New office building planned for vacant lot in downtown Cortez

The vacant lot at 127 N. Market St., just south of Montezuma Park in downtown Cortez, is proposed as the site of a one-story office building. Cortez City Council unanimously approved the site development plan Tuesday. (Anna Watson/The Journal)

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The vacant lot at 127 N. Market St., just south of Montezuma Park in downtown Cortez, is proposed as the site of a one-story office building. Cortez City Council unanimously approved the site development plan Tuesday. (Anna Watson/The Journal)

Cortez City Council this week unanimously approved the site development plan for a new office building proposed at 127 N. Market St.

The plan proposes constructing a 2,397-square-foot, one-story office in the open lot just south of Montezuma Park and beside WildEdge Coffee and Brewing Collective.

Nancy Dosdall, a city planner, said the proposal marks the first new build on a vacant lot in the central business district in quite some time.

Both city staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, and council’s approval came alongside two conditions that are fairly standard to ensure further compliance with Cortez Land Use Code.

First, the developers must comply with utility providers, all requirements outlined in city code and design standards, as well as comply with city departments, Colorado Department of Transportation and other affected districts. The second obligation requires the developers to obtain a building permit prior to construction and have a licensed architect or engineer and the city engineer approve construction drawings and reports.

The vacant lot at 127 N. Market St. with the property facing west, left, and facing north. (Site plan)

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The vacant lot at 127 N. Market St. with the property facing west, left, and facing north. (Site plan)

Councilor Bill Lewis asked developers Keenen Lovett and Darrin Dennison what’s driving them to build more offices in addition to their current space at 20 S. Market St.

The motivation behind the project, Lovett and Dennison explained, is the main tenant of the new building, whose corporate preferences desire a more modern, upgraded feel that aligns with other branches. Financial services firm Edward Jones is the main tenant, according to site plan documents.

The new building at 127 N. Market in Cortez is expected to have three office suites geared toward tenants in professional services. (Sketch/Developer application)

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The new building at 127 N. Market in Cortez is expected to have three office suites geared toward tenants in professional services. (Sketch/Developer application)

The designs so far leave extra space for parking in the back. The plans include increasing the width of the sidewalk in front and building an ADA-compliant sidewalk on the building’s north side.

“This is a fabulous idea. Any time we can have vacant lots filled up with office spaces, businesses, et cetera, it’s a great thing for the city, so I applaud both of you for moving forward with this project,” Lewis told developers Tuesday.

Mayor Dennis Spruell added he happened to be driving by the lot the other day and thought it would be a great area to build something.

awatson@the-journal.com