By Luke Purvis
The Ramspondents
The Southeast Community Center project has reached a new milestone. The facility has been in planning for more than a decade and is moving closer to construction. This is a partnership between the City of Fort Collins, Poudre River Public Library District and Poudre School District.
A sign marks the future site of the Southeast Community Center in Fort Collins.Photo by Luke Purvis.
Each partner is contributing resources through funding or land to create a facility designed to meet current and future community needs.The facility has been in planning for more than a decade and is moving closer to construction.
Plans for the center include indoor and outdoor aquatics facilities, a library, community rooms, licensed childcare and recreation spaces. A gymnasium and fitness area will also be included. Aquatics features are tied directly to PSD’s involvement.
“From PSD’s perspective, our competitive swimming teams need additional practice and competition space,” said Austin Fleskes, public relations and media coordinator for PSD. “Through this partnership, 10 additional lap lanes will be available to the community, including our student athletes.”
Fleskes said the aquatic design was made possible because PSD contributed 10 acres of land next to Fossil Ridge High School.
“The district’s swim teams need additional practice and competition space and this new facility will help to meet that need,” he said. “We hope that our students will regularly access the Innovation Center and the educational opportunities that it will provide.”
An open field on South Timberline Road and Trilby Road in Fort Collins, pictured on Sept. 9, is the planned site for the Southeast Community Center. Panorama by Luke Purvis
In addition to its contribution, PSD will share in operations.
“The district will pay a portion of the operations and maintenance costs for the facility that are proportional to the district’s use of the aquatic facility,” Fleskes said.
Other features of the project, including the expanded library, childcare facilities and makerspaces, will be led by the city of Fort Collins and the library district. Construction of the Southeast Community Center is expected to begin in 2026, with the hopes of completion in 2028.
Luke Purvis is a CSU Journalism and Media Communication student.