Board of County Commissioners Work Session 9-29-2026

The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners held a work session on September 29, 2026, to review the Sugar Bowl tax increment financing (TIF) request; no vote was taken. The proposed two-phase development in southeast Colorado Springs would provide approximately 158 affordable senior housing units for residents earning 30%–60% of area median income, with a Silver Key senior activity center. The developer team identified as Zanton Company/Aeraleaf Development; the project is estimated to cost about $60 million. Its financing includes low-income housing tax credits and other public funding, but presenters described a remaining funding gap. The Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority’s analysis estimated about $2.6 million in property-tax increment over 25 years, or approximately $1.22 million in present-value dollars; eligible public improvements were estimated at about $2.8 million. County staff cited a county share of the TIF request of approximately $325,000 over 25 years, while noting that its revenue estimates were sensitive to mill-levy assumptions.

Commissioners discussed whether the project’s amenities and construction requirements were consistent with keeping housing affordable, including landscaping, solar features, and an all-electric design tied to Colorado Housing and Finance Authority tax-credit requirements. They also raised questions about county goals, the use of county tax revenue, and potential cost-saving options. Staff said the request was tentatively scheduled for the Board’s October 13 agenda for formal consideration; that action had not occurred at this work session.