CMC Board of Trustees advances key housing and facilities projects

Rifle, Colo. – The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees convened in Rifle this week to review capital projects, academic initiatives and student support programs. Key actions included approving facilities upgrades, workforce housing developments and faculty sabbaticals, all aimed at bolstering student success and sustainable institutional operations.

Trustees unanimously approved funding for two significant capital projects:

• Spring Valley facilities building – A new $1.5 million, 3,000-square-foot facility designed to store facilities equipment at the Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs campus.
• Leadville ski area operations building – A $3 million, 6,000-square-foot training facility to house equipment at CMC Leadville for the ski area operations program, which will free up space for skilled trades elsewhere on campus.

“The new home for Leadville’s ski area operations program will provide a state-of-the-art facility to train the next generation of leaders in on-mountain operations,” said CMC President Matt Gianneschi. “By investing in these facilities, we are protecting valuable equipment — such as snowcats and snowmaking machinery — and improving the quality of instruction in our career and technical programs.”

The board also took action to continue to address the critical need for affordable housing for CMC’s students, faculty and staff:

• Finalized a housing contract to purchase nine studio condos in Basalt to expand living options for CMC’s growing student body and workforce. The purchase will be final once approved by the Basalt City Council on March 11.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the city of Salida to purchase land in the South Ark affordable housing neighborhood, ensuring long-term housing options for students and faculty located near CMC’s Salida campus.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement for a tax increment financing plan between the town of Parachute and CMC to support redevelopment of an urban renewal area.

Emphasizing the importance of these initiatives, President Gianneschi said, “We recognize that access to affordable housing has a direct and causal impact on student success and the retention of our local workforce, including those employed at CMC. These agreements reflect our ongoing commitment to investing in the well-being of our students and employees.”

Trustees also approved sabbatical requests for faculty pursuing professional development in areas such as environmental science, sustainability and student mental health support. Additionally, the board reviewed equity metrics and institutional performance data, reinforcing CMC’s focus on the success of all students enrolled at the college.

CMC’s next board of trustees meeting will be May 19-20 in Steamboat Springs, where the board will review the FY2025-26 budget, faculty promotions and strategic planning initiatives.