New developer changes course of Midtown Fort Collins housing development

FORT COLLINS — A proposed student-housing project along Fort Collins’ MAX bus line has been taken over by a new developer, downsized and shifted toward a focus on housing for senior citizens.

Englewood-based Berland Development Group Inc. recently submitted a development-review application for a 2.2-acre site at 2105 S. College Ave., just north of Whole Foods. The site sits off of South College, tucked to the west of Peloton Cycles and adjacent to the MAX bus line.

Under the new proposal, Berland would demolish the two commercial buildings on the site now and build a five-story apartment building with 168 units. About 166 parking spaces are planned for ground level, with four stories above. The senior independent living facility would be geared toward active adults age 55 and over.

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The project site is owned by Fort Collins-based Bankcenter Group LLC.

In May of last year, a development group out of St. Louis had proposed putting that parcel and one immediately to the north, on which a storage facility sits, together for a project that would have featured 299 student apartments as well as retail space and a parking garage.

City planner Ted Shepard said on Monday said that group decided not to pursue the project further after going through the concept-review process. He said he did not know the reason for that group’s withdrawal, but noted that the site comes with some stringent access requirements because it sits back from College Avenue. He said officials for Berland have spent time with city fire officials to make sure their project meets those access requirements.

Don Berland of Berland Development Group on Monday acknowledged the access issues but is optimistic.

“Infill sites are frequently challenging  with respect to access, and this site certainly has those challenges,” Berland said. “We’re hoping we can work through all the issues.”

Shepard said both projects fit the city’s vision for Midtown and, specifically, along the MAX corridor.

“This is transit-oriented development,” Shepard said.

Shepard said Berland was allowed to pursue its project without doing another site review because both projects were primarily focused on multifamily residential.

Berland said he became acquainted with the property owners and took over after the previous developer backed off the project. He said his firm is under contract to by the land, and is hoping to break ground sometime next year. He said the cost of the project is still being determined.

The rest of this year will likely be spent on the design and entitlement processes. To gain city approval, the project must go through two rounds of review with city planning staff, as well as a public hearing before the planning and zoning board. A neighborhood meeting is also slated for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday of this week at Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 E. Stuart St., where community members can get a look at the proposal.