The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
By Katherine Nettles
Land purchase near GUC
County manager Matthew Birnie shared the news earlier this month that the county purchased property at 921 Rio Grande Avenue in Gunnison, across from the entrance to the GUC Airport. The closing was on March 31, and the property cost was $475,390.
The purchase had not come up in any recent meetings prior to completion, but Birnie said the county had been trying to purchase the property for years. “It’s a little dear, but it is where it is, and that’s really the strategic advantage to us is the location.”
Commissioners Laura Puckett Daniels and Liz Smith congratulated Birnie on the transaction.
Birnie said he and commissioners had an executive session on the potential to purchase the parcel around three years ago and the commissioners were supportive at that time. “So, yes we had a meeting on it,” he told the News. “It just wasn’t recently.”
GUC airport manager Rick Lamport said there are no specific plans for the parcel yet. “We will most likely ponder on its future use during the upcoming new airport master plan process. In 2021 the airport bought the other couple of parcels next to this one to the south when we did the terminal rehab, but this parcel was not available at that time,” he said.
“It could be used for anything from airport parking or rental car support all of which is needed going forward,” said Lamport of the possibilities. “We will see.”
