Fort Collins, Colorado
Event/Conference Center Mixed-Use District Feasibility Study & Development Advisory Services
Hunden Partners collaborated with Convergence Design on several studies of a proposed event and conference center. As requested by Visit Fort Collins, the work involved a market demand, financial feasibility, and economic impact study as well as ongoing development advisory services and a district master plan for the Colorado State University (CSU) campus. Hunden recommended a conference center hotel as well as development scenarios, including one located at the CSU campus in collaboration with Populous.
Situation
Hunden Partners, in collaboration with Convergence Design, was engaged by Visit Fort Collins to complete a market demand, financial feasibility, and economic impact study for a proposed event and conference center in Fort Collins, Colorado. Following the completion of the initial study, Visit Fort Collins retained Hunden Partners and Convergence Design to provide ongoing development advisory services.
Approach
The purpose of the initial study was to evaluate the local and regional supply of meeting, conference, and hotel space, analyze industry trends and market gaps, and recommend the optimal configuration of a new facility, including potential synergies with Colorado State University (CSU). Hunden recommended a conference center hotel with approximately 32,000 square feet of function space and provided three development scenarios, one of which was located on the CSU campus.
Hunden assisted the Client in creating and executing an implementation plan for the proposed facility, building upon the previous analyses while supporting site selection, coordinating discussions with proposed site owners, and developing a financing plan to narrow the feasibility gap. As part of this advisory effort, Hunden worked to establish a flexible framework to guide the Client toward future implementation.
Impact
In 2025, Visit Fort Collins again retained Hunden to lead an updated market demand and financial feasibility study, along with a district master plan, for a proposed mixed-use district on the CSU campus. This expanded assignment evaluated the joint development of a hotel and conference center and identified broader commercial opportunities and University priorities within the district. Hunden assessed changes to the program since the original study, coordinated closely with CSU leadership, and collaborated with Populous to provide conceptual master planning and cost estimates. This work aimed to ensure that the district supported both community and University objectives through a comprehensive and integrated development strategy.
