The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
County backing out, VOA backing in…
[ By Mark Reaman and Katherine Nettles ]Gunnison County has decided to not be the property manager for the Mineral Point housing project that is getting ready to open in Crested Butte across from the Gas Café. The 34-unit project is targeted at low-income workers in the area by using LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) financing and has had several setbacks and issues during its construction process. It received a Certificate of Occupancy from the Crested Butte building inspector on August 18 and the hope is now to start leasing the units to qualifying locals who make between 30% and 60% AMI (Area Median Income) before the end of the month. The 60% AMI threshold for a two-person household is $59,400 annually. A grand opening for the project was held Tuesday, September 22.
Property management for Mineral Point has become a challenge however, as Gunnison County last week decided not to move forward with a contract to manage it.
When the process started with the town, TWG Development out of Indianapolis was selected to build the project, and the original expectation was to partner with the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority (GVRHA) for property management.
But after the dissolution of GVRHA in late 2025, discussions transitioned to the Gunnison County Housing Authority (GCHA).
TWG officials said that throughout the process, TWG believed the parties were making progress toward a completed agreement. They said that on September 8, Gunnison County CFO Melissa LaMonica, who also heads the GCHA, indicated that the assignment documents had been approved for signature and would be considered on the September 15 county commissioner agenda. She also noted that GCHA was “good on the PM (property management) agreement.”
On September 15 the county commissioners went into a closed-door executive session to discuss the situation. They returned to the public meeting and stated they had no decisions to share on the public record. But TWG was informed later that day that the GCHA would not be proceeding with the agreement and would cease negotiations. The town of Crested Butte received the same information but is confident that a competent property manager is being lined up.
“While this was not the outcome we anticipated, we respect their decision and have remained focused on ensuring the project can move forward without further delay,” said TWG vice president Ryan Kelly. “We have since pivoted quickly and are actively engaged in discussions with Volunteers of America (VOA) regarding property management services. We are optimistic that these conversations will be concluded in short order and will allow us to continue moving toward occupancy.
Gunnison County commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels offered this statement: “Gunnison County did not back out of a contract with TWG regarding Mineral Point; we actually were never able to get to the point of having a signed agreement between the county and TWG. Over the past 18 months we worked extensively with TWG in an effort to reach agreements that would allow the county to take on certain roles related to the property, but ultimately we were unable to get to a place where we were comfortable entering into that relationship for the long-term.
“The Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority had begun working with TWG on Mineral Point in early 2025. When Gunnison County assumed responsibility for a number of GVRHA’s ongoing efforts earlier this year, we were clear that we would evaluate each project individually and determine which responsibilities made sense for the county to assume,” stated Puckett Daniels.
“We made a good-faith effort to make the Mineral Point relationship work,” continued Puckett Daniels. “However, as we approached the point when leasing needed to begin, we still did not have all of the information, documentation and agreements necessary to establish a sound business relationship or give us confidence that we could manage the property to the standard we expect for residents. After many months of attempting to work through those issues, we determined that it was not appropriate for the county to move forward.
“We are pleased that TWG has identified Volunteers of America as a partner and that Mineral Point will move ahead,” she concluded. “Gunnison County strongly supports the addition of workforce housing in the Gunnison Valley, and we want Mineral Point to be successful and provide a positive experience for the people who will call it home.”
TWG says it is focusing now on moving forward. “Our primary focus is making sure prospective residents have every opportunity to access these homes,” Kelly commented this week in an email. “The interest list previously maintained through Gunnison County has been provided to TWG, and our team is actively working to ensure those households receive the information and assistance needed to complete the qualification process and prepare for move-in. We have already begun reviewing application materials and scheduling tours of the property.”
“Mineral Point addresses the most pressing housing needs in the North Valley,” said Erin Ganser, housing director for the Town of Crested Butte. “The Town is very excited about TWG’s partnership with Volunteers of America as the property manager and is at the ready to support lease-up in any way we can.”
“We have several tours scheduled next week and have begun the application review process,” said Kelly. “Households interested in learning more or applying can visit www.liveatmineralpoint.com/. We also encourage anyone who previously expressed interest through Gunnison County to reach out directly through the website to ensure we have their current information and can begin the qualification process promptly. There is also an email that is live for prospective residents to communicate regarding the community: MineralPoint@twgdev.com.
“Our goal remains simple: get qualified residents into these much-needed homes as quickly as possible,” concluded Kelly.
“Mineral Point is an important addition to the Crested Butte community, and our team is thrilled to see the project open its doors,” said Seth Atkinson, development director at TWG Development.
“The community’s three-building design reflects the scale and character of Crested Butte. Connections to nearby bike lanes, paths, hiking trails and a transit stop give residents convenient ways to reach town and enjoy the surrounding landscape,” said Chris Russell, principal at STUDIO Architecture, the company that designed the project.
The rental units include studios along with one- and two-bedroom apartments. They are all electric units and there are three buildings on site. Shared amenities include a clubhouse with a common laundry area, an on-site property management and leasing office, secure resident storage in each building and covered bike storage with maintenance tools.
