A downtown developer is skirting the city’s municipal code that requires him to build on-site employee housing in his new building.<\/p>\n
That’s because the commercial tenant proposed to occupy the space was intriguing enough for the citizen board to approve it.<\/p>\n
The city’s Historic Preservation Commission in December went against the recommendations of the local housing board<\/a> and the city’s Community Development Department that Mark Hunt should put apartments on the second floor of his redeveloped building at 517 E. Hopkins Ave.<\/a><\/p>\n Instead, HPC members agreed \u2014 after a two-hour discussion \u2014 that Hunt’s prospective tenant, an unidentified global shared workspace company, is enough of a community benefit that it could replace on-site housing.<\/p>\n “HPC was interested in affordable workspace and the community benefit in that,” said Amy Simon, the city’s historic preservation officer.<\/p>\n So, the nearly 11 full-time employees who will be generated from the new building will be mitigated by Hunt either building affordable housing or using housing credits.<\/p>\n The credit program allows a developer to build affordable housing and get a credit for each unit that comes online. That credit can then be sold to another developer who uses it to fulfill employee mitigation requirements on a separate project.<\/p>\n Hunt’s project had to go through HPC review because of changes to previously approved plans and the request to remove on-site affordable housing.<\/p>\n In her memo<\/a> to HPC members, Simon was clear on what the community development department’s position is regarding on-site affordable housing.<\/p>\n “Staff has reinforced the importance of on-site affordable housing mitigation in several recent projects,” Simon wrote. “No evidence has been provided that replacement of the current on-site housing at 517 E. Hopkins is inappropriate, therefore mitigation should occur on this property.<\/p>\n “Affordable-housing credits are a valuable and sometimes preferred solution and is acceptable for the new commercial space; however, opportunities to provide housing in a variety of locations, particularly proximate to the businesses requiring employees, is the priority that has been adopted by the city.”<\/p>\n But Hunt and his land-use planner, Chris Bendon, were able to convince HPC members otherwise.<\/p>\n “They thought, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and what a great opportunity it is,” Bendon said.<\/p>\n Hunt had told the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority board a week prior to the Dec. 12 HPC meeting that he was planning to build a complex that would house close to 70 workers, but he didn’t mention the prospective tenant.<\/p>\n Bendon said outside of both meetings that Hunt has been courting the company for at least a year. He declined to reveal the name of the collaborative workspace company, saying it’s up to them to announce their arrival.<\/p>\n “We don’t want to hit the parade button yet,” he said. “But we’re excited about the tenant and it will bring a lot of enthusiasm to downtown.”<\/p>\n Shared workspaces for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses and startups have gained popularity<\/a> around the world in recent years.<\/p>\n It will fill a void in downtown Aspen where a finite amount of office space exists and rents are high, Bendon said.<\/p>\n “There is a massive barrier with the costs associated of starting a business here,” he said.<\/p>\n Both floors will occupy shared offices, and the retail storefronts along Hopkins Avenue will be related to the workspace, such as a coffee shop or other food and beverage operations.<\/p>\n “There’s light throughout the building,” Bendon said. “It looks like a really welcoming space.”<\/p>\nRecommended Stories For You<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n