Mineral Point housing closer to being finished but…

Now it’s the concrete?

by Mark Reaman 

The Mineral Point affordable housing project near the Gas Café is behind schedule and still sitting empty. But the three buildings could see its first residents in them before the end of the summer. In fact, if everything goes well (and why wouldn’t it?), you could see some people moving in before the end of July.

The Gunnison County Housing Authority is currently accepting applications from people interested in living there. The units are a LIHTC (Low-income Housing Tax Credit) project so those that qualify have to make under the 60% Area Median Income (AMI), or $59,400 annually for a household of two. The developer’s original expectation was to have the units occupied by fall of 2025, but several issues arose with contractors over the course of construction.

“We have achieved approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment for occupancy on all buildings (CDPHE oversees installation on ongoing function of the methane monitoring and mitigation system),” Crested Butte housing director Erin Ganser explained. “But as the local building official, we pulled the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) on building A and have not issued TCOs on buildings B and C because of corrections required to concrete grades at some of the unit entrances which would be difficult to execute while units are occupied.”

Ganser said the general contractor, Streamline, is still involved in the work based on their communications with the building department. However, she said the town doesn’t have a schedule on the work required to regain and achieve a TCO and how that affects occupancy timing.

Ganser said the owner of the project, TWG Development and the GC are wrapping up an admittedly messy project. “At the highest level – TWG has to have one unit occupied in each building by December 31 of this year,” she said. “Their process is out of our control, but the end of year deadline as well as sizeable equity installments that come with receipt of certificates of occupancy will keep pressure on progress.”

Ganser said TWG has committed to taking the lead on the concrete corrections and expect it to be complete by July 10. She said the other remaining inspection items do not inhibit occupancy, so the lease up schedule should not be impacted.

In other words — occupancy is possible before Arts Fair!