Mead trustees approve IGA, service plan for Turion metro districts

MEAD — The Mead Town Board of Trustees approved unanimously Monday night an intergovernmental agreement and service plan for the Turion Metropolitan Districts, partly clearing the way for the development of a more than 2,000-acre master-planned community with 4,000-plus homes and 5.3 million square feet of commercial space.

Turion still awaits approval from the town of Berthoud, which also comprises part of the development. Berthoud’s town board will continue discussion of the issue at its Feb. 8 meeting. 

Turion is bounded by Interstate 25 to the west, Weld County Road 11 to the east, Weld County Road 38 to the south and Weld County Road 44 to the north.

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This project has been in the works for nearly two decades. In 2004, Berthoud annexed more than 1,600 acres of what would become the metro districts. Later that year, the districts, then called SMPG Metropolitan Districts, were approved. At that time, the land was owned by McWhinney Real Estate Services Inc. 

Bill Gates-backed Front Range Investment Holdings LLC purchased the land in 2007. According to Colorado Secretary of State records, Front Range Investment Holdings was formed that year by Michael Larson, who manages Gates’ investment empire through Cascade Investment LLC in Kirkland, Washington. 

Front Range Holdings acquired the development rights to the land from McWhinney in 2014. In 2019, Front Range Holdings purchased nearly 600 acres in the town of Mead adjacent to the property. Developers changed the name to Turion in 2021.

The developer plans to begin offsite work in the second quarter of 2022, with onsite construction work beginning in the fourth quarter. The project is expected to be built in 34 phases, with the Berthoud portions being developed first. Completion is estimated by 2051.