Superior’s First Affordable Housing Units in Pre-Development

Pennrose LLC to build senior affordable housing.

The town of Superior has approved the development company, Pennrose, LLC, to build senior affordable housing units downtown near Discovery Office Park. The units will be called Kite Route Crossing. Along with this approval comes a rebate opportunity.

According to Superior’s Planning and Building Director, Lisa Ritchie, this will be the first affordable housing project for the town. She says it will be a three-story structure with roughly 50 apartments. These units will be set aside for individuals aged 55 or older.

“The town approved it,” Ritchie told Yellow Scene. “We haven’t acted on it yet because they haven’t pulled a building permit.”

The pre-development agreement proposes to rebate 47% of permit and plan review fees to Pennrose. Applicable fees include inspection fees, system development fees, and impact fees. The estimated rebate amount is around $725,000. The reimbursement would occur after project development. If the company cannot secure a building permit by Dec. 31, 2025, the rebate/pre-development agreement will be terminated.

“As is the nature of affordable housing, there is a financial gap on this project of roughly three million dollars,” Ritchie said in a town board meeting on Sept. 23, 2024.

Kite Route Crossing will be located in the alluring location of Downtown Superior. Within a few blocks of the lot are public transportation options, a grocery store, medical services, retail stores, and more. Included will be 36 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units.

Kite Route Crossing’s location is an upside for potential residents, especially those who don’t own a car. One anonymous Boulder resident says the location of their affordable housing unit has made a huge difference. It is within walking distance of a bus stop, their doctor, a market, and a pharmacy.

Commercial and office space near to Kite Route Crossing, photo by Hope Munoz.

“I can get to Denver and anywhere in Boulder County on the bus easily,” an anonymous resident said. “I can also ride my bike.”

Although the location of this resident’s home is ideal for them, they say the apartment hasn’t come without downsides. They live in a mixed facility with seniors and people with disabilities. When units opened up, they noticed that many who went there were transitioning from incarceration. They said that some relapsed, and others became violent.

“The reason why I stayed where I live so long, even though it’s been very unpleasant, even unsafe, from time to time, is the location,” they said.

In future housing units, the resident feels it would be beneficial to units build that are smaller and exclusively for seniors. Being around younger people brings up a slew of issues, according to the resident. They cited communicable diseases and differences in lifestyles as some of their concerns. Kite Route Crossing shouldn’t encounter mixed facility issues as it is set to only accept seniors for its units.

Although the situation has not always been ideal, the affordability and location of the housing have greatly impacted this resident’s life. They enjoy that the rent costs slide up and down with their income. Now that they are retired, those costs provide a lot of stability in the later stages of their careers.

According to the Boulder Community Foundation’s trends report, the median home rent has nearly doubled since 2000. In 2000, the median cost was $983 per month and was at $1,893 in 2023. The current median rent costs exceed that of the rest of Colorado and the United States as a whole. Colorado’s is $1,693, and The United States is $1,348. In Superior, the median home rent is $2,355 per month.

“As for Superior, I think that sounds great,” says the resident. “They need to have some options prioritizing seniors versus middle-income people. I think that’s next. I think those are two key populations.”

On Jan. 27, 2025, Superior adopted its first-ever Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan. The plan states that in 2018, the town committed to making 12% of its units affordable by 2035. It also says that the 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed 390 residential properties and exacerbated housing needs. Now, housing demand is high, and vacancy is low.

Neighborhood of proposed construction, photo by Hope Munoz.

Superior’s affordable housing objectives include:

Increase housing choices for people.
Support and promote local and regional affordable housing efforts.
Remove housing barriers for people who often encounter them.

The property for Kite Route Crossing is currently under contract. Pennrose recently requested a Letter of Support from the Superior Town Council for an application to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. If the plan moves forward, Superior will soon have its first affordable housing units.

In the Sept. 23 presentation, Brad Weining, a developer with Pennrose, shared the anticipated timeline of the project. It predicts that construction will begin in the spring of 2026 and open in the summer of 2027. Updates on the project can be found on Pennrose LLC’s page.

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