Emma Store Buildings Future Use
Pitkin County has received a proposal to renovate the historic Emma Store buildings for use as a Food Hub. County commissioners and the county's Open Space and Trails Board considered the concept during a joint meeting on March 1, 2022 and supported a feasibility study of the proposal as a next step. Find the proposal in the above link.
The Steering Committee that developed a recommendation for future use of the Emma buildings reviewed the proposal on Feb. 7, 2022. Minutes of the committee's discussion are available below.
The Steering Committee that developed a recommendation for future use of the Emma buildings reviewed the proposal on Feb. 7, 2022. Minutes of the committee's discussion are available below.
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SOME BACKGROUND
Pitkin County commissioners approved the Emma Store Buildings Future Use Recommendation on Jan. 27, 2021. It provides guidance on potential use of the historic buildings, as well as next steps to reactivate the site. The approved recommendation is available via the above link (the recommendations begin on page 26). The recommendation, also approved by the Open Space and Trails Board, was crafted by a Steering Committee, which met over a nearly two-year period to draft the proposals. A proposed initial step is the creation of a soft-surface trail through the property and potential amenities to encourage visitors to explore the site. Among the potential uses for the store buildings, identified by the committee, are arts/heritage craft center/studio(s), agricultural-related uses, a museum, small-scale community gather spot, and other opportunities. The group agreed that a variety of uses could be housed together in a successful repurposing of the buildings. IN THE BEGINNING... The Steering Committee first met in April 2019 for a site visit at the historic store buildings at Emma Open Space. A series of discussions followed throughout 2019 and into 2020. Early on, the committee agreed to a Vision Statement (below) that guided its recommendation on future use of the buildings. VISION STATEMENT The Emma Store Buildings will honor their historic agricultural roots, the natural environment and character of Emma, and provide a space that is accessible to the community and celebrates the innovative spirit of this location. |
DISCUSSIONS BEGAN WITH 2019 SITE VISITS
The Emma Townsite Steering Committee convened for a site visit in April 2019. Suzannah Reid, Pitkin County's historic preservation officer, led the group on a tour of the structures and explained the work that has been done to date to preserve the buildings. The townsite is located on the county's Emma Open Space. COMMITTEE MEMBERS The Steering Committee included six members of the public appointed by the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Board: Raul Gawrys, Carolyn Shipp, Harry Teague, Mitzi Rapkin, Martha Ferguson and Jason Smith. In addition, Margaret Simmons and Liz Newman represented the Emma Caucus. Sara Nadolny attended for the Town of Basalt and Matt Annabell was the Historical Society representative. Michael Kinsley participated as a member of the Open Space and Trails Board, and Suzannah Reid participated as the county's historic preservation officer. |
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EMMA STORE
The side-by-side store buildings along Hwy. 82, just downvalley from Basalt, are among several historic structures on the property. The distinctive brick structures were built in the late 1800s by Charles Mather, an East Coast native who operated a successful mercantile business at the site when Emma was a thriving hub along the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The store buildings fell out of commercial use in the 1920s, but served as the site of community dances for a time, and then as storage for a succession of owners.
The expansion of Hwy. 82 to four lanes, and its rerouting through Emma in order to bypass downtown Basalt, was completed in 1988. The highway project compromised the store buildings. Heavy traffic rattled the brick edifices and the ravages of plowed snow and de-icer caused further damage.
In 2008, the vacant buildings were acquired by Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, with financial participation by the Town of Basalt. By that time, the roofs of the store and warehouse had caved in and the walls were starting to collapse. Open Space and Trails quickly pursued two stabilization projects to prevent the complete collapse of the aging structures and make them structurally secure. State Historic Fund grants helped finance work on the buildings. The 12.5-acre property also includes several outbuildings and the historic Mather House, a Victorian residence that is seeing much-needed maintenance in 2020. Installation of a new septic system and well repairs on the property have been completed.
The Emma Open Space Management Plan, adopted in 2017, established agricultural use of 58 acres across the highway from the townsite. That land, also part of Emma Open Space, was acquired in 2000. The Management Plan called for the formation of a Steering Committee to help determine management of the store buildings - a process that began in 2019. The structures are protected from demolition by an historic designation.
Posted below is the Emma Open Space Management Plan. It contains much greater detail on the history of the townsite buildings and the open space at Emma.
STEERING COMMITTEE MINUTES MANAGEMENT PLAN
The side-by-side store buildings along Hwy. 82, just downvalley from Basalt, are among several historic structures on the property. The distinctive brick structures were built in the late 1800s by Charles Mather, an East Coast native who operated a successful mercantile business at the site when Emma was a thriving hub along the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The store buildings fell out of commercial use in the 1920s, but served as the site of community dances for a time, and then as storage for a succession of owners.
The expansion of Hwy. 82 to four lanes, and its rerouting through Emma in order to bypass downtown Basalt, was completed in 1988. The highway project compromised the store buildings. Heavy traffic rattled the brick edifices and the ravages of plowed snow and de-icer caused further damage.
In 2008, the vacant buildings were acquired by Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, with financial participation by the Town of Basalt. By that time, the roofs of the store and warehouse had caved in and the walls were starting to collapse. Open Space and Trails quickly pursued two stabilization projects to prevent the complete collapse of the aging structures and make them structurally secure. State Historic Fund grants helped finance work on the buildings. The 12.5-acre property also includes several outbuildings and the historic Mather House, a Victorian residence that is seeing much-needed maintenance in 2020. Installation of a new septic system and well repairs on the property have been completed.
The Emma Open Space Management Plan, adopted in 2017, established agricultural use of 58 acres across the highway from the townsite. That land, also part of Emma Open Space, was acquired in 2000. The Management Plan called for the formation of a Steering Committee to help determine management of the store buildings - a process that began in 2019. The structures are protected from demolition by an historic designation.
Posted below is the Emma Open Space Management Plan. It contains much greater detail on the history of the townsite buildings and the open space at Emma.
STEERING COMMITTEE MINUTES MANAGEMENT PLAN
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For more information contact: Jessie Young, Planning and Outreach Manager
jessie.young@pitkincounty.com or 970-429-6169
jessie.young@pitkincounty.com or 970-429-6169