There was a lot of talk about Larimer County putting a new building in Downtown, to go with the South Catalyst project.  Once all was said and done, the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement.

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Larimer County has been using a building in Downtown Loveland that’s over 50 years old. It used to be the Loveland Public Library when I was a kid. The ‘NEW’ library, by the Civic Center, has been in place for going on 30 years!  Larimer County has $15M to build a new building; where to put it has been a discussion for almost a year.

Loveland’s South Catalyst project for downtown, soon to get underway, had seen the option of the county putting the new building in the catalyst area (between First and Third streets and between Cleveland and Lincoln avenues).  The idea was to bring those office workers a few blocks south, add some shops and a parking structure underneath the new County building. They also suggested moving the offices the County uses within the city’s Police and Courts campus across town, since Larimer County owns part of that campus.

That’s where things went off the rails. Mostly, the argument was over which party was going to pay for the move. Loveland wanted the County to pay, the County wanted the city to pay. I also recall a lot of folks not wanting ‘criminals’ coming into downtown to deal with the County Courts, as opposed to going out at the Police campus. Naysayers thought it would besmirch the whole idea of ‘Downtown’s Rebirth;’ the way I was reading things. Whatever the official reason, the whole thing fell apart.

Now, Larimer County has picked the spot where they will be put the new Larimer County Building.  At the corner of Denver Avenue and First Street.

According to The Reporter-Herald, the spot is a good location all around; considering size, technology access for the building, and the public’s being able to access parking. It sounds like the County will be looking to expand their facilities at the Loveland Police and Courts, as opposed to making them a part of the new facilities.  The County will deal with the old building once they move over the new facilities at Denver and First.

What will become of the current County building in Downtown, I wonder?

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