Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NeighborWorks outlines Pikes Peak Park progress and seeks partners to finish $9M of infrastructure
Summary
NeighborWorks Southern Colorado told council Pikes Peak Park is a master‑planned, 80‑acre community with 616 units and 15 acres of parks; $8.5–9M has been invested so far and the nonprofit is seeking public and private partners to secure roughly $9M more to finish infrastructure and carry the project into construction.
NeighborWorks Southern Colorado delivered a progress report on Pikes Peak Park at the Pueblo City Council work session on Sept. 8, describing an 80‑acre master‑planned community on the city’s West Side with 616 planned mixed‑use, mixed‑income units, 15 acres of parks and connectivity to regional trails.
"Pikes Peak Park is a NeighborWorks community," Sandy Gutierrez, chief executive officer, said, introducing the organization’s presentation. Tamara Plaszek, director of real estate and community development, said the land purchase began in 2018 and was completed in 2019 and that the project has gone through master planning, a planned unit development (PUD) approval in March 2022 and platting in April 2024.
Plaszek said about $8.5 million to $9 million has been invested to date, including more than $3 million in private foundation funding and $900,000 from the city in ARPA reimbursements for infrastructure (water, sewer and stormwater work on Sun Mountain Boulevard). She emphasized that the project is now at a stage where NeighborWorks cannot finish it on its own and will seek partners over the next six months to secure remaining capital and development commitments.
"We are going to seek out partnerships; we are no longer going to be able to do this on our own," Plaszek said, adding that the organization will pursue partners who can help meet affordability commitments (NeighborWorks aims for about 50% of units to be affordable through shared‑equity, deed‑restricted models and down‑payment assistance).
Councilors raised technical and financial questions about phase sequencing, whether partial funding could start smaller buildable phases, and the status of ARPA reimbursements. Plaszek said the project was designed to be built in phases so construction can begin in parts of the site, but that certain infrastructure must be in place (streets, utilities) before certificates of occupancy can be issued. On ARPA, NeighborWorks said it has submitted reimbursement documentation for work completed and that portions of the project have been reimbursable rather than paid upfront.
On affordability and sales pricing, Plaszek declined to provide final sales prices for future homes but said current average sales prices in Pueblo are roughly $320,000–$325,000; she said shared‑equity tools will help close gaps between mortgage capacity and sales price for eligible households.
Council members praised the project’s community benefits, including the nearby fire station and corridor improvements, and urged city participation as a potential partner. NeighborWorks said it will return with partner proposals and next steps as those discussions proceed.
