NEWS: Taylor hydropower project complete, A18
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VOL. 143 NO. 38 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 | $1.00
Gunnison Rising owners file for bankruptcy GVP intends to ‘reorganize’ for the future Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
Gunnison Rising’s investors and developers have faced no shortage of obstacles in recent years: delayed utility installation, unfavorable interest rates and, most recently, a series of lawsuits from contractors alleging unpaid invoices. But the project might be now facing its most considerable hurdle yet. MARCH ON: The Gunnison High School marching band performed its Disney medley halftime show during a At t h e e n d o f A u g u s t , football game at the Mountaineer Bowl on Sept. 13. Diego Koepsel, Jacob Frey, Mitchel Van der Veer, Jose ValGunnison Valley Properties entin and Nick Montinello walked in formation onto the field. For more, see B11. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
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TODAY NEWS: City wraps up sewer project, A10
COMMUNITY: Gunnison dancers leap to new heights, B1
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Rising A6
Housing Authority Project Hope faces to tighten deedlarge budget cuts restriction oversight Declining victim New software will help with monitoring Bella Biondini Times Editor
SPORTS: GHS cross country shines on home turf, B7
(GVP), the company behind the 630-acre Gunnison Rising development, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Colorado D i s t r i c t o f U n i t e d St at e s Bankruptcy Court. Chapter 11, referred to as a “reorganization” bankruptcy, allows investors and business owners to keep their company whole and continue fundraising while the court decides how to sort out finances and pay outstanding creditors, or those who have put money into the project. The bankruptc y process ultimately allows GVP to “get back to building Gunnison Rising,” the GVP team stated in a Sept. 17 press release. GVP still intends to issue bonds
T h e G u n n i s o n Va l l e y Regional Housing Authority’s deed restriction program has been described as a “black box:” a complex system that has not been consistently monitored. But a new software platform, coming online this year, is expected to create a culture of compliance among homeowners — preserving affordable housing for the workforce longterm. More than 500 properties
across Gunnison County are deed restricted. These legal documents outline what a homeowner can and cannot do with a property. In the valley, deed restrictions, which do not expire and bind existing and future homeowners, are primarily used to create and preserve affordable housing stock. Most filter potential buyers according to their income at the time of an application, and place an appreciation cap on the home. In most cases, buyers are required to live and work within the county. In the case of an accessory dwelling unit or guest house, some restrictions control who the owner may rent the space out to, and for how long. But each deed restriction is Restrictions A7
service funding state-wide Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
When domestic violence survivors in the Gunnison Valley face the fear of losing housing or being forced to ask abusers for gas or food money, many look to Project Hope of the Gunnison Valley for support. But come next year, the nonprofit will scale back its programs to accommodate a $100,000 budget shortfall. Victim advocates around the Western Slope, including Project Hope, are facing considerable cuts in key state and federal grants. The shortages will siphon away money used to cover survivors’ rent, help buy gas and pay staff salaries. Without a solution,
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these organizations — which rely on government funding to fill in the gaps between private donations — are facing layoffs or having to curtail programs. Now, advocates are looking to a state ballot measure, Prop. KK, that promises a sustainable revenue stream for victims of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault. Project Hope is funded by 15 different grants, private foundations and individual donations. The majority of the nonprofit’s annual budget, which was $747,000 in 2024, comes from two federal grants and one state grant. One of those is the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and it benefits around 215 victim services agencies across Colorado. In 2025, that fund will plummet by 40%, following years of multi-million dollar reductions. Project Hope A13