Upgrades to the city’s sewage-treatment plant were unanimously approved by the Durango Planning Commission on Tuesday night.

“I think the design of this is awesome. I hope this sets the standard for more of these buildings,” Commission Elsa Jagniecki said.

She lauded the administration building, which will face the Animas River Trail, provide public restrooms and space for regional training for wastewater-treatment professionals. It will also be rated Gold by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green-building certification program.

This was the final public approval for the sewage-treatment plant’s construction.

Work on the plant next to Santa Rita Park is expected to start in June at an estimated cost $53.8 million, excluding design.

Most of the sewage-treatment buildings will be demolished and replaced. The city was approved for a $62.5 million loan for the project. Any money left over will be used on other sewage-infrastructure projects.

The project is expected to be completed in June of 2019, said Sean Bannon, a utilities engineer.

The seven buildings planned will feature stone, board form concrete and metal. They are designed to blend into landscape better than existing buildings, said Bruce Lintjer, who is with Lintjer and Haywood Architects.

City consultants also tried to keep industrial uses toward the center of the 14-acre site and away from the U.S. Highway 160/550 and the Animas River Trail.

After the sewage-treatment plant is approved, work redesigning Santa Rita Park will start, according to city documents. The city also plans to examine replacing the sand volleyball, basketball court and covered picnic area that will be displaced by construction.

mshinn@durangoherald.com