Breckenridge and Colorado Mountain College

This week the Breckenridge Town Council will review the first draft version of the agreement with Colorado Mountain College that will outline the terms for construction of a new campus on the Block 11 property, near Coyne Valley Road, at the north end of town.

“We’d like to have some comments on it,” said Breckenridge town manager Tim Gagen, explaining that CMC is pursuing a fairly aggressive timetable for planning and is hoping to break ground before the end of 2007.

If the timetable holds, the campus could be ready for occupancy by the end of 2008, Gagen said. The initial discussions will shape the subsequent planning and approval process, envisioned as a collaborative effort. The aim is to incorporate community uses with the campus, Gagen said. That would include access to trails and the rec path, as well as parking, he said.

Plans for the campus will be integrated with the town’s vision for the remainder of the Block 11 and McCain properties. The Breckenridge–CMC deal is modeled after the preliminary agreement the college had with Frisco for the proposed peninsula location — with one significant difference. The Frisco deal was for a land lease, but Breckenridge plans to convey title of up to 20 acres to CMC, Gagen said.

Gagen said the early vision is primarily for one building to house the new CMC campus near the end of Coyne Valley Road, with strong trails and transit connections.

“We see it as kind of an entrance statement for the town,” Gagen said, adding that the design will be geared toward making the development mesh with the river environment.

The college hopes to use progressive green building techniques for the facility, thereby meeting the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, Gagen indicated

.According to the draft Memorandum of Understanding, the town will waive planning fees for the campus and will provide sewer and water service. Any portion of the property that is not used by the college will be conveyed back to the town upon request. The property would also revert to town ownership if it’s used for any purpose other than higher education or “other compatible uses,” according to the draft agreement.