A buzz is in the air. Two of Durango’s longest talked-about civic projects – decades in the making – are finally underway after 67.5% of voters approved bond measure 2A last April.
The renovation of the old Durango High School – known as the Durango 9-R administration building – did not become a new fire station, thanks to citizen advocacy. Instead, the 30-year vision of restoring the stately building at Second Avenue and 12th Street will finally be realized as City Hall on a shared campus with a new Police Department.
Camino Crossing is advancing, too. This at least 20-year effort to connect downtown and the Animas River Trail marked 30% design completion at the Powerhouse on Winter Bike to Work Day, where more than 100 residents gathered (Herald, Feb. 14). Design is progressing toward 60 and 90% milestones, with construction anticipated in 2029.
City Hall and the Police Department are targeting completion in fall 2028.
There is a big reason to keep both projects on track: the 2030 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships. Nothing like hosting the world to get our house in order.
These projects are now in detailed design – and that’s where change happens.
Mayor Gilda Yazzie’s column (Herald, Jan. 25) outlining updates caught some readers by surprise. For some, it was the first time they had heard that the former Big Picture building would likely be demolished and the underground parking garage scrapped.
Questions followed about fidelity to the ballot language authorizing “financing the restoration and equipping of the historic Durango High School building and adjacent facilities” – language that speaks to restoring and equipping, not demolishing.
City Attorney Mark Morgan has said the ballot measure did not prescribe a specific site plan and emphasized three commitments: stay within the $61 million debt capacity; renovate the historic high school; and deliver City Hall and Police Department facilities.
As engineering advanced late last year, costs tied to Category 4 construction standards exceeded estimates. Housing emergency vehicles underground would trigger heightened snow, seismic, and wind standards and two entrances, making the garage financially unattainable.
Renovating the former Big Picture building to those standards would cost within $1 million dollars as building new, without delivering a purpose-built Police Department. The plan pivoted.
The Police Department is now proposed as a new building on the north side facing 13th Street. The historic high school will be flanked by surface parking, giving the building room to stand on its own — strengthening the overall design.
One misconception persists: Because of security concerns, the center of the campus was never intended to be a public thoroughfare. The updated design introduces a promenade along the west side, a soft-surface trail between 12th and 13th streets, with connections to Buckley Park (yes, the beloved sledding hill remains). Bathrooms are still planned through Parks and Recreation. The alley to the east between 12th and 13th streets is also still in the plans for multimodal improvements.
The more difficult conversation is parking. Without the underground garage, the proposal would demolish the current City Hall and Police Department buildings to make way for surface parking, eliminating roughly $7.5 million in anticipated proceeds from selling those properties.
It’s time to stop designing our towns around cars.
Alternatives remain under discussion, including a potential partnership with La Plata County on a parking structure or the use of the Transit Center through a variance paired with employee incentives.
Residents can learn more and weigh in at the Engage Durango forum Feb. 24 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Durango Public Library, and at engage.durangoco.gov/police-department-city-hall.
Camino Crossing updates are available at engage.durangoco.gov/caminocrossing. The Camino Crossing Committee (C3), led by the Business Improvement District, meets Feb. 17 from noon to 1 p.m. at The Hive, 1175 Camino del Rio, to support near-term HAWK improvements and long-term funding; residents may attend or email C3@downtowndurango.org for details.
After decades of studies and stalled plans, Durango is finally building.
The world is coming. Let’s be ready.
