Pinkard and BCHA Celebrate Grand Opening of Willoughby Corner

A spirited ceremony attended by 300 people this past Thursday marked the grand opening of Boulder County Housing Authority’s (BCHA) Willoughby Corner neighborhood. Featuring food, a ribbon-cutting, and remarks from project partners, the event marked a bookend to Phase I of the massive $114 million project ($83 million in hard costs).

Located east of downtown Lafayette, the first phase of the landmark permanently affordable development boasts 192 new units of income-restricted housing, comprising a 63-unit apartment building for 55-and-over residents and four multi-family buildings totaling 129 units. The project also includes a 4,480 SF community center, a community garden, and pickleball courts, and $15 million of roads and infrastructure.

A model of sustainability, the all-electric development utilizes extensive geothermal and solar energy systems to become what is now the largest Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) community in Colorado.

Pinkard Construction completed the project under budget and ahead of schedule this past December, despite a five-month permitting delay. While BCHA granted Pinkard a five-month extension, it remained a critical goal to reach substantial completion before the end of 2024 to meet BCHA’s funding needs.

To achieve this, Pinkard had to make considerable adjustments to their manpower, logistics, sequencing and quality control plans. Leaning heavily on its in-house framing division, Pinkard Frameworks, Pinkard was able to frame all six buildings simultaneously, while stacking trades throughout to keep progressing.

After a sprint to the finish line, Pinkard was able to attain substantial completion on December 31, 2024, resulting in a $500,000 savings for BCHA. In total, Pinkard completed the entire project in just 15 months.

“I’m here to thank the teams,” said Construction Manager Joe Revielle in his speech, “because it takes a big team effort to put a place like this together in 15 months. First off, thank you to the City of Lafayette for working with us to overcome the challenges we were up against. Thank you to HB&A Architects (now RS&H) for designing such a beautiful facility for us. A big thank you to the many people at BCHA that we worked with to make this happen all the way to the end. And finally, I have to thank my team at Pinkard for doing such an exceptional job, and for working through the holidays to make this project happen on time.”

“Willoughby Corner is a testament to what we can do when we work together,” said BCHA Executive Director Susana Lopez-Baker in her closing remarks. “This project is a powerful vision. It shows that by leaning into innovation and collaboration, we can create more than just buildings. We can build true communities.”

While many families have already moved into the new community, a limited number of homes remain available for people earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income, or about $70,000 per year for a two-person household. Visit the Willoughby Corner website (WilloughbyCorner.org) for more information about eligibility and applications.