Football backers have different plans

By Jeff Tucker, The Pueblo Chieftain

The local developers working to build a football stadium at Colorado State University-Pueblo also plan to bring homes and businesses to the neighborhood.

The Pueblo Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved on Wednesday the rezoning of a 601-acre property that stretches just east of the existing CSU-Pueblo campus.

Jim Munch of LDM Development told the commission that his company plans to build Villa Bella as a mixed-use development providing a college-oriented neighborhood near the new CSU-Pueblo football stadium and an active-lifestyle community further east.

LDM is owned by Louie Carleo, Dan DeRose and Mike Roumph. The same three men are principle owners of the property, which includes the land for the stadium that was given to Friends of Football. The football group was organized by DeRose.

During the planning commission meeting Wednesday, Munch stressed that even though the project does not include the stadium itself, his company wants to place commercial and apartment areas closer to the stadium and push single-family homes further east.

"There are 38 different land-use areas within (the) two neighborhoods," Munch said. "The western area we're calling Thunder Village and will have a more college-oriented use and the eastern area will be more of an active lifestyle oriented community."

Munch said the company plans a traditional downtown atmosphere nearest to the stadium, with shopping centers and apartments in the immediate vicinity.

The active-lifestyle community will include the single-family homes with some shopping centers on property farthest to the east along what will be Pueblo Springs Ranch Parkway.

LDM is serving as a local consultant and partner with the Nevada developers of Pueblo Springs Ranch. Developers of that project plan to ask to have 24,000 acres of the former McCulloch Ranch annexed into the city.

Munch said the plan will include a central 26-acre park, which will be a mix of developed recreation and undeveloped open space.

Munch said the active portion of the park will be between seven and eight acres and managed by the city Parks and Recreation Department. The balance of the undeveloped park will be managed by the property owners association, he said.

The project surrounds a small piece of privately owned land that's also not included in the city limits

Munch told the commission the plan is designed to work around that property. But if the property owners want to join the project, LDM is open to that as well.

"It's purely up to the owners if they're interested in selling it," Munch said.

Michael Tedesco, executive director of the Urban Renewal Authority of Pueblo, supported the rezoning, saying that the authority is considering designating the area an urban renewal project. That designation could generate public money for infrastructure improvements.

LDM plans to extend Troy Avenue through the property and build other roads as well.