This article first appeared in the Steamboat Pilot & Today. By Scott Franz.
Steamboat Springs — The floors still need to be waxed. The exterior still needs to be power washed. A couple of inspections loom.
But after a year of construction, noise and dust, the Colorado Mountain College Alpine Campus’ new academic and student center is complete.
“We’re very happy,” Alpine Campus CEO Peter Perhac said Wednesday. “A year ago, we said we’re going to cascade into Steamboat. We’re there now. Now, we’re cascading in.”
Perhac said CMC staff members are planning to move into the new building Wednesday, pending a successful building inspection early next week. He added that workers will remain on-site this week as they put the final touches on the interior of the structure and landscape around it.
A fire pit on a raised patio outside is one of the last items that need to be finished at the site, he said.
“It’s a great feeling,” Perhac said. “It was a three-year project, and I’m happy that it’s done.”
Construction on the $18 million facility started after Monson Hall was demolished in June 2011. Work then was aided by a mild winter that put the building weeks ahead of schedule.
The college is hosting a grand opening celebration for the building Aug. 23. Fall classes at the college start Aug. 27.
“There’s a lot of excitement building,” said Brian Hoza, dean of student affairs for the Alpine Campus. “This space will make our campus feel more collegiate and more legitimate. It’s really going to embellish what we can do for our students and the community.”
12th Street realignment
As crews polish the campus’s new academic hub, the realignment of 12th Street and the new access road to the college are close to being finished.
Starting Monday, access to the campus will be rerouted as crews with Native Excavating lay a new storm sewer across the intersection of 12th Street and Crawford Avenue.
Charlie MacArthur, Native Excavating’s operations manager, said the temporary detour will take traffic up Ninth Street to Yahmonite Street and then left on The Boulevard to the college.
He said the detour is expected to last one week. After that, all of the roads will be opened until paving starts Aug. 13, MacArthur said.
He said the project is progressing nicely, aside from a setback from a rainstorm earlier this month.
“It was a pretty substantial storm, and we had to spend quite a bit of time and money redoing quite a bit of work,” MacArthur said. “But it all got put back together.”
CMC spokeswoman Debbie Crawford said the 12th Street realignment and most of the landscaping will be completed Aug. 20.
To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210 or email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com