#Silverthorne #Colorado
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| Summit Daily News |
After years of planning, designs are taking shape for a massive mixed-use development in the heart of Silverthorne, one that builders and community leaders alike say will transform the town's core, creating a new "main street" experience.
The Fourth Street Crossing is a large-scale, town-led project that is to occupy 3.8 acres of land — the entire block that sits between Third and Fourth streets — on the western side of Colorado 9.
Roughly 1,000 feet from Interstate 70, and directly across the highway from the Silverthorne Pavilion and the new performing arts center that's set to open at the end of June, the location is ideal for Silverthorne and sits as one bookend to the outlet mall.
By the time it's all said and done, the Fourth Street Crossing development is expected to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $70 million, and developers hope to break ground as early as next spring or summer.
“Our phones are on, and our lines of communication are open. We’re just hoping people reach out to us.”Tim Fredregill Milender White
Officials have put together three-dimensional renderings and an animated walk-through video tour to help residents get an idea of the scope of the project and what it might look like. However, at this point, it's still very much a moving target, and community feedback is being sought.
"We're looking for input here from the residents of Summit County to tell us what are their hopes and dreams for this site," said Tim Fredregill, representing Milender White, the development firm that's been awarded the job. They're working with DTJ Design, Jack Wolfe of LIV Sotheby's on marketing, and Tetra Tech as the civil engineer.
"What is Silverthorne missing?" Fredregill asked of the project. "What do (residents) want to see? What do they think about the plans we've produced to date?"
The artistic and video renderings show multiple buildings with boutique stores, small shops, cafes and restaurants on the first floors and condos and townhome flats on the second and third stories.
There are plans for an office building, a parking garage, relocating the transit center and a festival plaza, but Fredregill said his firm wants to know exactly what the community thinks before moving forward, because, he said, "this is for you."
Questions like, "Is there too much density? Would people like to see more retail, more restaurants or more residential units?" are all on Fredregill's radar.
"These are concepts for your review and input," he said as he addressed a crowd of about two-dozen people at the first open forum for the development held at the pavilion on Wednesday. No dates are set, but more outreach efforts are planned in the future, he said.
Additionally, Fredregill is pushing people to check out the development's website, FourthStreetCrossing.com, where they can find more information about the project, sign up for project updates and leave feedback. They've also started a Facebook page for the development; as of 2 p.m. Friday, it had 13 page likes.
Fredregill said the feedback could be about almost anything, including concerns, compliments or people who want to express interest in housing or retail spaces.
"Our phones are on, and our lines of communication are open," Fredregill said. "We're just hoping people reach out to us."
Based on the early designs, about the only thing that won't be radically different from what's there now is The Mint, a local steakhouse that's been in business since 1862 and boasts on its website about being in the oldest building in Summit County.
The owner of The Mint was one of three other property owners who provided land for project, according to the town, and the designs have The Mint's building remaining largely unchanged, as a centerpiece of the development.
"The Mint stays," Fredregill said matter-of-factly. "The Mint gets re-skinned hopefully, but that ownership remains in place. They are the sellers of a large portion of the site, so without them this project wouldn't be possible and we have to respect their wishes."
As far as the timeline goes, Milender White still needs to go through the town's site-plan approval process, which will require several public meetings and the approval of the town council.
"We anticipate making it through that process this calendar year, and the intent is to start construction in spring or summer 2018," Fredregill said, adding that once complete, he believes Silverthorne will have a new "vibrant town core that the residents of Summit County can be proud of" in the Fourth Street Crossing.
