new fort collins affordable housing project to go up at site of former elks lodge

A project with many partners will soon see the construction of 78 affordable housing units in downtown Fort Collins.
The project is set to be built on a 22,000 square foot site at 140 E. Oak Street, which was once  the home of the Elks Lodge Number 804.

That site been vacant for the past several years after the Elks moved to another location and the building they had used since 1937 was subsequently demolished.

The housing project, officially called the Spark, will include office and retail space on the ground floor, with the residential units themselves varying in size from studios to one and two-bedrooms.

The project is being sponsored by the Housing Catalyst, formerly known as the Fort Collins Housing Authority, as well as the city’s Downtown Development Authority.

Funding for the six-story project is coming in part from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as through low income housing tax credits offered by the Colorado Housing Authority.

Addressing the growing need for moderately-priced housing in a city experiencing a double-digit population increase since the year 2000, the new units will be available for residents making anywhere between 30 and 80 percent of the $61,000 median income.
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Launched in 1971, Housing Catalyst is dedicated to securing affordable housing for the residents of Fort Collins and larger Larimer County. The agency currently owns more than 1,000 homes purchased from both the private and public sector.

​By Garry Boulard

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