Durango, CO: The lead developer working on a proposal to move the Head Start childcare facility and build workforce housing has notified the city he desires to separate the project into two components.

Tracy Reynolds, principal of Reynolds, Ash and Associates, said he feels the best course of action is continue moving forward with the Head Start development at 1917 East Third Ave. (Tract C), which is a city-owned parking lot near the library. A separate part of his group's proposal was to build workforce housing at 2019 East Third Ave. (Tract F) but he now wants to remove that from consideration. The lot at 2019 East Third Ave. is also owned by the city and leased to Head Start. Reynolds is working with a group comprising his firm, Head Start and Agave Group.

The city of Durango will issue a new Request for Proposals for the 2019 East Third Ave. lot that houses Head Start. This is not anticipated to happen until Head Start can secure funding for potentially moving to the 1917 East Third Ave. location and begin development at that lot. City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday (page 61 of the agenda packet) on whether to discuss a lease sought by Head Start for the 1917 East Third Ave. lot. The lease would not approve development or design on either tract or otherwise advance the other concepts in the selected bid, which would come at a later date to be determined.

The goal as defined in the original request for proposal was "to explore the feasibility of establishing a creative and cost-effective public-private partnership which will result in a project that achieves the multifaceted goals of the City by making improvements to an underutilized City asset in a unique neighborhood. This Request will ideally identify a partner to work with the City, other community entities, and potentially with adjacent property owners in the Mercy Medical PD to develop an innovative project which improves the functionality of the identified parcel within the greater neighborhood context."

For more information on the project please visit our Engage Durango webpage. To view the full news release, please click here.