Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Higher Education Facility Cmc topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustees discuss potential sale of CMC facility and options for local higher‑education space
Summary
Board members and district staff discussed the likelihood that the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) building could be listed for sale and the community interest in preserving the facility for higher‑education use, trades training, preschool expansion or other community needs; no purchase decision or price was presented.
During the Aug. 12 joint work session, trustees and school board members discussed community interest in the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) campus building across the street and the possibility that the property could be put up for sale in the coming year. School officials said the building is a public facility outside the college’s tax district and that past negotiations with CMC and timing issues (including prior ballot timing) prevented a district purchase in earlier years. The school district noted it would need to place any ballot measure to join the college tax district before voters; district representatives said they have been in contact with community groups, the chamber and economic development partners about the building’s future. Speakers detailed uses the community has proposed for the site: expanded preschool space, vocational and trades training (including adult training), CSU extension programs, and other community uses. Presenters cautioned that specialized trade programs require sustained enrollment to be viable and that capital and operating costs would need to be assessed. One board member asked whether the district would lease space back to other providers if the district acquired the building; no definitive operational plan or purchase price was presented. The BOCES cooperative (BOCES) was described as a current regional partner that provides shared services (such as passthroughs for some federal funds and certain coordinators) to multiple school districts; presenters said BOCES would be a stakeholder in facility conversations. No formal action was taken at the work session; staff said they will continue community outreach and discussions with CMC and other institutions about possible futures for the facility. Questions from trustees focused on whether other community colleges or institutions might operate an outpost, what fixed restrictions exist on building use, and whether the facility’s fee restrictions or deed terms require educational use. Officials said the building has education use priority and that further due diligence is needed if the property becomes available for sale.
