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A California developer got a green light Tuesday night to develop a project at one of Loveland’s prime gateway locations in a way that would mix retail and office buildings at a campus-like setting where as many as 2,200 people would work. The Eisenhower Addition, as the project is known for the time being, will move ahead — albeit slowly — after a unanimous Loveland City Council vote to annex 41 acres of open land north of Eisenhower Boulevard, and change zoning on another 17 adjacent acres already within the city.
Eisenhower Investments LLC, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., would build as much as 570,000 square feet of new commercial space on a triangular tract at the northeast corner of U.S. 34 and Denver Avenue. Before agreeing to the annexation request, councilors amended the proposal to require that the developer build a minimum of 100,000 square feet of “primary workplace” space within 15 years. Plan revisions that the developer and the city have been crafting for the past 18 months steer the project more toward office employment and away from pure retail as the group had first proposed, an idea the council shot down at previous meetings.
“This is a difficult environment for economic development these days,” development team leader Greg Parker said. “We want to be ready and flexible enough to meet demand.”
Councilors wrangled late into the night with traffic issues and timetables for the plan before approving the annexation and rezoning request shortly before 11 p.m.
“This does some things that we’ve needed on East Eisenhower for a long time,” Mayor Cecil Gutierrez said. “I wish you and your team the best of luck in building that space for employers, and maybe do it in the next six months,” he added with a bit of wishful thinking.
The meeting also featured a surprise announcement, as the council approved spending for Loveland-Fort Collins Municipal Airport projects, that longtime airport manager Dave Gordon will leave his post. Gordon has accepted a position as executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division, effective Thursday.
Loveland Public Works Director Keith Reester will serve as interim airport manager. “It’s a job I’m well acquainted with,” Reester said. “I’ll go out and keep the ship afloat.”
Gordon was one of five candidates for the job. The others were Scott Brownlee and TK Gwin of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics, Kenneth Maenpa, manager at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, and Hilary Fletcher, Pitkin County manager.
Councilors also approved funding for capital projects including the Chilson Recreation Center and Loveland Public Library.
By Tom Hacker
Loveland Reporter-Herald
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