Montava: A New Look for Northeast Fort Collins

 Fort Collins is about to go through a huge change, and Montava will be at the center of it all. Montava isn't just another housing development; it covers almost 1,000 acres in northeast Fort Collins.  It will be a full community that people can walk around in, with a focus on connectivity, sustainability, and neighborhood vibrancy. 

 A Community Built for Now and the Future

 Montava is based on New Urbanist ideas, which say that neighborhoods should have a mix of homes, businesses, and public spaces so that people can walk, bike, and live there comfortably.  The design focuses on:

 - Blocks that are small and easy to walk around and have a mix of uses that cut down on the need for car trips. 

 - A town center with shops, restaurants, and services within about 15 minutes of homes. 

 - There are more than 400 acres of parks, trails, schools, and open spaces where people can meet. 

 - A working urban farm that encourages people to grow their own food and get involved in their community. 

 This isn't just a place to live; it's a way of life where going to the store, meeting friends, or walking to school feels normal.

 A Variety of Homes, Not Just Houses

 Montava is going to have about 4,000 homes of different types:

 - Single-Family

 - Townhomes

 - Flats

 - About 600 units that are cheap or easy to get

 This range helps serve a wider range of residents, from young professionals to families and retirees, and it helps Fort Collins keep its prices low. 

 New Ideas for Streets and Transportation

 Montava's mobility plan is one of the things that makes it stand out.  The goal of the project is to connect an area of roads, trails, and open spaces that has been broken up over time with safer, slower streets that put people ahead of cars. 

 - A signature feature is the "kidney-bean" intersection, which draws inspiration from Dutch traffic design.  This layout was tested in a mock-up of the real world:

 - Slows down car speeds

 - Makes it safer for people walking and biking

 - Keeps traffic moving smoothly without wide turn lanes

It's part of a bigger network for pedestrians and cyclists that will have protected crossings and even roundabouts where bikes have the right of way. This is a big step forward for community design in the area. 

 Problems and Progress

 Montava's path hasn't been easy.  City Council gave the project its first approval in 2018, but it got stuck because of:

 - Problems with infrastructure, like water, roads, and utilities

 - Legal fights over who can get to land

 - Long-running talks about buying land that is owned by more than one stakeholder on the site

 A key financial decision finally moved the project forward in 2025: the City Council approved an amendment that let Montava's metropolitan districts take on more debt, which gave developers the capital flexibility they needed to move forward. 

 This doesn't change the vision; Montava's promises to the public and the design stay the same. However, it does make it possible to move forward with the next phases of construction, and vertical building could start soon. 

 Why Montava is Important

 Fort Collins is expected to grow a lot in the next few decades, and Montava is expected to be the main part of that growth in the northeast quadrant.  Its effects will go far beyond housing:

 - Housing diversification helps with the pressure to make housing more affordable. 

 - Walkable design encourages healthier living and cuts down on traffic. 

 - Local businesses and amenities make the economy more lively. 

 - Trails and green spaces connect people to nature, which fits with Fort Collins' outdoor culture. 

 Montava is part of a bigger change in how communities are built, from separate subdivisions to neighborhoods that are connected and fit people.