Adding passenger rail, an RTD bus station, and a college campus to downtown Longmont feels like a pipe dream. But before you reach for doubt, just remember…we never thought Winchell’s would reopen.
Tuesday night, Longmont City Council received a presentation detailing the progress of the 1st and Main transit hub, as well as Front Range Community College’s new downtown campus.
City council approved each of the four items related to the project on the agenda, in essence, providing the greenlight for predevelopment and design work.
What’s planned in the area?
RTD station
Passenger rail
New urban campus for FRCC
Private office development
NextLight is slated to be a major tenant.
Apartments
Food & beverage outlets
Big benefits:
FRCC President Dr. Colleen Simpson stressed the college’s desire to tailor education to the needs of Longmont employers.
Economic growth & long-term investments
Sales tax from commercial components alone estimated to provide $5.1 million to Longmont over 25 years
Looking ahead:
As long as everything progresses smoothly, construction plans include:
RTD station to break ground in October.
FRCC campus to break ground shortly after the first quarter of 2027.