Timing of Dark Horse demolition still up in air

BOULDER — Developers of the planned Williams Village II redevelopment project say they’re working to address issues with the City of Boulder over the timing of demolition of the iconic Dark Horse Tavern.

Developers of the project at 30th Street and Baseline Road were informed that a final plat for the shopping-center redevelopment could not be approved by Dec. 31 unless the Dark Horse Tavern, at 2922 Baseline Road, was demolished by that date, months earlier than owners of the bar had planned. A letter sent to Boulder city attorney Teresa Tate Thursday by Petur Williams, general partner in Williams Family Cos., the owner and developer of the project, pleaded for more time.

Bill Rigler, a spokesperson for the Williams Village Ii project, said Tuesday that the development team is working with the city on the issue.

“We continue to work through some extraordinarily complex issues on code alignment and schedules, and the Williams family and development team are all very grateful that the city’s professional staff has treated this issue with both empathy and urgency,” Rigler said in a text sent to BizWest.

A statement emailed to BizWest by Cate Stanek, communications senior program manager for the City of Boulder, said the city was still reviewing Thursday’s letter from Williams, but said that it’s the developer that seeks to complete the subdivision process by Dec. 31. 

“The Williams Village II redevelopment plan submitted by the developer was approved by City Council at its Nov. 20 meeting and had previously received Planning Board approval. The city uses the development review process to evaluate proposed developments and land uses. The plans presented by the developer met the criteria laid out in this process. There is no city-imposed deadline for the development, nor does it have to happen before Dec. 31. 

“In this case, the developer has expressed an interest in completing the subdivision process by the end of the year. The city has not imposed any deadlines for the completion of their subdivision application. Their application remains under review. The owner’s plans for construction on the site can take place after the final plat, construction drawings and floodplain permit are submitted and approved.”

The planned redevelopment of the shopping center on the southwest corner of Baseline Road and 30th Street had won the Boulder City Council’s stamp of approval on Nov. 20 and was supposed to include a new space for the Dark Horse. The bar would be demolished in the first phase, and its new space would not be ready until the second phase, meaning that it either would need to find a temporary location in the interim or simply close for a time.

The project team had been operating under a March timeline, but learned last week that the Dark Horse would have to vacate and demolition of its building would have to be completed by Dec. 31 before a plat for the new development could be awarded.

Williams’ letter sought an extension of that deadline.

“It is with that long view that I ask for your help in granting a modest extension of the December 31 deadline that preserves the project timeline while avoiding unnecessary hardship for the business and its employees,” Williams wrote to the city attorney.

John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, told BizWest last week that the city has “a strict interpretation of development regulations, but in these kinds of instances, first we should consider what exceptions are possible to existing statutory and regulatory guidelines so we achieve a result that is in everybody’s best interest. This clearly identifies a system we would want to rectify.”

Some reports indicated that an option for the Dark Horse might be to — at least temporarily — relocate to the Boulder Broker Inn, 555 30th St., but Sean James, the tavern’s general manager, told BizWest that it was his understanding that the Broker was not an option.

The city attorney’s decision leaves just weeks for the tavern’s owners to decide whether and where it should move, or whether it should remain in business at all. It also leaves the jobs of the Dark Horse’s approximately 20 full-time and 25 part-time workers in limbo.

The council’s approval of the redevelopment plan “is a milestone that the Williams Family has spent many years working toward,” Williams wrote. “The project is critical to Boulder’s future, and our intention has always been to facilitate a smooth, timely redevelopment process. However, under the current interpretation of the land-use code prepared by the City Attorney’s Office, the plat for Phase 1 cannot be recorded unless the Dark Horse is demolished by year’s end — an outcome that would cut short the operational timeline that City staff, the development team and the Dark Horse team had implicitly understood could extend into spring 2026.”

The project centers on 7.96 acres of a 9.86-acre site just east of U.S. Highway 36. It would include redevelopment of buildings that house the Dark Horse, Sprouts Farmers Market, Moe’s Original BBQ, Cosmo’s Pizza, Dairy Queen, Carelli’s of Boulder and other businesses. The Broker Inn would not be affected.

However, potential demolition of the Dark Horse, 2922 Baseline Road, generated considerable comments at prior public hearings about earlier plans for Williams Village II. The tavern  is known for its eclectic collection of antique artifacts hanging from the ceiling.

Property owner George Williams LLLP’s plan calls for five new buildings with 427 dwelling units, 122 of which will be student-oriented apartments ranging from studios to six-bedroom units — and 58,365 square feet of commercial space.

— Dallas Heltzell contributed to this report.

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