Kit Carson Rural Development

Background Statement

Kit Carson Rural Development (KCRD) was founded in 1993 through a grant from the USDA. This initiative established 501(c)(3) rural community development groups, like KCRD, throughout Eastern Colorado. After several years of operation KCRD went dormant, but was never dissolved. In early 2005 a new group of concerned citizens met and reinstated KCRD. They began work on small projects in the community; solar streetlamps were installed on Main Street, a welcome sign was added to the west end of town, cleanup projects were undertaken, and landscaping was completed on a barren area on Main Street.

In 2007 KCRD was awarded a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Grant. This project significantly improved the local park, adding; a paved walking path, a covered pavilion with BBQ grills, park benches, winterized restrooms, a new basketball court, landscaping, and lighting throughout the park. The total cost of the project was $177,521.

In 2009 KCRD was awarded a $200,000 EPA Cleanup Grant. This project involved the cleanup of the largest brownfields site in town. Underground fuel storage tanks (USTs) were removed from the site and a 6,500 sq. ft. vacant, dilapidated building with friable asbestos was demolished and removed. Vital to this project was the successful partnership between KCRD and the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS), The Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Brownfields Foundation (CBF). These groups contributed over $54,000 to the project.

The superintendent of the local school approached KCRD in the late 2000's to see if KCRD could find housing for newly hired teachers. With a severely aging and abandoned housing inventory, KCRD knew housing was a major obstacle to the survival of the town. This dilemma inspired the Prairie View Housing project where KCRD partnered with Prairie Development Corporation (PDC) to renovate 3 formerly abandoned housing units. Once completed, KCRD hired a local resident to help manage these units.

In 2010 KCRD applied for and was awarded a $1 million HUD HOPE VI Main Street Grant. This large project created five new, low-income, single-family, detached houses for rent, and was able to leverage over $338,000 in additional funds and in-kind work. CDPHE granted over $17,000 to the project for the abatement of asbestos at two homes that were acquired and demolished for this project. The CU Denver School of Architecture donated in-kind architectural services. A local family donated one of the sites, and a farmer donated his equipment and services for the demolition of all five old houses. The five new houses were completed on time and on budget. One of these homes was given to the Kit Carson School for teacher housing. The remaining four homes have been occupied since their completion. A local was hired to manage these units for KCRD.

In 2014 KCRD applied for and was awarded another HUD Grant, this one for $500,000. This project leveraged $150,000 in additional funds and in-kind work, including a $30,000 grant from The El Pomar Foundation, and a $12,539 grant from The Cooper Clark Foundation for asbestos abatement. The CU Denver School of Architecture again donated in-kind architectural work. This project built two more new houses and remodeled a third, all homes have been occupied since their completion.

In January of 2017 KCRD purchased a vacant commercial building in Kit Carson. The building underwent significant renovations and two new, local businesses have been leasing out different parts of the space continually since early 2018. In 2023 KCRD received a $15k grant from CHFA that enabled KCRD to hire Some Girls and a Mural to paint a mural on the front of this business which is a great improvement to the building’s façade.

In September of 2018 KCRD purchased an abandoned home in town, with two goals: learn about modular housing costs and challenges while also seeing how affordably these types of houses could be built, this exercise was invaluable. By leveraging small grants from The Cooper Clark Foundation and The Eastern Colorado Bank, KCRD came within $10k of breaking even, including the cost of the site, environmental studies, abatement, and demolition. We also learned about the pros and cons of the modular home product. The house was completed and sold in Spring of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic.

In 2022 KCRD received a Department of Local Affairs Rural Economic Development Initiative grant, a Boettcher Foundation grant, and matching contributions to build a 4,224sq ft commercial building with two spaces available for rent and a shared workspace. This project was built on the lot, cleaned up in 2009 with the help of the EPA grant. This commercial building, the Hub, opened in August of 2023 and is the home of our town’s only grocery store. The shared workspace has many members including a law firm, a local business with 7 employees, and several other independent renters.

In 2021 KCRD was awarded its third HUD HOPE VI Main Street grant, this one for $500,000. This grant helped leverage a DOLA Division of Housing grant for $225,000 and a DOLA Innovative Housing Incentive (IHOI) grant for $306,908 that enabled KCRD to bring in five, new, Fading West, modular low-income homes to Kit Carson. Two former abandoned home sites in the center of town were cleaned up, one with the help of a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Asbestos grant. This affordable housing project took these two sites and transformed them into five, new affordable homes. All homes were completed by May of 2023 and were immediately rented out. This $1.6M project leveraged a great deal of foundation and governmental support and is a tremendous addition to our community.

In addition to these large-scale projects, KCRD contributes to the town financially and through its volunteer work. We helped organize two major dead tree removal days taking down over 80 dead trees around town. We sponsor the family games at the annual Kit Carson Day celebration. Our volunteers repainted the post office sign. KCRD has helped other groups by contributing to; the renovation of the melodrama stage at the local pool hall, the construction of a new rodeo arena for Kit Carson, the renovation of the windows at the local health clinic, and the creation of a town sign on Main Street.