Fort Collins Rescue Mission, Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins Rescue Mission | Fort Collins, CO

The Denver Rescue Mission partnered with Shopwork’s Architecture and Ripley Design to develop the first ground-up 24/7 shelter in Northern Colorado.

Being a 24/7 shelter for men experiencing homelessness, the neighborhood and surrounding business community feel a lot of big emotions. The community engagement challenge was to ensure equitable means of communication, and that all stakeholders were present at the table. Ripley ensured that all presentations, round tables, open houses and forums featured Spanish materials and live interpretation services, and that multiple focus groups and one-one-one meetings were held to ease fears.

Not only from an engagement lens, but also from a compatibility lens, Ripley and Shopworks working with the surrounding neighbors to mitigate impacts on property but increasing setbacks limiting lighting, and easing concerns about safety.

Interesting, with the property being a greenfield, an old remnant of the former Dry Creek runs across the site. Ripley lead coordination efforts with City staff, environmental consultants and design team consultants to mitigate any impacts, enhance the buffer where needed, and develop a set of plans that ensures long-term feasibility and success of the buffer area.

From a design standpoint, Ripley was also charged with developing a landscape amenity plan that was very low maintenance while maintaining safety and a welcoming character for the future guests at the Rescue Mission shelter.

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