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Plans advance to redevelop Sugar Mill site

S.T.E.A.M project also on the table
Monte Whaley
Monte Whaley
2021_03_12_LL_sugar_mill1
Great Western Sugar Mill site studied for redevelopment. Macie May

Plans are advancing on the potential redevelopment of the abandoned Great Western Sugar Mill which looms over the eastern entrance to Longmont. Also on the drawing board is the building of a technology hub in southeast Longmont.

“This is pretty exciting for the community,” Erin Fosdick, principal planner for the city of Longmont, said. 

The city of Longmont is partnering with a consultant team Stantec — a community development firm — to produce a detailed vision and development strategy for about 250 acres in southeast Longmont, which includes the Great Western Mill and a proposed Science, Technology, Education and Arts (S.T.E.A.M) development.

The study area consists of multiple properties, generally located from East Ken Pratt Boulevard and East Third Avenue intersection on the east and Main Street on the west, from Third Avenue to Boston Avenue and the railroad tracks, according to a city staff report.

The project will focus on:

 
  • Land use (mix of housing, commercial, community and other uses)
  • Urban Design (architecture and character)
  • Transportation (including bike and pedestrian connections)
  • Storm Drainage and Sustainable Infrastructure.

The project team will work with property owners, area developers, and the community at large in the area over the next several months. The team is expected to present findings and additional information to the Longmont City Council later this year, the staff report states.

Both the redevelopment of the sugar mill site and the shaping of a S.T.E.A.M complex have attracted a lot of community attention, Fosdick said.

“There is keen interest in this area, especially by the city council,” Fosdick said.

The sugar mill, as part of the East Highway 119 Gateway, was identified as one of four citywide focus areas in the Envision Longmont Multimodal & Comprehensive Plan, Fosdick said. Portions of the S.T.E.A.M project area were included in the Main Street Corridor Plan Downtown Character Area and were part of the recent community visioning project led by the city council, the city staff report states.

The S.T.E.A.M area is ultimately envisioned by the city council to “become the center of a vibrant economic, residential, cultural, and entertainment district that is sustainable and respects  the natural environment,” according to a city staff report.

Last year, the Urban Land Institute convened a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) to the sugar mill and come up with recommendations for its reshaping, Fosdick said.

 In March, members of the institute told the city council the 116-year-old sugar mill — which is in Boulder County — is plagued by structural problems as well as asbestos which will be costly to clean up.

However, the sugar mill could also be an agri-business hub that could revitalize the eastern gateway into the city, they said.

“There are a lot of possibilities for the sugar mill and it presents an opportunity for the city,” Fosdick said.