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Alamosa reports downtown progress, new grants and housing projects headed to construction
Summary
City staff described a year-end downtown update including the Valhagen clock ribbon cutting, two RFPs for alley and banner design, a $2 million DOLA alley grant, a newly secured $1 million state grant (bringing a named project total above $2 million), and construction kickoff for housing projects including Horizon Heights and Sierra Azul.
City staff briefed the Alamosa City Council on downtown and housing projects, citing recent ribbon cuttings, grant awards and project starts that city officials say will shape redevelopment and affordable housing locally.
The presentation highlighted the Valhagen clock ribbon cutting as a heavily attended community event and reviewed downtown activation work: staff issued two requests for proposals for alleyway design tied to a $2,000,000 Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant and for banner artwork to be selected by the Main Street committee. Council previously set a $500 vacant-building fee to encourage reuse of empty storefronts.
On housing, staff described predevelopment meetings for an infill project south of downtown and a large market-rate development near the high school. Staff said they presented Horizon Heights — a behavioral-health-informed housing project — to the state behavioral-health administration and emphasized the project’s role marrying housing with services: ‘‘almost every single person that has lived at Horizon Heights…has at one point in their life experienced homelessness,’’ staff said, adding that two residents have already moved into stable housing.
Construction partners for housing were noted: a kickoff with the Tierra Azul construction team was described as positive, and staff said work is expected to begin in spring. The presentation also said the city received an additional $1,000,000 from a state reallocation, bringing the current Boyd project total to more than $2,000,000 secured this year.
Staff reported outreach meetings with the USDA rural housing administrator and national housing groups and said the ASU internship program provided fresh ideas for downtown activation. Councilors praised staff and asked for periodic project updates as construction and tenant moves proceed.
