On December 15, 2009 the District met with the architect and engineering group to verify and approve the 90% completion of MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) design and structural drawings. The Geo-Thermal heating design has been incorporated into building. Final drawings and designs are scheduled for the end of February. We are still working with the water court for approval of well permit.

September 2009 Update -- We took four big steps forward this summer: (1) the engineering drawings are well under way and should be complete in September which will enable us to receive construction bids later this fall, (2) an IM neighbor has stepped forward to help with the geo-thermal heating system, (3) our new board member, Jill Campbell, understands the process of building design, approval and construction, and (4) it is apparent that we will have some unexpended dollars at the end of the fiscal year that can be shifted into the money market accounts for the CC and bring our total available dollars closer to $230K.

We also took two big steps back this summer. First, we received very disappointing news in late June that our $200K grant application to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs was rejected. Two factors weighed against us. First, there were $56M in grant requests and only $22M available for distribution. Second, DOLA’s funding priorities shifted this past Spring given the State’s economic challenges and an interest to support a new renewable energy economy (e.g., biomass, solar). IMRPD will continue to seek alternative funding opportunities for the community center such as low-interest special district loans and other grants such as Great Outdoors Colorado.

Second, our community center is considered a “commercial” building, and we are learning the hard way that the permitting and approval process is not easy. The City of Aurora has filed an “opposition” to our commercial well permit. Their opposition is general in nature. Our legal counsel will provide Aurora the IM water augmentation plan and explain our savings by collapsing four residential well permits to one commercial well permit for the community center. This delay in obtaining a well permit will likely put off ground-breaking until the late spring 2010.

The Board is disappointed but we remain optimistic and will continue on with the long-standing goal for IM to have a community center.