Ken Cooper, Larimer County Director of Facilities
Almost $600 Million will be needed over the next 20 years for Larimer County facilities to keep up with growth in Larimer County.
The Board of Larimer County Commissioners at a work session on Monday reviewed the Larimer County Facilities Master Plan for the next 20 years. Stantec Denver was contracted in 2017 to lead the planning effort, which involved staff and leaders from all county departments.
According to Stantec’s presentation, most Larimer County facilities have little growth space available, while many older owned and leased county facilities are in poor condition. Maintenance facilities for Fleet, and Road and Bridge will need to add an additional 45,000 square feet in the next 20 years. The activities currently housed in the Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building will outgrow the building in 10 years. “The numbers are large and daunting,” said Ken Cooper, Larimer County Director of Facilities.
The average daily inmate population of the jail has risen dramatically — 25 percent — in the last 2-3 years, despite many stop-gap measures and programs designed to keep jail population down. The jail population is expected to increase 42 percent by 2040. “The more people that are packed into tight spaces, the more issues we have,” said Captain Tim Palmer, who oversees the operation of the Larimer County Jail.
Staff projections also show a need for 11 additional courtrooms at the Larimer County Justice Center in 20 years. The Justice Center is currently using temporary space to house the current state-mandated number of judges, and that number will also increase. Projections also forecast a 43 percent increase in court-related positions over the next 20 years, driven by increased caseloads.
Human Services functions are currently located in four buildings that are spread across two campuses.
Occupants of the buildings on Blue Spruce Drive will need about 50 percent more space than is available in 20 years, while occupants in the buildings located at Midpoint Drive will be short 39 percent in the same number of years.
Several expansion options were also presented by Stantec. “We’ll need to look to the Commissioners to prioritize what to fund first,” said Larimer County Manager Linda Hoffmann.
To view the Stantec Facilities Master Plan presentation, visit
larimer.org/bocc/commissioners-meetings/internet-broadcasts-commissionersmeetings#/
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