realizing that a new mixed-use student development could be a source of tension and resistance for the community, campus housing officials and their co-developers and architects met early and often with neighborhood groups, municipal agencies, and influential community leaders. Throughout the planning and design processes, they identified potential allies; presented timely plans, images, and project descriptions; invited public comments; and, whenever possible, incorporated input from all sides.

Talking Stick - July/August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - July/August 2009