By Andrea Phillips
Town of Pagosa Springs
The Town of Pagosa Springs is excited to announce the completion of a new maintenance facility this month. The campus was constructed on the same site as the previous buildings located at 550 Pirate Drive, at the corner of South 5th Street.
This project replaces an old Forest Service building and other donated outbuildings that served the town for decades. These buildings were demolished to make room for the new facility.
The new campus is large enough to house staff and store equipment and materials for several town departments, including the public works-utilities division, facilities maintenance division, streets division, and the Parks and Recreation parks maintenance division.
“The new building is a smart investment for the town,” stated Town Manager Andrea Phillips. “It will help to properly store and protect the town’s costly maintenance trucks and equipment and help lengthen their lifespan. The building also provides safer and more efficient workspaces for staff and is big enough for the town to grow and expand on the site as needed.”
Although it was a recognized need for several years prior, focused work began on the project in 2017, when the town completed an assessment with Reynolds Ash + Associates. The old buildings were dilapidated, too small, inefficient and did not fit the town’s growing needs.
The design process began in 2018 and continued through 2019 as staff worked with engineering consultants to review multiple site locations for buildability and cost. Ultimately, council determined that the current maintenance facility site was the best choice.
A groundbreaking took place in April 2020 and construction was complete by February 2021. Staff began moving into the new space in March. Exterior improvements and landscaping will be completed later this summer.
The project cost $5.2 million and was completed on time and within budget. Value engineering, as well as staff performing some of the work, helped to save money on the project.
The town received grant funding from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to cover $1 million in design and construction costs. Additional adjacent land was graciously donated by Archuleta School District 50 JT. Also, $3 million was funded via a lease-financing agreement known as a certificate of participation (COP), which the town will make payments toward annually. The remaining $1.2 million will be paid from the town’s capital fund.
Public open house
and community tours
A public open house and ribbon cutting has been scheduled for March 31 at 5 p.m. at 550 Pirate Drive. The community is invited to attend and can take tours of the new facility.
Thank you, partners
This project was completed with significant support from town council, town staff, DOLA and Archuleta School District. We also appreciate the neighbors in the area who attended public meetings, reviewed plans and gave their feedback on the project.
Multiple local and regional contractors also contributed to the success of the project.
