The Longmont housing department plans later this month to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to eventually turn the former Royal Mobile Home Park into affordable housing.
The property at 133 S. Coffman St. is currently owned by Longmont Public Works. In this proposed deal, the city’s Housing and Community Investment department plans to use ARPA funds to purchase the property for $2.1 million by the end of this month.
According to a city memo, the September 2013 flood caused severe destruction to the 56 mobile homes at the former Royal Mobile Home Park on the north bank of St. Vrain Creek, just west of Main Street.
Using disaster recovery funds at the time, the city spent $265,205 to assist 31 households with relocating following the flood. The city also used $2.6 million from the storm drainage enterprise fund to purchase the land in late 2013 and make way for the future Resilient St. Vrain Project.
In 2018, Longmont City Council approved a $3.6 million loan from the fleet fund to the storm drainage enterprise fund to continue the construction of the Resilient St. Vrain improvements, pending the sale of Royal Mobile Home Park and a property at 1140 Boston Ave. With the cash infusion, work progressed on the Resilient St. Vrain Project and reduced the area of the property available for building.
When it was purchased for $2.6 million in 2013, the site was 6.13 acres. Further work has removed the property from the floodplain and made it suitable for development.
After the improvements, the site is 3.73 acres and appraised at $2.59 million.
In January 2022, city council approved the allocation of ARPA funding to a list of affordable housing projects, allowing changes to funding amounts as long as the money served affordable housing.
Initially, $2.6 million was allocated for Housing and Community Investment to purchase the remaining parcel from Public Works. The two departments have determined the final purchase price to be $2.1 million with the agreement that Public Works would continue to maintain the property until affordable housing development begins.
City staff said this transfer, along with proceeds from the recent sale of 1140 Boston Ave., will allow the Storm Drainage enterprise fund to repay the outstanding fleet loan. The remaining $500,000 from the ARPA allocation will be distributed to other affordable housing projects.
City staff said the intent is to partner with the Longmont Housing Authority once a transit-oriented affordable housing development proposal is ready to move forward on the property. In the meantime, the city will hold the land to maintain flexibility over possible future affordable housing partnerships that may arise out of the First and Main Transit Station redevelopment.
