A Transformative Village shaped by Community

A thoughtfully planned mix of homes, local services, and community spaces.

GUNNISON, COLORADO

With the lack of housing for locals growing each year, we set out to build a neighborhood that meets the needs of those living and working here. The Gunnison Valley is a special place full of character, play, and people that genuinely care for each other. It’s a small town way of life that is hard to describe unless you’ve lived it and we hope this project helps to preserve that essence while being the start of a bigger answer to the housing dilemma at large.

Overview & Vision

We listened closely and designed West Thorn as a direct response to the needs of the Gunnison community.

Our plans resulted in welcoming pets, integrating walkability within the neighborhood, bus stops to get to and from Crested Butte, garden space in partnership with Mountain Roots and Sue Wyman, gear storage, open space, indoor event space for community gatherings, and long-term leasing and ownership opportunities for individuals, families, and employers.

450 New Homes for the Gunnison Valley

A Place to Live

Diverse Housing Types: Townhomes, Multiplexes, Apartments, and Single Family Homes

A Place Rooted in the Land

Plentiful Open space
Mountain Roots HQ, Farm, Orchard, and Greenhouse

A Place to Gather

Locally operated coffeeshop & bakery
Ice skating pond in the winter
Community gear storage, daycare, and barn

A Place Built by Community

436 locals participated in public outreach
community input continues to shape the future of West Thorn.

The Guiding Principles of our Plan

BUILD A CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Above all, we're building a neighborhood here residents of all backgrounds can put down roots without the seasonal scramble for housing. Walkable streets and public spaces tie into downtown, schools, and transit, making it easy to live here year round.

MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE & RESILIENT

After decades of living in the Valley, we understand the materials you build with will prove themselves over time. We have made a deliberate choice to build these apartments and homes to last a century or more, using sustainable materials that hold up in the alpine conditions and preserving the natural landscape.

COLLABORATE WITH THE LOCAL VISION

This project isn't possible without input and dialogue from as many people as possible. Our goal is for West Thorn to feel like a collaborative community effort that provides high quality, accessible housing across a range of income levels, and that's built to sustain the Valley's community for generations to come.

THE LOCAL AGRIHOOD

A Village Designed around Food, Land, and Working Together

Food has a way of connecting people, supporting local farmers and engaging the youth within the community. We are building West Thorn as an “agrihood” in collaboration with Mountain Roots and Sue Wyman. This includes space for growing food and gathering built directly into the plans as a cornerstone of the area. Residents will have the opportunity to tend to the gardens, direct access to local food, and education around food systems.

Garden and Community Gathering Space Plans

Project Partners & Team

  • LOCAL EMPLOYERS

    Businesses across Gunnison Valley are supporting this project as a way to attract and retain employees. By participating in West Thorn, employers are creating a more resilient workforce and contributing to the long-term local economy.

  • CITY OF GUNNISON

    Gunnison has a rich history of ranching, agriculture, mining, tourism and outdoor recreation. We are partnering with the city to connect West Thorn to the greater community.

  • GUNNISON RIVER PARTNERSHIP

    As the only Venture Capital group located in the Gunnison Valley, we work to energize and strengthen the overall economic vitality of the region by either growing existing businesses; supporting startup founders; or attracting promising businesses.

  • MOUNTAIN ROOTS

    Mountain Roots cultivates a resilient food system in Gunnison Valley, Colorado, by enhancing healthy connections between earth, food, and community.

  • URBAN VILLAGES

    Urban Villages is a team of entrepreneurs, environmentalists, artists, developers, builders, and investors. They look to the past to understand enduring principles and apply those insights to create progressive and intentional spaces for the benefit of community.

  • GUNNISON GARDENS

    Susan Wyman founded Gunnison Gardens in 2014 to fulfill her vision of growing delicious, nutritious, and affordable food for her community. Gunnison Gardens grows cold-hardy vegetables, fruits, poultry, and eggs without the use of artificial chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides. Sue believes that local food production is key to creating a resilient and secure future in the Valley.

Jeff on Mount Crested Butte, Circa 1976

THE WEST THORN TEAM

Jeff Hermanson’s Legacy Project, Decades in the Making

Over the past 50 years, Jeff Hermanson has lived, built businesses, and raised his family here in the Valley.

He arrived in Crested Butte in 1973 and never left. From his early days at Penelope's to opening The Slogar and The Artichoke, owning Soupçon for a few years, his restaurants became fixtures of CB life. Alongside that, he developed some of the Valley's earliest condo projects and spent a decade on the board of the CB Land Trust, including three years as president.

He founded the Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival, which he gifted to the Center for the Arts, where it remains a fixture of the summer calendar. Most recently, he has brought new life to several landmark downtown buildings, including The Hideout and two twelve.

Inspiring a New Era of Attainable Housing

Resort communities across the country are facing the same reality: the people who make these places thrive can no longer afford to stay.

West Thorn began with conversations and evolved into a blueprint. Through open forums and ongoing outreach, we invited broad participation in the planning process. Over time, we heard consistent themes from employers, families, longtime residents, and members of the seasonal workforce who support the valley. Housing has become harder to find, harder to afford, and harder to maintain over the long term. West Thorn exists to make long-term living in these places feasible.

Project Amenities

  • Open Space

  • Community Agriculture

  • Daycare

  • Pet Friendly

  • Co-Working Space

  • Gear Storage

  • Local Bakery & Café

  • Community Barn with Gathering Spaces

West Thorn — Project Timeline
Building a Village

Project Timeline

Community input remains an important part of this process, and updates will be shared as plans progress. Follow along on our project progress and join us in person at a community outreach event.

Planning Approvals Construction 2028
Complete
Sketch Plan Submittal
Submitted initial sketch plans to the City of Gunnison for review, reflecting community input on housing types, density, and neighborhood design.
In Progress
Preliminary Plat & PUD Submittals
Formal entitlement applications now underway, including the Planned Unit Development and preliminary plat filings with city and county authorities.
Upcoming
Partner & Employer Participation
Working with local employers and organizations to support workforce housing and community amenity programming.
Upcoming
Final Approvals & Permitting
Secure final city and county approvals, complete infrastructure engineering, and obtain building permits to begin construction.
Upcoming
Infrastructure & Site Preparation
Grading, utility installation, road layout, and site preparation to ready the 25-acre property for vertical construction.
Upcoming
Construction Begins
Breaking ground on infrastructure, roads, utilities, and the first phase of housing units.
Upcoming
Community Agriculture Launch
In partnership with Mountain Roots and Gunnison Gardens, begin developing the community agriculture spaces, greenhouses, and garden infrastructure.
Upcoming
Vertical Construction & Buildout
Housing units take shape across the first phase of the neighborhood, with framing, interiors, and landscaping progressing through the year.
Upcoming
First Units Delivered
The first residents move into West Thorn — beginning a new chapter for attainable housing in Gunnison Valley and welcoming community to the neighborhood.
Upcoming
Move-In Starts
Families, workforce members, and community residents begin settling into their new homes as West Thorn becomes a living, thriving neighborhood.
Upcoming
Amenity Spaces Open
Coffeeshop & bakery, co-working space, daycare, community barn, gear storage, and gathering spaces come to life as the village grows.
Complete
In Progress
Upcoming

Shaping the Plan with Community Input

436 members of the community shared their input through our public survey

This approach helps shape everything in our plan from housing types to shared amenities. Your voices are the foundation of what West Thorn is becoming and we want to continue to hear from you.