The Town of Carbondale has a unique opportunity toward creating affordable housing units right downtown. Late in 2021, 1.4 acres surrounding the Thunder River Theatre were anonymously donated to the Town. The area was once home to Bonanza, a lively trailer park which was leveled in 2002. Subsequent development failed to gain traction, so the majority of the lots have since remained informal parking.
Thanks to a feasibility study conducted in 2017, Carbondale was poised to partner with Artspace, a national real estate development nonprofit. Other project partners, determined via a competitive bidding process in 2023, are JV DeSousa Architecture and Planning and Bldg Seed Architects. Land+Shelter, Connect One Design and Sopris Engineering have also been enlisted for their local expertise.
A public process that began in 2022 reached a culmination of sorts early this year, when trustees approved a schematic design for Phase 1, which will be used to formulate a budget for a funding application with the Colorado Housing Finance Authority.
The next evening, Andrew Michaelson, director of property development with Artspace, told a Town Center-specific meeting at Thunder River Theatre that these low-income housing tax credits are highly competitive, so it’s unlikely the application will be approved in its first attempt. If the application is approved, the earliest construction may begin is 2025, with residents moving in sometime in 2026. If the application is unsuccessful this round, the timeline would be delayed by at least one year.
“This is the phase where things might go quiet,” Michaelson said. In the meantime, Artspace will focus on securing other sources of funding, planning for Phase 2, identifying commercial users for Phase 1 and, generally, “pulling red tape,” he said. Once constructed, Artspace will manage the project, overseeing necessary maintenance and contracting a local property management company to take care of administering leases, cleaning and other routine business.
Phase 1
Phase 1 forms an “L” shape on the south and west sides of Thunder River Theatre, extending from an alley that intersects the Promenade to 6th Street and then north to Colorado Avenue. It includes 39 residential units and around 2,000 square feet of commercial space. The design incorporates feedback from a bilingual survey, stakeholder focus meetings and two charrettes.
Of the 39 apartment units: six are studios (500 square feet), 10 one-bedroom (695 square feet), 19 two-bedroom (835 to 1,115 square feet), four three-bedroom (1,080 to 1,190 square feet). Four of these units will be available to people earning 30% of Carbondale’s average median income (AMI), 27 for people making 60% ($41,000 for a single person or $60,000 for a family of four) and eight non-restricted units will be targeted to 150% AMI or below. All will be pet-friendly rentals.
Ramsey Fulton, principal at Bldg Seed Architects, told stakeholders that while the unit count, unit mix, parking count and site boundaries will need to remain as submitted for funding, “many other aspects of the project can evolve and develop as the design moves forward.”
During the charrettes, 6th Street was determined most appropriate for a residential focus, with more of a downtown commercial appeal along the Promenade neighboring Thunder River Theatre. The schematic design has two buildings connected via a sky bridge, so residents on either side can enjoy shared amenity spaces like a rooftop terrace facing west. A code variance will be necessary for making the first floor along 6th Street residential, as well as for lower ceilings in the commercial spaces to avoid exceeding the 35-foot total height limit.
Outdoor aesthetic
The Promenade is considered key for making Town Center a vibrant addition to Carbondale’s downtown. It already extends from Main Street to the Rio Grande Trail and could eventually meander into Downtown North. Part of the existing walkway will be removed during Phase 1 construction to allow for excavation and building foundations. It will be disturbed various times until all construction along the Promenade is completed.
In addition to reimagining the Promenade, Connect One Design is looking to break up some of the sidewalk along 6th Street and introduce more landscaping. They’re keen to free a few street trees from their grates and cease treating them with growth inhibitors to see what happens.
Thunder River Theatre Company is expected to play a grander role in Phase 2, given the nonprofit’s central stake in what unfolds around its building.
Sign up for updates at www.artspace.org/towncenter