Lining the Yampa River and the Core Trail west of Steamboat Springs, an industrial property used as a storage area for portable toilets and dumpsters is now set to be transformed into a 50-unit residential development, with construction expected to begin as early as this summer.

The development plans for the 8.8-acre lot located at 1605 Shield Drive were first submitted to the city in December 2022 by a group led by Chad Fleischer, a local resident and former professional ski racer for the U.S. Ski Team.

The application for the project, known as Streamside at Steamboat, followed an expedited process offered by the city which gives priority to proposed residential development plans that dedicate at least 30% of their capacity toward workforce housing.

---

---

City staff in the Planning and Community Development Department gave the administrative green light for the plans March 20 after Planning Commission members approved the proposed development in September.

The administrative go-ahead means the development team can now apply for construction permits needed to get shovels in the ground.

---

---

Fleischer said he expects horizontal construction to begin this summer with vertical work to follow next spring, adding that the expedited process worked favorably for he and his development team — but not only because it put the project’s application “to the front of the pile” for city staff to review.

“It was with a purpose because this is a project that is going to live forever along that river corridor,” Fleischer said. “It was very important for me to create an inclusive environment that looked after the well-being of that river frontage and that side of the community.”

With a laugh, he added, “I think a lot of people want to see those port-o-potties and dumpsters go bye-bye.”

According to the city’s Planning and Community Development department, five developers have used the expedited application path offered to those who designate at least 30% of proposed residential capacity toward workforce housing since City Council members approved the policy in May 2022.

Of the 295 workforce housing units produced under the policy, 230 belong to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority’s Mid-Valley housing project. The other 60 belong to the Bear River Apartments, Streamside at Steamboat, Lagom and the La Quinta Inn.

The Streamside plans will see the construction of 12 town homes, 10 single family units, three duplex units and 21 deed-restricted condominiums designated as workforce housing — roughly 40% of the project.

“In this particular case, do I want to make money? Yes. Do I have to? Absolutely, you do,” Fleischer said of the project’s workforce housing unit inclusion. “I didn’t have to do 40%. However, it is that balance that is very important: Making people feel like this is a community that they can raise their family in, that they want to live in and that are proud to live in.”

Born in Nebraska, Fleischer first moved to Steamboat from Vail in 1990 when he joined the Winter Sports Club on a scholarship. Outside of training, he attended classes at Colorado Mountain College and earned money tuning skis in the evening.

He would go on to earn a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and compile a career that included appearances in the 1994 and 1998 Olympics — but returning to Steamboat remained a priority.

“I promised myself I was going to move up here once I was retired from ski racing and raise my family,” Fleischer said. “They call it the Yampa Valley curse for a reason.”

Retiring from the world of professional skiing led Fleischer to follow up on that promise in 2003 when he moved back to Steamboat with his wife, Renee.

Along with starting a family, he began operating a ski and snowboard rental shop, Fleischer Sport. He pursued other business interests such as real estate projects, but only in an entitlement capacity, where he would rezone properties before passing them off to developers to complete.

In terms of its size and caliber, and the fact that he and his team are seeing it through from the rezoning phase to a planned unit development application, the Streamside project is a first — but Fleischer said the personal milestone means less to him than what the project might mean to the community.

“I want to be a great steward for this community,” Fleischer said. “I think there is a way to build out this community in a responsible manner where everybody can win, and in our case, 40% of the units we are building are workforce housing units. I don’t think that anyone has done that many that isn’t working in direct conjunction with the Yampa Valley Housing Authority.”

After the Brown Ranch annexation vote failed last week, Fleischer said he hoped the housing authority — which he called “an invaluable partner to the community” — would be an important resource for the Streamside project when it comes to deciding how to administer its deed-restricted units.

He said Streamside’s workforce housing units would be reserved for full-time working Routt County residents, or former full-time working Routt County residents seeking to own property, adding that the details of those requirements would be worked out in the coming months.

As for the future of a Brown Ranch housing development, the former professional skier turned business owner, and now real estate developer, said he was let down by the failed vote as a local employer — but he understood why the community pushed back against the plans.

“I think that the fear of this community — and it is certainly one that I shared — is that when you approve a project that you don’t know how to pay for, the only surefire way to get that project paid is through taxation,” Fleischer said. “I think that the Brown Ranch project is a no-brainer. It needs to be accomplished ,but I think it was probably a good idea to wait for there to be a detailed plan that really showcases how it doesn’t have the potential to be a big burden for this community.”

Trevor Ballantyne is the city government and housing reporter. To reach him, call 970-871-4254 or email him at tballantyne@SteamboatPilot.com.