Fort Collins needs apartments. And condos, and student housing. All of this we know.

Fort Collins also happens to have been around a while (founded: 1864) and many of the buildings in town reflect this history, offering a window into the way things once were here in the Choice City.

Projects like the restoration of the Avery Building downtown are an excellent example of how historic preservation can add charm and value to our city. The block of Old Town around the building has regained a historic flair that it was lacking before.

In order to ensure the continued preservation of the history of Fort Collins, there exists, within the city’s neighborhood development department, a commission whose responsibility is to determine which properties are historically significant and protect those that are.

It’s an important job, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

That being said, Fort Collins needs apartments. Vacancy rates are way down, rents are climbing to the point where buying is sometimes cheaper, and more students are enrolling at CSU every semester.

Bearing all of this in mind, I’ll assert that it seems like a good idea to keep the path to much-needed