Mines, Confluence Companies break ground on new residence hall

Colorado School of Mines and Confluence Companies broke ground today on a $44 million, 249-bed student housing development at 1750 Jackson St.

Mines President Paul C. Johnson and Confluence CEO Tim Walsh joined Golden city officials, Mines Board of Trustees members, project stakeholders and university officials to celebrate the start of construction on the four-story residence hall, the first of two Mines student housing developments that will break ground before the end of the year to move the university closer to its strategic goal of housing all freshmen and sophomores on campus. 

Set to open in 2020, the new Jackson Street residence hall will be home to 107 studio, two- and three-bedroom apartment-style units, as well as a fitness center, bike maintenance area, laundry facilities, covered parking, study and social lounges, two outdoor courtyards and 4,000 square feet of commercial space.

The project is being made possible through a public-private partnership between Mines and Confluence Companies. Confluence will develop the building and then lease it to Mines for 30 years before turning over sole ownership to the university. 

"Colorado School of Mines is excited to partner with Confluence Companies on our first building project undertaken through public-private partnership in university history," Mines President Paul C. Johnson said. "Providing great facilities where our students can succeed and thrive is crucial to our strategic goals as a university and this kind of outside-the-box collaboration is indicative of where we are going as we continue to move forward as an institution." 

Designed by Denver-based Craine Architecture, the energy-efficient building aims to bridge the architectural styles of downtown Golden and the Mines campus. Architects are targeting LEED Platinum status - the first building in Golden to do so - with rooftop solar panels to offset up to 15 percent of the building's electrical use and an energy-efficient heating and cooling system that will reduce energy consumption by 40 percent. Amenities were designed specifically with Mines students in mind, with the goal of helping them thrive both academically and personally.  

"We are thrilled to have structured a development that will provide much-needed housing for many generations of Mines students and be a catalytic project for the city of Golden to revitalize Jackson Street by making it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly," said Tim Walsh, CEO of Confluence Companies. "Transforming a vacant underutilized lot into student housing will help reduce the pressure on affordable housing in Golden and reduce the impact of commuting students. As a prominent development on the edge of campus, we felt that it was important that the architectural style represented the 150-year history and bond between the city of Golden and Colorado School of Mines. Lastly and most importantly, I'm excited that the students residing here will be able to experience being part of the Golden community."

Mines will break ground on a second residence hall later this year. Designed by Seattle's NAC Architecture and Denver-based Anderson Mason Dale Architects, the $49 million, 400-bed hall will be located at 18th and Illinois streets between Starzer Welcome Center and Weaver Towers. Together, the two projects mark the first new residence halls built on campus since Elm Hall, which opened in the fall of 2014.

Mines Residence Life will lease, staff and program the Jackson Street hall similarly to other apartment-style buildings on campus, with a target audience of sophomores and older. 

"We know the farther away students live from campus, the more challenging it is for them to access resources, be an active part of the community and ultimately be successful," said Daniel Fox, vice president of student life at Mines. "By partnering with Confluence Companies, we are going to be able to deliver two new residence halls in one year, a big step toward making housing as convenient and affordable as we can for all of our students, whether they live and learn in this new building or in one of our other residence halls and apartment buildings."

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About Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines is a public university focused on science and engineering, dedicated to educating and inspiring students, advancing knowledge and innovating to address the great challenges society faces today-particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines' scope and mission has expanded to meet the needs of industry and society, producing distinctive graduates and revolutionary innovations and becoming a world leader in advancing sustainable use of the Earth's resources.

About Confluence Companies

Confluence Companies is an entrepreneurial full-service real estate development, construction, investment and property management company headquartered in Golden, Colorado. With close to $1 billion in successfully completed projects, Confluence focuses on developing, building, owning and operating ground-up residential mixed-use properties. Using ingenuity, creative solutions and collaboration, we deliver high-quality developments faster, better and at a lower cost. We're passionate about creating exceptional places that tell a story. We are committed to crafting developments with timeless architecture to create a sense of place, sustainability to reduce the impact on the environment and thoughtful design to promote a sense of community.