The Durango Chamber of Commerce has moved to its new location, a custom-built office at 2301 Main Ave., a couple months ahead of schedule.
Chamber Executive Director Jack Llewellyn said the initial bids for the 2,700-square-foot building, near Brookside Park, came in about $500,000 over budget, but Frank Enea with Classique Builders was able to work with the chamber on “some value engineering” to build on budget at $800,000.
“I thought we’d be moving in around February, but Frank (Enea) told me we’d be in by Christmas, and he was right,” Llewellyn said.
The chamber looked to move out of its old building in Santa Rita Park after the Durango Area Tourism Office’s Visitor Center relocated to downtown and the city expanded the Santa Rita Water Reclamation Facility.
Besides the chamber’s staff of three full-time employees and a part-time employee, La Plata Economic Development Alliance has also moved its office from the Northpoint Mall, 1315 Main Ave., to the new chamber building.
The chamber is leasing land for $1 a year for 25 years from the city for its new headquarters. It’s a similar arrangement the chamber had with the city for its old building in Santa Rita Park. The chamber is responsible for paying for the building.
The building has a board room, which can hold 24 people, with access to a kitchen, and the chamber will look to rent it out for meetings. In addition, extra office space is available for use by chamber members as a type of coworking space.
A ribbon-cutting and open house is planned from noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 24.
Holt Sheet Metal donated the sign and Advance Concrete Solutions donated work as well.
TBK Bank, Alpine Bank and Bank of Colorado each contributed $30,000 for the project and A& L Coors, StoneAge, ImageNet Consulting and Reynolds Ash & Associates each donated $12,000.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
