State and Local Support- On May 18, 2010, Crossroads was awarded $418,681 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Division of Housing.  This, our single largest cash gift to date, brings Crossroads to 92% of the Capital Campaign fundraising goal. 

This award would not have been possible without the support of the City of Fort Collins.  In March 2010, Fort Collins City Council approved a $350,000 funding request for the new Safehouse.  The City also provided $68,681 in fee and permit waivers for the project.  This $418,681 gift was matched dollar-for-dollar by DOLA.

Crossroads is sincerely grateful to the City of Fort Collins and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for their encouragement to move forward with a state-of-the-art domestic violence shelter and, as always, exceptional victim services.

Crossroads Launches Capital Campaign Website - Welcome to our new capital campaign wedsite. We hope you find this a useful source of information about our campaign. This blog will be updated on a regular basis to provide up-to-date information on the progress of the campaign. We will also use it to provide other information that we believe you will find useful. In addition to these blog updates, we will also post new pictures in the photo gallery showing the new safehouse during the coming phases of construction. The campaign is moving forward rapidly, so please check back often.

Thank you for your continuing support,
Bill L

Brief Capital Campaign History - Capital campaign discussions between Crossroad’s supporters, board members and staff began in April, 2006. These discussions focused on four major problems with the current facility. 1) Inadequate security and a location that is no longer confidential. 2) Insufficient capacity, over 180 women and children turned away the previous year. 3) Major problems that prevented upgrading the current safehouse buildings that are over 100 years old. For example, the buildings were not designed for high occupancy, so the waste water system is a daily problem with frequent flooding. 4) The high cost of utilities. Monthly heating costs could exceed $1,600 during the cold months. An evaluation of these problems led to the immediate decision to move forward.

Our first step was to define the functional requirements for a new safehouse. Current and former residents of Crossroads were surveyed for their input on facilities and programs. Focus groups of Safehouse employees were formed to provide their initial input and to serve as a feedback mechanism as we moved forward. We visited four existing safehouses in Colorado and two safehouses in Texas that has been recently built. (Since these initial visits, we have visited several additional safehouses.) The directors and staff of these safehouses were very open about what worked well, problem areas, and requirements that were not addressed in their facilities.

Justin Larson, JCL Architecture, volunteered his time (for the duration of the project) to take the functional requirements and create a new safehouse design. This design was used for initial cost estimates and was combined with other research and materials to produce a case for support. A capital campaign feasibility study was conducted in the fall of 2008.

While we were reviewing the feasibility study results, a game-changing event occurred. Columbine Health Systems agreed to donate a former nursing home that we could remodel for a new safehouse. The facility was a great fit for our needs. It’s large enough to meet our needs, well located, designed to house clients in separate rooms, and there is a great inner courtyard that will provide a secure location for children to play.

We were extremely busy in 2009. Justin adapted the previous design to fit the former nursing home. We worked with the City for all required zoning changes and approval of a site plan. We reviewed and selected a general contractor, Dohn Construction. And, we launched a fundraising campaign.

We are pleased to announce that we have commitments for 84% ($4,597,265) of the funds needs ($5,473,994) for the new safehouse. If we raise the final $826,729 by August 1, construction can be completed by the end of 2010.

With your help, 2011 will be the year that Crossroads no longer has to say “sorry, but all our rooms are full” to women and children that desperately need our help.

Sustainable Design - The Safehouse Project is a sustainable project beginning with design. The architect on the project, JCL Architecture, is an Energy Star Professional Firm. They have carefully analyzed the building to determine where the greatest savings in energy are possible, while bringing the building up to Fort Collins City Code—which in itself will make the building more sustainable. The analysis determined where more insulation is needed, how to zone the Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to minimize energy consumption, and what non-toxic materials to use to maximize the health of the occupants. All appliances and HVAC equipment will be very low water and energy-using. From timers on showers, to motion sensors on lights, the building will function with less energy and water for the life of the building.

During construction, we are minimizing the impact on the environment, too. We’ve recycled steel removed from the building; removed wood doors, chair rails, and handrails for reuse in the new facility; and donated re-usable items and materials to other nonprofits.

In addition, the landscaping will be xeric, with minimal turf, drip water systems for beds, and some areas with dry rock garden only.