Derek Silva knows a thing or two about patience. A long-time practitioner of meditation, the assistant vice chancellor for business strategy at CU Boulder is more comfortable with stillness than most. Working on the CU Boulder South development for more than three and a half years, however, has presented Silva with prime opportunities to practice patience.
“And in relative terms, I’m the new guy,” he laughed, noting that the plan to develop a university-owned, 308-acre parcel of land at the intersection of U.S. 36 and Table Mesa Drive has been in the works for almost 25 years. The campus purchased the property in 1996.
With the CU team now in direct negotiations with the city of Boulder to annex the site, Silva anticipates that the period of waiting may be coming to an end.
“It’s immensely gratifying to see the work of so many people coming to fruition,” Silva said. “Especially since this project will bring some vital safety benefits to the community.”
The university’s current proposal would result in the development of 129 acres for faculty, staff, and graduate student housing, land set aside for community recreation fields and facilities, and the donation of 80 acres to the city to support flood mitigation efforts and open space. The area is popular with residents (and their dogs) for biking, walking, jogging, and cross-country skiing. Aside from the flood mitigation facilities, the rest of the land would remain open and undeveloped to preserve the scenic and natural value of the area.
Flood mitigation efforts will include a new structure to capture and retain potential floodwaters that would otherwise flow down U.S. 36 and inundate the residential communities east of the highway, as happened in the catastrophic flood of 2013. The flood recovery costs of the Fraser Meadows neighborhood alone were expected to exceed $16 million, according to estimates reported in the Boulder Daily Camera at the time.
Silva suggests that the quarter-century of discussions has presented all involved stakeholders with an opportunity to carefully think through and address community feedback. “I believe strongly in the power of possibility,” Silva said. “Being curious about the concerns of those who have opposed the annexation and development of this land has informed our proposal and made it more representative of the needs of a broader community.”
Silva credits Frances Draper, senior strategic advisor for government and community engagement at CU Boulder and his partner on this project, with cultivating a strong, collaborative connection between CU and the city of Boulder.
“Frances’s work on this project has been integral to its success,” he noted. “She is so incredibly generous with her time and energy, and that makes a huge difference with such a complicated and long-running project.”
Draper is retiring today, and Silva will be joined by Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Abby Benson in leading this project.
Silva anticipates that negotiations could conclude as early as fall 2021, but there is much to accomplish to reach a final agreement.
“Fall will be here before we know it,” Silva said. “So we will keep our collective nose to the grindstone.”