Local fundraising support helps make
Carbondale's Third Street Center a reality
Roaring Fork Valley organizations have recently confirmed
commitments totaling $401,000
Contributed report
Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
A diverse collection of more than two
dozen nonprofit organizations, artists and for-profit
businesses are moving into their new homes in the
45,100-square-foot former Carbondale Elementary School.
But fundraising to pay for the multi-million dollar effort
that transformed the 49-year-old school into a
multi-tenant nonprofit center is ongoing.
A handful of Roaring Fork Valley organizations have
recently confirmed commitments totaling $401,000, bringing
the capital campaign to raise the funds needed much closer
to its $1.875 million goal, according to Colin Laird, the
Third Street Center's interim executive director.
"Early on, the campaign received substantial support from
governmental bodies, including the Colorado Department of
Local Affairs, Town of Carbondale, and Garfield County, as
well as from Aspen Community Foundation and Front Range
foundations," said Laird, "but this additional support
from local donors has brought the campaign to just over
$300,000 away from its ambitious goal. Without their
generosity, the Third Street Center would not exist."
In addition to providing a long-term
construction loan and permanent mortgage secured by bank
qualified tax-exempt bonds, Alpine Bank recently made a
$100,000 contribution.
"The Third Street Center is going to be
such a great asset not only to the Carbondale community
but the whole Roaring Fork Valley," said Richard Fuller,
president, Alpine Bank Carbondale. "Alpine Bank is pleased
to be able to be a part of it because it will serve so
many of the wonderful nonprofit organizations in our
valley that in turn serve and help so many residents."
The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), which
will have a mid-valley office in the Third Street Center,
made a pre-development grant of $80,000 to help with the
project's design and later made a second commitment of
$101,000. CORE is a nonprofit organization that promotes
renewable energy, energy efficiency and green building in
western Colorado and beyond.
"The Center's reuse of existing building
space, green design and efficiency upgrades illustrate the
Carbondale community's commitment to sustainability,"
explained Nathan Ratledge, CORE Director. "From
day-lighting and boiler upgrades to low-flow toilets and
substantial solar production, Carbondale should be proud
of its latest addition. Our hats are off to the design
team!"
Another generous grant of $20,000 came
from The Thrift Shop of Aspen, an organization that has
been supporting nonprofits throughout the valley since its
founding more than 50 years ago.
"The Thrift Shop, which is a nonprofit
itself, averages over $300,000 per year in donations to
more than 90 nonprofits, but we tend to spread out our
support and rarely make a grant of this size," said
Christina Patterson, Thrift Shop Board President. "In
light of the range of human and social needs being met by
the nonprofits in the Center, many of which we fund
annually, our Board and volunteers chose to make a larger
grant."
The Manaus Fund, a social entrepreneurship fund that
loaned major pre-development funding to the Center, has
made a combined contribution of $100,000. Half of this
donation is being directed to the campaign, and the second
$50,000 is being shared among tenants to use for
improvements to their individual spaces.
"We've been fortunate to have outstanding leadership from
key funders as well as their financial participation,"said
Laird. "Former Carbondale Mayor Michael Hassig, The Manaus
Fund founder George Stranahan and Alpine Banks of Colorado
Chairman J. Robert Young all serve as Honorary Chairs of
the Third Street Center Campaign."
Laird announced that planning for a Grand Opening
Celebration to be held at the Center, Saturday, June 19,
4-9 p.m. is underway. "The entire Roaring Fork Valley
community and all of our supporters far and wide are
invited," said Laird. "The Grand Opening promises to be
the party of the year in Carbondale."
John Stroud
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
CARBONDALE, Colorado -
Carbondale's Third Street Center is well on its way toward
a nearly $1.9 million capital campaign goal, as work
continues to convert the former school building into an
energy-efficient home to more than two dozen nonprofit
organizations.
To date, the project has received gifts and pledges
totaling $1.25 million, including several government
grants and a $100,000 challenge grant from the Gates
Family Foundation, plus a variety of other foundation and
individual grants.
The final phase of construction began this week, with a
projected completion date of next May. The public is
invited to an informal open house and groundbreaking
celebration on Dec. 3 at 4:30 p.m.
The 45,100-square-foot former Carbondale Elementary School
building will eventually become home to between 20 and 30
organizations that are now scattered throughout the
Roaring Fork Valley, according to Colin Laird, interim
executive director for the Carbondale Community Nonprofit
Center, the organization formed to head up the project.
"Now that we're starting the final phase of construction,
we want to remind people that we're still working toward
our fundraising goal, which we hope to meet by next
summer," Laird said Tuesday.
About half of the center's space has already been leased
to tenants, including Mountain Valley Developmental
Services, Solar Energy International, Sustainability
Center of the Rockies, the Wilderness Workshop, and
YouthZone.
Already operating out of a portion of the building that is
complete is the Senior Matters center, which offers a
variety of programs and a meeting place for local senior
citizens.
The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities (CCAH) plans
to coordinate a variety of gallery shows, performances and
community gatherings in the center's "Round Room."
"We are excited about the spirit and energy that will be
created by all of the tenants," said CCAH Executive
Director Ro Mead. "I believe the entire community will
reap the benefits of the Third Street Center."
Government grants to help complete the project include
$500,000 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs,
$135,000 from Garfield County and $100,000 from the town
of Carbondale.
Among the foundation donors is the Aspen Community
Foundation, which also plans to establish a downvalley
office at the Third Street Center.
"The Third Street Center is designed to foster a
synergistic exchange of ideas and resources among
nonprofits that in turn supports programs of lasting
relevance and value for our community," said Tamara
Tormohlen, the foundation's executive director. "This made
the center an outstanding fit from a funding standpoint."
Other funding entities included the Environment
Foundation, the El Pomar Foundation and The Manaus Fund,
which provided predevelopment funding. Alpine Bank also
provided a construction loan and mortgage secured by bank
qualified tax-exempt bonds.
The project came about last fall when a land swap between
the town and the Roaring Fork School District Re-1 put the
school property in the town's hands. The town subsequently
agreed to a renewable 49-year lease for the Third Street
Center.
The idea was to provide long-term, affordable rental space
for nonprofit organizations, artists and small businesses
under one roof with shared spaces, such as a conference
room and break area.
The remodeled building also has a variety of green design
features, including a rooftop solar photovoltaic electric
system.
Laird said another $300,000 in grant proposals for the
project are still pending.
Though it's still under renovation, a handful of
nonprofits are getting ready to move into the Third
Street Center, and a few have moved in already. Photo
by Jane Bachrach
Third Street Center pulling in tenants;
but looking for more
By Jeremy Heiman
It's a popular place. Dozens of
nonprofit organizations are lining up for space in the
Third Street Center. But what the project really needs is
renters willing and able to take on the commitment of a
long-term lease.
Project coordinator Sara Plesset said
that spaces are still available at the nonprofit center in
the former Carbondale Elementary School building, though
numerous organizations have paid deposits to get onto a
waiting list. Several have signed long-term leases for
spaces in the building and the numbers are growing. The
center will open in spring 2010
"We're leasing the long-term spaces
now," Plesset said. "By the time we open the doors we'll
be filled."
Nonprofits that have already signed
long-term leases include Sustainability Center of the
Rockies (SCoR), Mountain Regional Housing Corporation,
Wilderness Workshop, Healthy Mountain Communities,
Mountain Valley Developmental Services, Carbondale Council
on Arts and Humanities, Solar Energy International (SEI),
and Youth Zone. More groups are in lease negotiations,
including Community Office for Resource Efficiency, Aspen
Community Foundation, A Spiritual Center, Lift-Up, and
Crystal River Ballet School.
According to information provided by the
Third Street Center, space is being offered to nonprofits
at about half the going rate locally. Because of high
property values in the Roaring Fork Valley, there's a
great deal of pent-up demand for low-cost rental space.
Some groups need a place right away.
"We actually have people calling us
every day wanting space, but we don't have any more right
now," Plesset said.
The Third Street Center is crawling with
activity. Contractors are hard at work on a renovation
that encompasses almost the entire building.
Plesset said the work that remains to be
done includes replacing of the boilers, upgrading the
mechanical system, insulation work, the last phase of
asbestos removal, and installing of a solar hot water
system for heating and domestic hot water.
Though there's immediate demand for
space, most of the building is still empty. But three
organizations have already occupied spaces in the old
school under short-term leases. Mountain Valley
Developmental Services, Senior Matters and SEI are now
using spaces that will be renovated after the rest of the
building is done.
Current renters satisfied
SEI's business manager, Sandy Pickard,
said the temporary classroom space at the Third Street
Center is just what the renewable energy education
organization needed.
SEI has been growing exponentially for
the past five years, she said, and the majority of SEI's
classes are now held in Paonia. High costs in the Roaring
Fork Valley have made it difficult to expand here.
At the old school, SEI will offer a
building science class that explores the ways buildings
can be improved through energy efficiency and renewable
energy features.
"This just seems to be a natural fit,"
she said. "This building is the perfect example."
SEI has been a close partner in the
development of the project, Pickard said, and SEI is happy
about the prospect of being in a building that houses
other nonprofits, is a community project, and is exemplary
in its use of renewable energy.
Also happy to be in the building is
Amanda Emerson, director of enrichment for Mountain Valley
Developmental Services. The Glenwood Springs-based agency
provides opportunities for developmentally disabled
citizens to live more useful and interesting lives.
Mountain Valley has one permanent space
and will soon have a second space as well.
Currently, Emerson said, the space is
used to provide education and enrichment services to
clients who cannot work or who choose not to work.
The space is also a base for outings to
such destinations as the farmers' market and parks and
natural areas. "It's wonderful," Emerson said. "It's
working very well for us."
Sign up for the gym, kitchen
Project coordinator Plesset said it's
important that prospective tenants sign leases soon, not
only to reserve the spaces, but also because periodic
drafts from construction loan funds hinge on getting legal
commitments from tenants.
The gym, cafeteria and industrial
kitchen still need work, for example. But commitments are
needed in order to fund those renovations, too. Plesset
said leasing those spaces has proved tricky. Because of
their size, they will no doubt need to be divided among
several tenants.
The kitchen might be rented hourly, she
said, or become part of a building cafe. The gym might be
rented in evening-long slots, or might be rented by for
physical activity classes at lunchtime.
"But we need people to step up now and
say they're interested in that space," Plesset said. "That
will determine the scope of the remodel."
For more information, log on to
thirdstreetcenter.net
Carbondale 'green' center welcomes local nonprofits
Will Grant
Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Carbondale's 3rd Street Center is off to a good start:
It's leasing more than a third of its available space,
generating nearly half of its own energy requirement, and
remodeling other parts of the building to comply with
building codes.
The center, one of Carbondale's highest-profile "green"
buildings, occupies the former Carbondale Elementary
School and is intended to house local nonprofit
organizations. The center hopes to provide affordable
office space for nonprofits and offset its operating costs
with rooftop solar panels.
The design and real estate company Land + Shelter, which
represents the owners of the 3rd Street Center, has
developed the site, renovated the building and worked with
the nonprofits interested in leasing office space in the
center.
"Really, it's just a vehicle for other nonprofits to do
their work," said Andrea Korber of Land + Shelter. "We're
mission-driven. We want to offer nonprofits a place they
can afford and count on in the future."
The 3rd Street Center leases space to nonprofits at a
lower rate per square foot. High rental rates in the
Roaring Fork Valley have made it hard for many nonprofits
to work here, Korber said.
"They're getting priced out of the valley," she said.
"This is no longer rural Carbondale. We're a lot more like
Aspen."
But Land + Shelter hopes the 3rd Street Center will do
more than just house nonprofits: They want it to be a
model for the community.
"We're doing things that are demonstrative, for
educational purposes," Korber said. "It's important to do
this because the building has such a public role."
Sol Energy installed the rooftop solar-array and has
similar hopes for the building's role.
"I think it's a wonderful community project," said Ken
Olson, president of Sol Energy. "The norm has been to tear
down old buildings, haul the stuff to the dump, and then
rebuild with new materials brought in. But one of our
premises here has been to recycle, reuse."
Reusing the former elementary school, however, has
required a lot of attention. Because the building will now
be used as office space, rather than a schoolhouse, the
change of use requires compliance with a different set of
building codes.
The center plans to give the building a new roof, update
lighting fixtures, and install fire sprinkler systems,
solar tubes and skylights. It will also make more parts of
the building handicap accessible, and remodel many of the
walls and doors to meet regulations.
Korber of Land + Shelter said the center is scheduled to
fully open next spring, but that it's been a long road
getting to where they are today.
"This is an idea that's been brewing for 20 years," she
said. "It hasn't been a case where any one person"s
carried all the water. It's been a group effort all the
way."
Even as the community was wondering
where the stolen panels from the rec. center had gone, a
new solar system came on line in Carbondale last week. The
solar array at the Third Street Center was officially
activated last week. It is expected to provide a little
less than half of the total energy used by the facility
once it's fully occupied. Sol Energy, the company that
designed and installed the system at the Carbondale rec.
center, also designed the 52 kW Third Street system.
Pictured:
Ken Olson, Mike Bouchet, Marco Guevara, Kris Lathrop,
Amanda Emerson, Andi Korber, Colin Martin (hidden), Kevin
Lundy, Katharine Rushton, Jeff Quakenbush, Robin Scher,
Anibal Guevara, Jeff Dickinson, Spencer Schacter and Gavin
Brooke. Photo by Jane Bachrach
KJAX
Morning Newscast - August 13, 2008
The Town of Carbondale will be one step closer
this week to having a non-profit center similar to Aspen's Red
Brick Center for the Arts. A period of "Due Diligence" ends
Friday in the real estate trade between the Town and the
Roaring Fork School District. Aspen Public Radio's Victoria
Foley reports.
February, 2009
Third Street Center nonprofit collective comes to
life
By Jeremy Heiman
Sopris Sun reporter
The Third Street tenants are getting ready to move into
the former Carbondale Elementary School building, which is
being converted into a complex for nonprofit organizations
known as the Third Street Center.
"This pre-lease stage makes some office space available as
construction begins on the rest of the facility," said
Gavin Brooke of Land Shelter and the developer on the
project.
Workers have been remodeling "the quad" a group of four
classrooms on the east side of the building, said Third
Street Center Development Team member Jeff Dickinson of
Energy & Sustainable Design.
Solar Energy International Senior Matters and Mountain
Valley Develop- mental Services have committed to lease
three of the four spaces and will be moving in soon.
B & H General Contractors is currently working to complete
the quad and bring restrooms into compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Other occupants of the building haven't been determined
yet though about 30 groups have put down deposits in order
to be considered for space in the building.
Senior Matters Senior Matters provides nutrition transportation and
activities programs for Carbondale seniors Virginia
Sterrett who likes to be known as gina with a small "g" is
chairman of Senior Matters.
"We want to start developing some more senior activities
programs," Sterrett said.
Senior Matters hopes to move into its new space in March,
which will be open on a daily basis for seniors to come in
and visit during daytime hours.
Sterrett said the organization will add to its existing
nutrition program by serving lunch to seniors every Friday
at the Third Street Center The group now provides a
seniors meal every Wednesday at Crystal Meadows in
partnership with Garfield County which transports food
from the cafeteria at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood
Springs.
"It's a very successful program," Sterrett said.
In the future Senior Matters hopes to provide classes and
educational re sources on site One example, she said,
would be to bring in a speaker from the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation who could provide information on how to
avoid scams and swindles The group also hopes to provide
tutoring on computer use.
Senior Matters intends to make its Third Street Center
space available to other organizations when it's not in
use Sterrett said.
"It's a community thing," she said.
"Senior Matters is for seniors but it's for the community
too," The Mt. Sopris Bridge Club has already made
arrangements to meet at the Senior Matters space on
Wednesday evenings.
Mountain Valley Developmental Mountain Valley Developmental Services will operate a
day program in its space, said Amanda Emerson, director of
enrichment services for the organization Mountain Valley
provides services such as education, employment services
and housing assistance for developmentally disabled people
in Garfield County and three nearby counties
About eight Mountain Valley clients live in Carbondale now
Emerson said.
The new space will be used to provide enrichment services
for clients who are unable to work including reading
stories and taking trips into the community The program
here similar to existing programs in Glenwood Springs and
Silt, will start with a handful of clients and expand to
serve about 14. The design of the space is basic, and will
include a small office for Mountain Valley case managers.
The hours of operation will probably be 9 a m to p m
Emerson said she doesn't expect they will move in until
about April after work on restrooms is completed.
Solar Energy International Johnny Weiss executive director of Carbondale based
Solar Energy International said the organization hasn't
determined the exact use of their space but currently
needs classroom space and office space SEI provides
education on the design installation and use of renewable
energy systems and energy efficient building technologies.
"How we use the space remains to be determined," Weiss
said. "But overtime, we're definitely considering our
options."
The organization which has a presence in different states
has needs that are constantly changing. "We're not real
clear on exactly how many square feet we need at any given
moment," Weiss added.
He said he's not sure when SEI will be able to move into
the Third Street Center space but the organization needs
an other Carbondale classroom very soon.
"We've outgrown our digs here and we're looking forward to
being part of the Third Street project," he said.
Third Street board of directors The Town of Carbondale took pos session of the
building on October in a land swap with the Roaring Fork
School District The project is being overseen by the Third
Street Center board of directors and development team.
Board Members include Stacey Bernot, Richard Fuller Laura
Kirk, Dan Miller Michael McVoy Ro Mead George Stranahan
and Shane Evans The development team includes Gavin Brooke
of Land Shelter Colin Laird of Roaring Fork Community
Development Corporation and Jeff Dickinson of Energy and
Sustainable Design.
To guide some of the design management and operational
aspects of the Third Street Center the development team
has created a tenant advisory committee made up of
representatives of nonprofits that have applied for leases
in the building. Current members, according to the Third
Street Center Web site, are Diane Johnson and Russ
Criswell (Senior Matters John Masters (Grass roots TV Ro
Mead (CCAH Sandy Pickard (SEI), Evan Zislis (YouthZone)
and Mountain Valley's Amanda Emerson.
Work on the building is continuing Dickinson said The
group is currently working on modifications to the roof of
the long hall to accommodate an array of photovoltaic
(solar electric panels that will contribute power toward
the building's electrical demands.
"We're in the design phase on that," Dickinson said Third
Street Center is working with Ken Olsen and his firm Sol
Energy to fit the hallway with a new roof skylights and
racks to hold enough photovoltaic panels to produce
kilo-watts of juice.
Currently a common room is avail able to be rented by
groups and members of the community for events and
projects More information on renting this room can be
found on the Third Street Center Web site.
The Third Street Center is scheduled to be fully open in
the spring of 2010.
"We're moving as fast as we can to get people in there,"
Dickinson said.
The next step To learn more about the Third Street Center, call Sara
Plesset at 963-0201to discuss leasing opportunities, call
Colin Laird interim Executive Director, at 963-5502.
Third Street Center Development Team holds brown bag
lunches on the
first Thursday of every month to discuss the project.
After months of meetings behind closed doors, the town of
Carbondale and the Roaring Fork School District are ready
to close a real estate deal involving the old Carbondale
Elementary School building and the former North Face
property at the south end of town.
The town will own the former school
building, and the district will get possession of a piece
of the former North Face property formerly owned by the
Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities, located at
the Meadowood Drive entrance to the new Roaring Fork High
School. The trustees will need to finalize a lease with
Roaring Fork Community Development Corp., the group that
will redevelop the old CES building to serve as a base
for nonprofit organizations.
The nonprofit center will be governed by
a board of directors with seven members, said town
attorney Mark Hamilton, and the trustees will be allowed
to select one board member. The tenants, the nonprofit
organizations that will populate the building, will be
allowed three members on the board, he said.
Trustee John Foulkrod argued that the
tenants should not be allowed three members, because,
although they would not be a majority, they could still
control the agenda in board meetings, and lock in a
certain group of organizations, to the exclusion of
others.
Gavin Brooke, an architect and a
representative of Roaring Fork Community Development
Corp., argued that more tenants should be allowed on the
board because they would be more deeply invested in
decisions than anyone else.
Trustee Stacey Bernot agreed, pointing
out that Carbondale has only a limited number of people
who are willing to become involved in such things as board
membership.
"The people who will be most concerned
about how this operates are the tenants," she said.
Mayor Michael Hassig said he doesn't
think it's likely that nonprofit representatives on the
board of directors would act as a bloc.
Hamilton said that the current economic
climate brought some uncertainty into the financing of the
remodel of the building, but he thought funding still
would be available.
Brooke said he has been in contact with
Alpine Bank periodically and is still confident that
Alpine would be able to finance the project through
bonding, as previously discussed. The bonds would be
issued with a 25-year maturity schedule.
The trustees approved a motion
authorizing Mayor Hassig to sign the closing documents.
Closing is tentatively scheduled for
Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Nonprofit Center transformation expected to begin
soon
Jeremy Heiman
The Valley Journal
Remodeling work to turn the old
Carbondale Elementary School at Third Street and Capitol
Avenue into an energy-efficient nonprofit center can
commence in September, if all goes well.
Colin Laird, director of the Roaring Fork Community
Development Corporation, said he expects a land exchange
between the Roaring Fork School District and the town of
Carbondale will take place in mid-September, putting the
building in the hands of the town.
A recent zoning action by the town split the school
building and surrounding land off from the larger school
campus, so that the land swap could take place.
Now, the nonprofit center project can proceed separately
from the school district's longer-term plans to develop
teacher housing on the larger site.
Laird, who is also executive director of
Healthy Mountain
Communities, said a separate non-profit organization,
governed by a board of directors, will hold a lease on the
building, which is being called the Carbondale Community
nonprofit Center, or C3. Openings on that board are
currently being filled. The building will be owned by the
Town of Carbondale.
The group working on the nonprofit center has filed an
application to the federal government for 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt status, Laird said, and is working out
financial details of the project. They already have
financing commitments from Alpine Bank, he said.
Laird said 25 to 30 nonprofit groups have expressed
interest in relocating to the building and put down a
deposit. RFCDC has begun to negotiate lease terms with
some, he said. A selection committee will be formed in the
fall to determine which groups are the best fit for the
nonprofit center, because the number of applicants is
expected to be greater than the number of available
spaces. Laird said that is job that must be taken
seriously.
"We're not trying to exclude anyone," he said.
Earlier plans for the building called for a small business
incubator. Laird said plans for that feature are not as
advanced as other aspects of the project. RFCDC is still
in discussion with the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce,
though.
"There's still a placeholder for it," Laird said. "It
could be a component of the final building."
When the land swap is complete, the elementary school
building will stand on a parcel of approximately 2.7
acres. The building itself measures about 45,000 square
feet, and will have about 35,000 square feet of leaseable
space, Laird said. The remainder is common areas,
including hallways and a community room.
Lots of work ahead
From the time the land swap is completed, Laird said, it
may be as much as a year before the building can be opened
to prospective tenants. Asbestos remediation, energy
efficiency improvements and remodeling all will take time.
"All this is predicated on the swap happening," Laird
said. "This (land swap) is the first big milestone."
Major structural changes are not planned for the building,
Laird said, but some walls may be moved and some ceilings
will be raised, partly to help with daylighting. The
thermal efficiency of the building's shell will be
improved as well.
Heating and cooling systems will need to be adapted to the
building's new year-round use, Laird said.
The energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements
are somewhat
dependent on budget, Laird said. Many of the changes were
suggested in a green design charrette, or brainstorming
session held in April, involving 40 architects, Laird
said.
"We're going to take the ideas from that and see what we
can afford to do," he said.
The project may cost as much as $4 million, Laird said.
But most of the items that will drive up the initial cost
will drive down the month-to-month operating costs. A
photovoltaic system, energy efficient windows and
daylighting features are expensive up front, but reduce
the cost of operating a building, he said.
Efficiency possibilities are many
Jeff Dickinson, of
Energy & Sustainable Design, Inc., who is heading up
the architectural work on the project, said final
decisions have not been made on most of the energy-saving
features for the building. But the wish list is long.
Some of the more basic things high on the agenda are
upgrading the
insulation and replacing as many windows as possible with
energy-efficient windows. An analysis of the benefits will
determine how many windows are replaced, Dickinson said.
The group is also looking into replacing the existing
boilers with more efficient models, and adding solar
thermal panels to assist the heating system, Dickinson
said.
"We may be looking at heat pumps, too," he said. These
would use ground source heat to assist the heating and
cooling systems. During the winter, the system pumps water
or coolant into a loop of pipe in the ground and collects
heat from the earth and carries it through the system and
into the building. During the summer, the system reverses
itself to cool the building by pulling heat from the
building, pumping it through the system and leaving it in
the ground.
Dickinson said a number of alternative heating and cooling
systems are under consideration to be used in a
demonstration/education function in the building, to
illustrate how they work and how well they perform. The
designers are considering several different systems, for
example, that take advantage of Carbondale's climate, and
especially the greater difference in temperature between
night and day.
The light of day
Daylighting features are also being considered, Dickinson
said. The architects are considering such improvements as
clerestory windows, windows located above eye level for
the purpose of allowing more daylight into a room; light
tubes or sun pipes, tubes that are often coated with a
reflective material on the inside, to bring daylight into
a room through a roof; or light monitors, ramp-shaped or
wedge-shaped raised areas on a roof, with a window
located on the highest side to collect daylight.
The designers are working with Rising Sun Enterprises,
Inc., a Basalt lighting consultant that specializes in
energy-efficient lighting solutions, and Rising Sun has
brought in a daylighting specialist, Dickinson said.
A Living Machine, which is a greenhouse containing plants
and
microorganisms that help to treat sewage, is also a
possibility for the nonprofit center, Laird said.
One thing that's definite is the solar electric system
that is planned for the building. Dickinson said the
design group has already received proposals for
installation of a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic system that
will be mounted on the building.
There are also plans for the initial 50 kW system to be
supplemented by anadditional 100 kW of solar panels to be
mounted on and around the building, he said.
Looks aren't everything
The look of the building will definitely be changing, and
not just due to the addition of all the solar panels and
daylighting gizmos. Will Young, a Carbondale architect, is
working on the exterior, Dickinson said.
"We're looking at adding a lot of architectural appeal to
it," he said. "We'll be adding to the 'wow' factor."
All of the energy efficiency and renewable energy features
the building is expected to make the nonprofit center
cheap to operate, but the architects working on it hope it
will also be a showplace for energy efficiency.
"There are a lot of people excited about the possibilities,"
Dickinson said.
"Our goal is to have it be a living building," he
continued. That's a building that actually gives back
energy, rather that consuming it, he explained. He said
the architects have goals for reusing materials and
minimizing the distance from which new materials are
shipped, in order to reduce the total transportation
energy required to remodel the old school.
The designers hope to receive recognition for the
building's energy efficiency and renewable energy
production from the U.S. Green Building Council, which
grants LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) certification to buildings that meet certain
standards.
"We'll definitely be following the LEED criteria for this
building," Dickinson said.
"Taking it beyond LEED is what this is about."
"This is a complicated project because of all the
organizations involved," Laird said. "There are a million
things that could have happened to derail it, and it's
still going to happen."
He praised the Roaring Fork School District Board and the
Carbondale
Trustees for seeing the project through.
"We're going to turn it into something more than what it
once was--an
efficient, sustainable nonprofit center," he said.
With efforts to redevelop the former Carbondale Elementary
School proceeding briskly, the demand is growing for space
in the building once it is converted into a base for
nonprofit organizations.
The project, now known as the Carbondale Community Center,
or C3, has a list on its website of about 30 groups that
have ponied up a $500 deposit in order to be considered as
prospective tenants in the building.
The building is in the hands of the town of Carbondale,
thanks to a property swap last year with the Roaring Fork
School District [note: the land swap actually has not been
completed as of this article]. The Carbondale trustees
have invited the Sustainability Center of the Rockies to
help with the redevelopment and hired SCoR members Jeff
Dickinson and Gavin Brooke, both architects, along with
the Roaring Fork Community Development Corp. to create a
green development plan for CES.
Local nonprofits that have put down a deposit on space in
the yet-to-be redeveloped elementary school site have
different reasons for moving there, and different levels
of urgency in their desire to do so.
Some are attracted to the idea of working close to other
nonprofits and sharing ideas, energy and assets. Others,
perhaps victims of local real estate prices, are looking
for more affordable digs. Others, such as YouthZone, see
the center as an opportunity to have a greater presence in
Carbondale. Several are considering the move for a
combination of reasons.
CCAH can hardly wait
The Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities is one of
those groups hoping the refurbished elementary school is
ready sooner rather than later. Ro Mead, executive
director of CCAH, said the current Main Street
headquarters of her organization is rented and the owner
has put the building up for sale, so her organization has
little security.
"It could be any day," Mead said. Moreover, the existing
gallery space is too small for teaching programs CCAH
would like to do and also too small for some exhibits, she
added.
"We can't do any programs without renting space," she
said.
But perhaps most important, Mead said, the organization is
looking forward to being in a space where it can grow, and
to being neighbors with other nonprofit organizations such
as Solar Energy International and radio station KDNK.
"We really want to build an arts center there," she said.
"We'll be in the heart of it."
Steve Skinner, station manager at community access radio
station KDNK, said the station hasn't decided for certain
whether its future lies at the former elementary school.
KDNK now co-owns its building on Second Street with Solar
Energy International. So, making the decision to leave
will be difficult.
"We're waiting to find out if it makes financial sense,"
Skinner said.
KDNK may need more room
One thing that would draw KDNK to the nonprofits center
would be more room to plan for the future. But whether
they jump on board or not, Skinner said the staff and
board of directors at KDNK are excited about the
possibilities presented by the center.
"All of us at KDNK are totally supportive of the project,"
he said. They're open to various levels of participation,
including the possibility of just renting additional
studio space.
"We're definitely excited about it," Skinner said. "We'll
be involved."
A local organization that's not quite so excited about the
prospect of moving is the New Century Transportation
Foundation, created to advance the cause of
resource-efficient mobility choices, currently located in
the SAW building. Alice Laird, NCTF director, said her
organization is only thinking about the CES site as a
place for future expansion.
"The SAW building works perfectly great," Laird said.
Wilderness Workshop is much less equivocal about the idea
of moving into the nonprofits center.
"We're psyched to be part of the vibrancy that it will
create, with all those nonprofits there," said Sloan
Shoemaker, Wilderness Workshop"s executive director.
Further, said Shoemaker, the idea of recycling the CES
building is exciting, because it's essentially a
brownfields redevelopment project. Brownfields
redevelopment is usually defined as a cleanup and
redevelopment of an old industrial site, so CES isn't
quite the same, but it's better in terms of land
conservation than the previous location SCoR had chosen
for a nonprofits center and business incubator. SCoR had
an undeveloped site near CRMS under contract, but backed
away from that plan last fall.
"The idea of greening it and making it more sustainable is
really very exciting," Shoemaker said.
Wilderness Workshop looks at long term
Other reasons come to mind as well for Shoemaker. The
Wilderness Workshop's current location, in a modular
building on Main Street, may also be redeveloped at some
time.
"We're looking for long-term stability," he said. "We're
looking to hunker down somewhere."
Shoemaker also expects that being in close proximity to
other nonprofits will increase his organization's
membership because of increased exposure to like-minded
individuals.
And he expects the CES location to be relatively
inexpensive, in a town that's been hit by high rent for
office space.
"I don't see us finding a better deal than what we'll find
there," he said.
Gary Goodson, director of the Community Office for
Resource Efficiency, also sees multiple opportunities at
the nonprofit center. One important advantage of being
located there is the plans to make the former school
building a showplace of energy efficiency and renewable
energy.
"CORE sees it as a huge opportunity," Goodson said. "We
want to walk our talk."
In addition, Goodson said he thinks being in close
proximity to other like-minded organizations will foster
the growth of ideas.
"We'll be sharing ideas with each other," he said. At a
distance, he said, it's difficult to create partnerships.
In a shared facility, however, "You can just pop your head
in the door and say 'hello.'"
There's a sort of reciprocal relationship, too, between
CORE and the developers of the nonprofit center. The
nonprofit center is the recipient of a grant from CORE
under the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program. REMP grants
are funded by assessing monetary penalties against new
developments in the Aspen area that use excessive amounts
of energy.
Goodson said that grant money will be well spent because
the energy efficient improvements to the old school
building may continue to save energy for 30 or 40 years.
SEI needs classroom space
Johnny Weiss, co-founder and executive director of Solar
Energy International, which provides education on
workshops on solar construction and energy efficiency, is
also excited about moving to a remodeled green facility.
"I see it as a very positive opportunity," Weiss said.
"We're excited about being in a real world-class nonprofit
facility."
"I think the synergy with other nonprofits will be very
helpful," he continued. SEI also needs to expand, and the
nonprofit center will provide that opportunity.
"We're looking for a space that's better suited to meeting
our long-term goals," he said. Those goals include
expansion and the need for more classroom space.
Some organizations on the human services side of the
spectrum are also interested in the nonprofit center.
YouthZone, which provides counseling and programs for
adolescents and parents of teens throughout the valley,
now has only a temporary presence in Carbondale. The
organization has the use of an office for occasional
counseling, but has no permanent personnel in town.
"We're hoping to have a permanent office space there,"
said Evan Zislis, upvalley division manager and
spokesperson for the group.
"Carbondale has underutilized YouthZone," he continued.
"It's a way for us to have a greater presence in town."
CES renovation planning team organizes;
meeting March 6
Valley Journal staff report
The initial members of the newly formed
Carbondale Community Center (C3) team, as it is currently
being called, met recently to begin overseeing the
renovation of the old Carbondale Elementary School (CES)
into what is envisioned to be a green, affordable
community nonprofit center.
As the center becomes more established, additional board
members will be added, including tenant representatives.
"This is a critical piece toward the renovation of the old
school," said Colin Laird, director of the Roaring Fork
Community Development Corporation (RFCDC). "We wanted to
get some key players who will make this a successful
project."
Laird said that meetings with prospective tenants will
hopefully come up with a better name for the nonprofit
center. Laird also said that there has been a strong
interest among tenants so far in the process. Laird
estimates that about 25 to 30 potential tenants have come
forward expressing interest in locating in the facility.
"It's exciting to see how this project has come together," said C3 board member and town trustee Stacey Bernot. "It's
a project with a lot of moving parts that have yet to be
finalized, but we are moving in a great direction."
The CES renovation is a joint effort between the town of
Carbondale, the Sustainability Center of the Rockies
(SCoR) and the Roaring Fork Community Development
Corporation. SCoR and RFCDC are nonprofit organizations
that have teamed up on the project because of their
interests in making the new facility green and affordable.
"The current building has parts that are over 40 years
old, low ceilings and dark interior spaces," said SCoR/CDC
development team member Jeff Dickinson of Energy and
Sustainable Design. "We've learned a lot about how to make
buildings more efficient and more enjoyable places to work
in. Upgrading an old building creates a great model for
sustainable design."
The Carbnondale Elementary School renovation is part of a
complicated land swap and development application with the
Roaring Fork School District (RFSD). The school district
is subdividing the larger school campus property, which is
currently home to both the old elementary school and the
current middle school, to enable affordable housing, with
teachers being given priority.
The non-profits center would be established in the old CES
building, and Bridges High School, the Computers for Kids
organization, and other school district support services
are slated to move into the middle school building once
the former Roaring Fork High building on Snowmass Drive is
ready for the middle school to make its move.
"Collaborative, public-minded development projects almost
always take longer than you expect," said Gavin Brooke of
Land and Shelter and another member of the development
team. "What has been so exciting and encouraging is how
many partners have already committed to making the project
a success."
In addition to the town, which has supported the initial
planning for the project, the Manaus Fund (which focuses
on socially entrepreneurial projects) has agreed to
finance the pre-development component of the project. And
Alpine Bank is working to help finance the construction.
More than 25 organizations, from arts and environmental
organizations to senior and recreation programs, have
shown interest in the project and committed a $500
deposit.
The exact timeline for renovation and occupancy depends on
the timing of subdivision approval and land swap, which is
currently in the planning stages after the town approved a
zoning plan last fall.
Bridges High School is also temporarily using CES until
June. In the meantime, the SCoR/CDC development team is
getting the pieces in place to get construction rolling
this year.
"We have a lot of contracts to negotiate, architectural
drawings to complete, additional funds to raise, and
discussions to have with potential tenants over the next
four to five months," said Dickinson. "The exact timeframe
is not as clear as we want it to be at this point, but the
critical path to complete the project is. The new facility
will be another jewel for the Carbondale community."
With the new board formed, the CES planning will continue
with a community meeting and discussion open to the public
on March 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Carbondale
Community Center (old Carbondale Elementary School). To
attend the meeting, RSVP to Andi Korber at 963-0201.
Carbondale trustees voted on Tuesday to
enter into an agreement with the Sustainability Center of
the Rockies and the newly formed Roaring Fork Community
Development Corp. to help manage the old Carbondale
Elementary School building as a nonprofits center and
small business incubator.
The two nonprofits will act on behalf of the town to work
through details of what SCoR's Gavin Brooke calls "an
incredible community asset."
The town authorized $22,500 for SCoR and the CDC to
perform pre-development services. Those services include
things like creating a rate structure for the tenants of
the building, meeting with potential tenants and making a
recommendation whether the spaces will be for sale or
lease, researching financing and fundraising options as
well as an estimate of total costs to bring the building
up to code and make desired aesthetic and efficiency
improvements.
The town also approved $31,100 for local architect Jeff
Dickinson, whose firm Energy and Sustainable Design was
chosen to perform architectural services on CES in June.
And up to $10,000 was allocated to enable local
consultants Joani Matranga and Bob Schultz to continue the
services they have provided for the town until the project
can be fully turned over to the SCoR/CDC team.
The money for the services comes from the town's general
fund, where $100,000 was budgeted in 2007 for work at CES.
Meanwhile, the Carbondale Planning and Zoning Commission
is reviewing a rezoning request for the entire 14.2-acre
school site, which includes the old CES building as well
as the land surrounding the former Carbondale Middle
School building. The CMS building itself will become home
to Bridges High School and other school district programs.
The rezoning and subdivision of the property need to take
place before the town can take ownership of the
approximately 2.9 acres that includes the old CES
building. The town is in the process of trading the
Roaring Fork School District for the town-owned land near
the new Roaring Fork High School, in exchange for CES,
which it plans to turn into the Carbondale Community
Nonprofit Center.
P&Z starts the land use process with a public hearing on
Thursday, July 12. The proposed rezoning will change the
site from School Facilities, Recreation and Open Space, to
School, Community Facility, Residential, Recreation and
Open Space. The new zoning will create several different
zone districts for medium- and possibly high-density
housing on the site.
"It's designed for affordable housing," said Carbondale
Town Manager Tom Baker of the residential component of the
site. "The middle school and the playing field will remain
open space, there are small parcels created along Sopris
Avenue and Third Street. There's the CES parcel and a
parcel to the south as well."
Baker said there will be seven smaller residential parcels
created with medium density near the existing
neighborhoods and higher density internal to the site.
There will be a total of 11 different parcels on the
property, according to the school district's application.
"It might be going to the trustees at the end of July or
early August (for approval)," Baker said. "There could be
50 to 80 affordable units, but it's really conceptual at
this point. We need to make sure the roads and
intersections can handle the impacts; that's going to
drive the density."
The school district will retain ownership of the remaining
land and could possibly partner with agencies like the
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, the town or the
Carbondale and Rural Fire protection District to build
employee housing.
Most of the housing would be offered to school staff, as
teachers who leave the district often cite the cost of
living in the area.
Rendering
by Jeff Ellis, Land + Shelter 
