Northern Colorado town of Windsor offers $1.75 million to Clearview Library in effort to add new King Soopers
The Town of Windsor, one of Northern Colorado's fastest-growing communities, may be one step closer to adding a much-needed new King Soopers grocery store to the community. According to documents obtained by CBS News Colorado, the town has offered the Clearview Library District $1.75 million for a plot of land they hope King Soopers will soon build on. The town also offered the library access to other plots of land for future library locations.
The town's population has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, yet residents are still left with the same two grocers they had before the population boom. Both King Soopers and Safeway, which are located next to each other in the northwest part of the town, are among the busiest businesses in town.
King Soopers is Windsor's largest sales tax revenue generator. The grocery store is often so packed that lines start to wrap around the store to check out. The parking lot is often so full that rows will be nearly entirely filled with vehicles.
The town conducted a study that found 17% of their residents, or those in neighboring Severance, elect to shop at other grocers in western Greeley or Timnath all in an effort to avoid the congestion at the Windsor grocers.
To try and bring in more sales tax while also serving their residents, Windsor's officials moved to build a new King Soopers on the northeast part of town, where new developments are under construction for future homes.
However, the land they wanted to build the new King Soopers on is owned by Clearview Library District, Windsor's local source of cultural and educational opportunities. That plot is located along Main Street and Highway 257.
Jeromey Balderrama, the library's board president, said the land was purchased in 2016 with the goal of one day building a large regional library or cultural center. However, voters in recent years have rejected efforts to fund the projects twice.
The board noted that the land also serves as an investment, one which has increased in value at a much more rapid pace than a bank could.
Initially, the board rejected offers by the Town of Windsor to purchase the land. However, they have since adjusted their stance.
Bladerrama said the board has now elected to make an offer to the Town of Windsor to sell the property. The exact price and details of the offer were not released at this time.
Balderamma said the board had a responsibility to not only make a wise financial decision for their library but also had a desire to secure another plot of land in the case the current property is sold.
The Town of Windsor made multiple offers to Clearview Library District which included land swaps and more that would help the library secure property for future development.
Balderrama said he could not discuss whether or not the offer the library plans to make includes a land swap. However, he said that an announcement will be made in the coming weeks, and the board plans to vote on officially making the offer to the Town of Windsor at the end of the month.