To the east of Cañon City lies a tract of land that developers and city planners have been eyeing for 30 years. Now, the time has come for Four Mile Ranch to blossom with housing in all categories, from affordable-attainable to high-end properties, and to add commercial attributes the city lacks.
The proposed development plan for the nearly 1,600-acre property could create an infrastructure for retailers, contractors, hotels and houses “that we really don’t have right now,” says Cañon City Development Manager Rick Harrmann. “It has the potential of helping create the demographic mix in our community that we need to become a self-sustainable community. There is a ton of excitement about this project.”
Some core elements are already there, including the award-winning Four Mile Golf Course, some single-family residences and commercial development on the southern end of the property (closest to U.S. Highway 50) such as Love’s Travel Stop. The property, which is only about 7% developed, is “the only real direction Cañon City can grow, commercially in particular,” Harrmann says.
“Like an oak tree that is a sapling, it’s got its roots, it’s got its abilities and infrastructure, but it’s growing out of the ground,” says Johnathan Sims, representative for the investor group that purchased Four Mile last October. “We’re helping it to reach its full maturity.”
Lead investment partner Byron Elliott heads the group of eight investors, which includes several retired military members, a commercial airline pilot and an engineer. Sims adds architectural experience to the team.
They have in mind a mix of commercial, single- and multi-family residential and mixed-use development that will provide workforce, attainable and affordable housing; a community-oriented Village Center with gathering spaces; a senior living parcel; retail, services, cafés and restaurants; as well as outdoor amenities on the 60% of the land that will remain natural open space and recreation areas.
Among the first projects is construction of a clubhouse for the golf course.
“The course opened with a trailer, and that’s the pro shop,” Sims says. “They never got a proper clubhouse.” The team also plans to relocate the driving range, which is situated on a neighboring parcel outside the city.
The commercial area along the highway at the entrance to Four Mile Ranch provides opportunities for community service-oriented retail and mixed-use buildings. Harrmann sees the success of Love’s Travel Stop as a catalyst for additional commercial development.
“That’s happening right now with a hotel company that’s interested in the area,” Harrmann says.
Sims notes that original planning documents put in place when the land was annexed 30 years ago pushed housing up into the hills. At the time, there was a market for larger, estate-style, single-family homes, but much has changed since then.
“Today we have a need for housing for all ages and all abilities and for veterans,” he says.
Six of the eight investors have military backgrounds, Elliott says, and they are passionate about offering housing for service members where they can build generational wealth.
“We think we’ve got a product that addresses the big housing needs but also allows for opportunities for home ownership,” says Elliot, a retired Army officer and attorney.
Although the single-family detached housing market is still strong, “we’re getting into some single-family attached and creative multifamily opportunities,” Sims says.
“We do not necessarily want to do large multifamily apartment buildings. Too often the answer for affordable housing is big-box, high-density and low-income tax credits, and it doesn’t result in the best living opportunities. We want to do it in a better manner — more accessible housing, more universal design. The market’s going to dictate a lot, but we have a lot of really good ideas and intentions.”
The overall plan calls for 2,700 residents, which will also depend on the market.
One of the investor group’s early tasks was an updated feasibility analysis and market study, and they’re still in the sleeves-rolled-up mode of studying and understanding the original agreements, surveying, entitlements and zoning that are in place, Sims says.
“We’re getting our arms around the surveying and entitlements necessary to activate the southern commercial parcels,” he says. He expects some of those parcels will go to market in the next couple of months.
Despite the challenges, the backers are convinced that now is the time for Four Mile Ranch to grow.
“Population growth is continuing to surge south” from Denver and Colorado Springs, Elliott says. “Cañon City and Fremont County are the next in line. And you go back to the ability to work from home, this burgeoning tech community in Florence and Cañon City, this incredible fiber-optic network that extends right alongside Four Mile Ranch — I think all of the ingredients are there for this project to succeed.”
