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City approves IGA and development agreement to study Front Range Community College downtown campus and build First & Main transit hub
Summary
Longmont council authorized an IGA and appropriations to advance master planning with Front Range Community College and approved a development agreement with Vertical Richmark to design a mixed‑use area and a bus rapid transit hub at First & Main; all three items passed unanimously.
Longmont city council voted unanimously to advance a public‑private plan to site a Front Range Community College (FRCC) urban campus next to a proposed downtown transit center at First & Main.
The council approved three related actions on March 10: a resolution to enter an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with FRCC for master planning, an ordinance to appropriate city funds to the planning effort, and an ordinance approving a development agreement with Vertical Richmark for a mixed‑use master plan and construction of the First & Main transit hub. Jen Newton, assistant city manager for external services, told council the city will contribute $50,000 originally budgeted in 2019 and land resources to support predevelopment work; FRCC will contribute $499,000 toward planning.
Why it matters: FRCC President Dr. Colleen Simpson said the college currently leases 144,000 square feet across three Longmont sites at about $2.4 million per year and argued a permanent downtown campus would anchor workforce programs in health care, advanced manufacturing, engineering, arts and entrepreneurship while keeping graduates local. City staff and partners say pairing the campus with a transit center encourages transit‑oriented development, connects residents to jobs and training, and reduces long‑term lease costs for the college.
Council questions focused on design, wraparound development for safety around the proposed multi‑story parking structure, connections to the Greenway and alignment with the planned Mixed Use Innovation & Redevelopment (MUIR) area. Staff explained the proposed transit center includes roughly 600 parking stalls and may be wrapped by mixed‑use buildings on the Main Street side to provide active ground‑floor uses and improved security. Staff also said the city will lead and manage the consultant scope for the master plan, evaluating total space needs and concept design.
The vote: Council moved and approved the resolution and both ordinances on the council’s consent calendar after discussion. Staff said the actions represent the first phase and more detailed project approvals will return to council later in 2026.
Next steps: City staff will execute the IGA, advance consultant work with the developer, and bring future implementation and contract steps back to council for review and additional approvals.
