A four-story building at the intersection of Main Avenue and Camino del Rio could house 33 new condominiums or a hotel.
Frank Jarrell and his wife, Janet King, own the medical office on the northwest corner of the intersection, and Jarrell, a longtime Durangoan and chiropractor, always envisioned it could be more.
He is leaning toward a mostly residential building to replace the existing building and anticipates the new development would fill a need for housing in the community and allow the inhabitants to walk or bike to work.
“The whole project from the very start was to build something that was community-oriented,” he said.
Design work has focused on building condominiums, however, Jarrell is also considering making it a hotel.
The proposed building, adjacent to west 14th Street, is in the early stages of city review and recently received a warm reception from the city’s Design Review Board, said architect Rick Feeney. The board particularly appreciates how the upper stories of the building are stepped back from the outer walls of the lower floors, according to an email from city staff to Feeney.
The project will return to the Design Review Board for a vote in a few months, and the Durango Planning Commission will have the final public say on the project.
Early building designs anticipate 11 housing units on each of the upper three floors. The units would range in size from 750 square feet up to 1,390 square feet, and each would have outdoor deck space.
The first floor could house a small coffee bar, a small conference space, coworking spaces for residents and a gym.
The building could have an underground parking garage and provide 56 surface parking spaces and 37 parking lifts, for 93 total spaces. Parking lifts allow cars to be stacked and maximize space in a garage.
The proposed development sits at a busy and congested intersection, where Camino del Rio, north Main Avenue and 14th Street intersect. Burger King sits to the north and the Powerhouse Science Center sits to the south.
The developers will be required to do a traffic study before starting construction, and it is possible drivers would be required to turn right when entering the site and right when exiting the site, Feeney said.
The exterior of the building is expected to be predominately brick and incorporate glass, steel and metal siding.
Jarrell described the building as a potential gateway to north Main Avenue, which is expected to be redeveloped in coming years.
Jarrell said he and his wife may move into the building in three years, when he hopes to have it completed.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
