Up to $40 million is expected to be spent on the construction of new student housing that will belong to Colorado Mountain College.
The Glenwood Springs-based public college, which has eleven locations on the western side of Colorado, says it will build anywhere from 140 to 200 new housing units on five of those campuses.
The $40 million effort has now won the approval of school’s Board of Trustees.
The campuses targeted for new housing are located in the cities of Breckinridge, Edwards, Steamboat Springs and the Roaring Fork Valley.
On average, each of those campuses will see the construction of 35 to 40 housing units.
A press release issued by the school said that the campuses selected for the new housing were done so, owing to a combination of anticipated student demand and “escalating housing scarcity in these high-cost mountain resort communities.”
A third factor entering into the equation was the availability of land already owned by Colorado Mountain College in the selected locations.
In an interview with the Colorado Sun, Carrie Hauser, Colorado Mountain College’s president, remarked: “We won’t be solving the housing crisis, but we are taking a bite of the apple and contributing some relief.”
Plans call for a mix of both studio and one-bedroom apartments on the various campuses, with construction expected to begin either later this year or early next year.
If all goes as anticipated, the new housing units, which will largely be for the use of upper-division students, will be completed in time for the fall 2023 semester.
Founded in 1967, Colorado Mountain College has a enrollment of around 5,700 students, along with an online campus registration of some 20,000 students.
By Garry Boulard
