Haymeadow groundbreaking celebrates local affordable housing momentum

Excitement, and a bit of snow, was in the air on April 19 in Eagle as Haymeadow stakeholders gathered at the site to celebrate one thing: forward momentum for affordable housing. 

Eagle County Commissioner Matt Scherr, Eagle Mayor Scott Turnipseed, Haymeadow Project Manager Michael Hood and RA Nelson Project Manager Barry Monroe wielded golden shovels and ceremoniously executed the groundbreaking of Haymeadow’s 7 Hermits project.

The seven buildings that make up Haymeadow’s 7 Hermits project will include 76 total units. Forty-three of the units are under contract with the Eagle County Housing and Development Authority to be sold via the Valley Home Store. Fifteen resident ownership units will be available for sale with a deed restriction. The remaining 18 units in 7 Hermits have typical Eagle Local Employee Residency Program deed restrictions.

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Though, 7 Hermits makes up just one portion of the progress celebrated during Wednesday’s groundbreaking. The 76 condos the 7 Hermits project will introduce are only the beginning; with the entire Haymeadow project, hundreds more are on the horizon. 

The Haymeadow development project was approved and annexed by Eagle Town Council in 2014. A media release accompanying Wednesday’s groundbreaking described the in-progress Haymeadow development as a “660-acre conservation-oriented residential development which maintains 60% of the parcel as open space.” 

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With this influx of total units incoming, Haymeadow owner and developer Brandon Cohen explained that the housing Haymeadow will provide will likely be the most affordable housing that will be found in Eagle. “Our ability to meet the community’s need for affordable housing through our partnership with Eagle County makes this day even more exciting and allows us to maximize our local impact,” Cohen said in a press release. “It’s a true win for everyone.”

In the wake of a shortage of affordable housing options for employees within Eagle County, the Haymeadow development project as well as other recent pushes toward establishing more affordable housing county-wide are marks of that progress. Those efforts, as well as efforts made by construction companies stepping up to meet such demands, were cause for Wednesday’s celebration. 

Local employee-owned contractor and construction company RA Nelson has started construction at Haymeadow. Cohen said that he and other developers landed on stick-built construction by RA Nelson for the Haymeadow units, including 7 Hermits, because “we didn’t want to sacrifice quality to lower the price points.”

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Cohen emphasized that RA Nelson was selected for the job because of the quality of the company’s work as well as its local labor force. According to the April 19 media release, the Avon headquartered construction company had built “more than 3,700 units of affordable housing in Colorado mountain communities, with more than 1,000 of them in Eagle County.”

Barry Monroe, RA Nelson employee-owner and Haymeadow senior project manager said he is passionate about working to positively impact the local availability of affordable housing.

“It is particularly rewarding to build new housing here in Eagle, where many of our employees live and would like to purchase a home of their own,” Monroe said. “We are grateful to build this project.”

The 7 Hermits phase of development is set to wrap up construction in 2024. Pre-sale reservations can be made on the Haymeadow website, or by contacting real estate broker Scott Schlosser. The 43 units that are being sold in partnership with the Eagle County Housing Authority and available through the Valley Home Store are not open for pre-sale reservation through Haymeadow.