619 Granite Street Workforce Housing Site

Workforce Housing Planning Agreement

On August 25, 2020, Town Council approved the Workforce Housing Planning Agreement (Agreement) between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Town of Frisco (Town) to develop a workforce housing project on the low owned by CDOT located at 619 Granite Street, Lots 18-24, Block 12 in the Town of Frisco. The Agreement lays the foundation to jointly undertake all necessary actions to design and develop workforce housing units by requiring CDOT and the Town to share all costs 50/50 (excluding each agency’s staffing and personnel costs) not to exceed $200,000 to develop 80% construction drawings and final construction cost estimates to design the project by December 31, 2021. The agreement also sets forth the parameters regarding selection and engagement of professional consultants and contractors, and does not bind CDOT or the Town to final construction of a project.

Design Process

After a thorough review of the 619 Granite Street Workforce Housing proposals, staff recommended a contract with Studio Architecture. While all of the proposals offered the requisite selection of architecture, engineering and site planning services, the Selection Committee unanimously felt that the Studio Architecture team is the most qualified and best team for this project because of their high-quality architectural design and affordable housing project experience, and an approach that inherently led to cost savings in design, and ultimately construction.

On September 2, 2021 the Frisco Planning Commission unanimously approved the Major Site Plan Application for this proposed multi-family project.

• The current design includes 22 units in two buildings; each building is three stories tall.
• The 22 unit types consist of five (5) studio units, eleven (11) one-bedroom units, and six (6) two-bedroom units.
• Units will be made available at affordable rent levels for CDOT employees, and for employees that work for other businesses in the Frisco area.
• The design meets or exceeds all requirements of the Town Code and aligns with the established project goals, including affordability, in terms of both construction and long-term maintenance; maximizing the number of units; livability, particularly in terms of personal storage for tenants and parking availability; and sustainability.

The next critical step for the project team is to develop a financial and operational management agreement between the Town and CDOT for review and approval by both organizations. The Town and CDOT will then need to move forward with contracting for the remaining design work to create bid and permit drawings, and for selection of a general contractor.