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Accommodation In Leadville Colorado – Tabor Grand Hotel Apartments is a restored heritage building located in Leadville. It offers 37 affordable one and two bedroom apartments and shops on the ground floor. Completed in 2014 by Overland Property Group, it benefits from several forms of CHFA, including approximately $653,000 in housing tax credits and an $880,000 loan from CHFA’s Housing Opportunity Fund.
Originally built as a hotel in 1885, the building is historically significant and serves as the architectural cornerstone of downtown Leadville. The development uses architectural and conservation expertise to preserve the building’s history and character, ensuring it will continue to be an asset to the community for many years to come. The development won the 2015 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation.
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Development Find a developer. The vision to restore the Tabor Grand Hotel preceded the involvement of Overland Property Group. Through a chance connection at a Colorado housing conference, Overland learned of the concept and joined as a developer with the approval of existing partners. While Overland had not expected to undertake such a project, the uniqueness of the building and the value they believed it could bring to the development team made it an attractive opportunity.
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A vision for long-term storage. Tabor Grand is in urgent need of repair. The initial vision for the development was to rehabilitate the building so that it can be used and maintained for the next 10-15 years, after which some additional investment and work may be required. As Overland learned more about the building, they realized a long-term cost saving opportunity by extending the life of the building by 100 years. They worked with their development partners and consultants to find ways to achieve this while managing the additional costs.
Build a high-quality development team. Overland knew they needed outside expertise. This is the first historic restoration they have done, although they have experience with non-historical restorations. While a building and construction company was already involved on the project to complete development due diligence, it was a complex construction task due to the condition of the building and Leadville’s elevated location at 11,000 feet above sea level. As a result, Overland enlisted outside architectural consultants they had worked with in the past to provide insights and form the core of their long-term conservation vision.
Gain the trust of the community. Prior to this development, Overland had no experience working in Colorado. Leadville community stakeholders have had mixed experiences over the years with developer and conservation efforts, some of which have fallen short of expectations. As a result, the community is skeptical and the development team has to work hard to gain their trust. Overland’s approach to building this trust is based on a combination of building relationships and demonstrating results that align with community priorities. For example, a serious, long-term commitment to protecting community assets helps build stakeholder confidence that development is in the best interest of the community. According to Leadville Today, upon seeing the amount of scaffolding surrounding the building during construction, one resident exclaimed, “Wow, looks like they’re serious this time!”
Supporting partners: The development of Tabor Grand is an example of a successful collaboration between a developer and a public organization. In addition to its development team partners, Overland is working with CHFA to receive $652,836 in housing tax credits and an $800,000 Housing Opportunity Fund loan, and views CHFA as a key supporter and problem-solving partner in the development process. Agreements with local jurisdictions and housing authorities on property taxes also helped seal the deal. The existing owner is also a key partner in determining how to structure the sale and management of the property with a master lease that allows the owner to retain income from the retail portion of the development while transferring ownership and management responsibilities to Overland .
The Delaware Hotel, Built In 1886 In Leadville, Colorado, Is Still In Operation Today Stock Photo
Creative problem solving in design and construction. Given the unique character and history of the building and Leadville’s elevated elevation, Tabor Grand required a combination of creativity and risk tolerance in design and construction. For example, the team believed that ice and moisture would pose a major threat to the building over time, so they installed a computer system to control heating panels on the roof to mitigate these factors. The building also has underground tunnels connecting to the basement, which should be examined and assessed for any complicating factors. A team’s ability to anticipate and adapt to emerging challenges is a key factor in development success.
Balance between short-term costs and long-term maintenance. The development team had to creatively balance conservation objectives with the realities of material and construction costs. In many cases, they decide to accept higher costs in exchange for better long-term performance or better adherence to retention goals. For example, instead of replacing the windows with newer, less expensive models, they opted to retrofit the original windows with double glazing to improve energy efficiency. While this translates to three to four times the cost of the cheapest alternative, the development team believes they achieved better results. Another example is roof renovation. The existing roof had some life but did not meet the multi-year maintenance vision and was therefore replaced. To offset these extra costs, Overland and its construction partners found cost savings elsewhere. They were able to find ways to economize on things like reducing the number of passenger elevators and skid steer loaders, eventually striking a reasonable balance.
Cooperation with existing tenants. Although Tabor Grand is in need of restoration, there are still tenants who have been badly affected by the construction process. Tenants had to move to other parts of the building to refurbish the apartments. Working in groups of six units, the construction team moved people into the new blocks as they were completed, allowing the earlier blocks to be opened up for construction. This, combined with some vacant units that existed when development began, allowed tenants to remain in the building throughout the development. According to Overland, existing residents are very happy with the construction disruption and relocation, and are generally happy to have a front row seat to the renovation of their building.
Effective partnership and construction management are essential. Given the unpredictable nature of restoration and heritage preservation developments, you must have strong confidence in the companies and specific individuals involved in the development. It is important to find a company with solid credentials and a long history of successful projects. In addition to successes, it’s also helpful to ask about failed projects to see how they handled their challenges. For example, one of the construction companies involved in the development was part of a highly publicized lawsuit. By addressing this challenge and how the company responded, Overland built trust in the company. It is also important to understand how companies motivate their site inspectors to ensure that they do not create an environment where budget cuts are made at the expense of development quality.
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Build long lasting successful relationships. Overland attributes their success in these developments, and more generally, to their ability to build long-term relationships with partners, including community stakeholders. Although they operate in multiple states, they often continue to work with local partners with whom they have built trust and learned to work together. This has served Overland well in the development of Tabor Grand, for example when they were able to enlist a trusted construction partner as a consultant to help the development team refine the vision and execute on the project scope. It is important to understand and listen to who is affected by development, what their needs and desires are and how to integrate them into your process.
Plan for the unexpected during recovery. Historic restoration requires due diligence so that you fully understand the location and building. However, there will always be unexpected challenges and problems to solve. You can’t plan everything, so it’s important to build flexibility into your development schedule and budget.
Use other more experienced developers. According to Overland, affordable housing, and perhaps real estate development in general, is not a traditional industry where people are afraid to share best practices. For example, on another project Overland was assisted by Medici and more experienced developer Troy Gladwell. This is very helpful to make the development successful. In other words, think of developers as potential resources and collaborators. Experience Colorado mountain life in Cloud Nine, the best neighborhood in the country. Leadville has a number of first class hotels catering to the needs of visitors to the Lake District.
At nearly 10,200 feet above sea level, Leadville is a true Rocky Mountain town. Just 2 hours from downtown Denver, tucked away in Copper Mountain, 27 miles south of I-70.
History — Delaware Hotel
Away from busy highways, there is very little tourist traffic here like Blake or Vail. Instead, you can take a break from the crowd and walk a little wider
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