Alpine-Balsam Area Plan Implementation

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

In 2015, the City of Boulder purchased 8.8 acres of property from Boulder Community Health. The properties include the former BCH hospital site at 1100 Balsam Ave. (corner of Balsam Avenue and Broadway), as well as two properties on Alpine Avenue and two small properties on North Street.

One property - the Brenton Building - has already been re-purposed as city offices. The medical pavilion building on the corner of Alpine and Broadway is being renovated for a future city service center and work is underway for deconstruction of the main hospital building. Updates are available on the Alpine-Balsam Implementation Website.

The City Council adopted the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan in Nov. 2019 to guide future redevelopment of the site and includes detailed direction for future uses, urban design, building types and heights and connections. The vision includes building on the thriving nature of the area as a community center, redeveloping the site to include a new city service center and several different types of housing to serve a range of income levels. Redevelopment will include new street, bike and pedestrian connections as well as an area for flood mitigation along Balsam Avenue. Parking will primarily be in the existing parking structure. New programs and infrastructure to support a range of travel choices and to prepare for future transportation trends and technologies will be part of the implementation.

Implementation of the area plan is a multi-phased process to ensure efficient and effective city investment.

Feedback Opportunity:

A key step to implement the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan is to develop and adopt new zoning for the city-owned site. Staff is recommending a new form-based code approach for the city-owned properties at Alpine-Balsam to implement the land use and urban design elements of the adopted area plan. The purpose of a form-based code is to establish building form and design requirements for development on City-owned land at Alpine-Balsam.

The design requirements implement the desired development, including functional characteristics, form, design character, and quality, as guided by the Area Plan and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. Staff and consultants provided an update on the project and an overview of the draft zoning at a virtual community briefing on May 24. An explanation of the form-based code starts at 19:54 in the video. View the presentation slides.

We welcome community review and feedback on the draft code and will be collecting feedback through mid-July in preparation of the Planning Board review and recommendations in August.


In 2015, the City of Boulder purchased 8.8 acres of property from Boulder Community Health. The properties include the former BCH hospital site at 1100 Balsam Ave. (corner of Balsam Avenue and Broadway), as well as two properties on Alpine Avenue and two small properties on North Street.

One property - the Brenton Building - has already been re-purposed as city offices. The medical pavilion building on the corner of Alpine and Broadway is being renovated for a future city service center and work is underway for deconstruction of the main hospital building. Updates are available on the Alpine-Balsam Implementation Website.

The City Council adopted the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan in Nov. 2019 to guide future redevelopment of the site and includes detailed direction for future uses, urban design, building types and heights and connections. The vision includes building on the thriving nature of the area as a community center, redeveloping the site to include a new city service center and several different types of housing to serve a range of income levels. Redevelopment will include new street, bike and pedestrian connections as well as an area for flood mitigation along Balsam Avenue. Parking will primarily be in the existing parking structure. New programs and infrastructure to support a range of travel choices and to prepare for future transportation trends and technologies will be part of the implementation.

Implementation of the area plan is a multi-phased process to ensure efficient and effective city investment.

Feedback Opportunity:

A key step to implement the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan is to develop and adopt new zoning for the city-owned site. Staff is recommending a new form-based code approach for the city-owned properties at Alpine-Balsam to implement the land use and urban design elements of the adopted area plan. The purpose of a form-based code is to establish building form and design requirements for development on City-owned land at Alpine-Balsam.

The design requirements implement the desired development, including functional characteristics, form, design character, and quality, as guided by the Area Plan and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. Staff and consultants provided an update on the project and an overview of the draft zoning at a virtual community briefing on May 24. An explanation of the form-based code starts at 19:54 in the video. View the presentation slides.

We welcome community review and feedback on the draft code and will be collecting feedback through mid-July in preparation of the Planning Board review and recommendations in August.


  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    A key step to implement the Alpine-Balsam Area Plan is to develop and adopt new zoning for the city-owned site. Staff is recommending a new form-based code approach for zoning the city-owned properties at Alpine-Balsam to implement the land use and urban design elements of the adopted area plan. The purpose of a form- based code is to establish building form and design requirements for development on City owned land at Alpine-Balsam. 

    The design requirements implement the desired development, including functional characteristics, form, design character and quality, as guided by the Area Plan and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. Staff and consultants provided an update on the project and overview of the draft zoning at a virtual community briefing on May 24. An explanation of the form-based code starts at 19:54 in the video. View the presentation slides.

     We welcome community review and feedback on the draft code and will be collecting feedback through Mid-July in preparation of the Planning Board review and recommendations in August. 


    Complete Form
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Page last updated: 22 Jul 2021, 09:18 AM