CSU’s Powerhouse Campus to add second north College Avenue facility

Editor’s note: This story was changed to correct the number of stories planned for the project.

FORT COLLINS — A proposed addition to Colorado State University’s Powerhouse campus could be coming to north College Avenue. A neighborhood meeting organized by the city Feb. 16 discussed plans for Powerhouse II at the northeast corner of College and Vine.

The first Powerhouse facility opened at 430 North College Ave. in the city’s old power plant and added a new building in 2014. The LEED Platinum-certified building is home to the CSU Energy Institute’s headquarters and features labs studying clean energy solutions.

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The proposed Powerhouse II would continue the mission of researching energy efficiency, with a focus on solar. Plans for the site include solar arrays on the roof as well as solar canopies over a 132-space parking lot. 

As described at the neighborhood meeting, planners emphasized the building’s south-facing exterior windows as an important way to efficiently light the building. Design software is intended to determine which plans would have the smallest impact on the environment.

The five-story, 150,000 square foot building lies within Fort Collins’ Innovation District, and the site borders historic buildings as well as the city’s new whitewater park. Plans for the site include multiple bike and pedestrian paths, as well as a request to move a city bus stop to reduce the need for individuals to drive to the site.

Once opened, planners expect around 300 people to use the Powerhouse II facility regularly, including students and faculty. The site includes access to transit and cycling paths, as well as 208 off-street parking spaces. 

Plans for the building emphasize the use of sustainable materials such as locally-sourced sandstone and mass timber, wood that has been compressed and composited for increased strength. The site includes a plaza, a roof deck and multiple outdoor dining terraces. The two parking lots include future plans for electric vehicle charging stations.

The neighborhood meeting was the first step in a process that includes a full hearing before the Fort Collins planning and zoning commission. Other next steps include consolidating site ownership between Powerhouse II LLC, Innosphere Ventures and the city.