LONGMONT — This city, long considered a bedroom community for workers in and around Boulder County, has become not only the city of choice for many businesses but also a vital link between Boulder County and Northern Colorado.

A business-friendly atmosphere, easy access to Northern and Southern Colorado, a well-trained work force and more-reasonable housing costs have contributed to a climate that has lured many businesses away from Boulder. As many businesses move to Northern Colorado as well, Longmont has become a focal point, linking the two areas.

“We think that Longmont, Greeley and other Northern Colorado markets are good areas for us,´ said John Fernie, vice president of acquisitions and development for McStain Enterprises Inc. in Boulder. Fernie said that McStain has all but pulled out of the Boulder market and is focusing most of its residential and retail construction in Northern Colorado.

McStain has two large housing projects in and near Longmont. MeadowView on Airport and Nelson roads will have 500 units when completed, and LongView on Colorado Highway 119 in Weld County will have 400 modular units when completed. The company is also building in Greeley.

Although land prices are considerably cheaper in northern Boulder County and in Larimer and Weld counties, land prices are only a portion of the total picture for a company choosing to relocate.

“A lot of Boulder companies are looking northward to relocate, but often the real-estate portion is a small part of the total equation,´ said Russ McCahan, managing broker with Blackfox Commercial Real Estate Group LLC in Fort Collins.

“If a company is limited in room to grow by a city that restricts growth, that can be disastrous for a company that is starting a new product cycle and needs a new building,” McCahan said. “So although the cost of land is cheaper as you go north, the cost of land is not as important as the amount of land a company has to expand and to be in an environment that is friendly to business growth.”

Mike Byrne, president of LGT Real Estate Advisors Inc. in Fort Collins, said his company is very active in Longmont.

“Longmont has created the right atmosphere for business,” he said. “We sold 80 acres to Amgen, and we sold about 200 acres to McStain for the MeadowView subdivision. What has happened is that commercial growth caps in Boulder created a need for those businesses who wanted to expand to come up the Diagonal Highway, and in Longmont, companies could buy a large piece of land at reasonable prices.