Colorado residents living in the area around Colorado State University’s Hughes Stadium are up in arms over the school’s proposed plans to sell the facility and redevelop the site and surrounding area with 600-700 new homes.
At a meeting at The Drake Center in Fort Collins on Thursday, residents voiced their concerns about everything from potential traffic problems to road and trail impacts, as well as the perceived lack of transparency by CSU when it sold the 161-acre site to a home developer for $10 million.
"This really is the crown jewel of west Fort Collins," one resident said during the two-hour meeting, according to Coloradoan.com. "It's hallowed ground, and the thought of 600 to 700 homes on that space is somewhat of an atrocity."
Hughes Stadium was home to CSU's football program for 50 years until 2017 when it opened Canvas Stadium on campus. CSU’s Board of Governors signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with Lennar in January, and the project is currently in the final stages of a 90-day feasibility period, during which Lennar will determine whether the project should move forward.
Alan Cunningham, a representative from Lennar at the meeting wasn’t able to offer many details on the development, as the project is still in very early stages.
"We intend to have a mix of housing types" including a variety of single-family attached and detached houses to create more affordability, he said.
Cunningham said a Frisbee golf course will remain on site, but that it may be altered some. He also said there won’t be any retail on site.
The city is requiring an environmental impact report to assess what road or traffic improvements might be necessary or what protections might be needed for wildlife.
"We realize this is a very special site," said project planner Cameron Gloss. "We have found there is nothing better than being on a property to understand what you are trying to protect.”
Several community members criticized CSU for not being more hands on during the process, noting that they felt the university should have been at the meeting, ensuring that the project is done right. "The fact they're not here tells me they don't care," one resident said.
