A planned affordable apartment building at the south end of downtown Colorado Springs was one of the major recipients of the state’s affordable housing funds awarded last week.

The Office of Economic Development and Trade announced that the Bristow House development will receive $12.8 million in funds through Proposition 123, which voters approved in 2022 to expand Colorado’s affordable housing supply. Bristow was one of the five projects selected for funding this year and received the second-biggest portion of the $52 million fund.

Draper Commons is planning Bristow House as a 185-unit development located near the intersection of South Wahsatch Avenue and Fountain Boulevard. The building will provide studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments to residents earning between 70% and 110% of the area’s median income.

In 2024, Draper Commons opened the Sumner House, a 95-unit affordable complex on an adjacent downtown property that serves lower-income families and residents. The developers are also planning a third development called Lowell Commons near the intersection of South Nevada Avenue and Las Animas Street.

“This spectrum of affordability and universal design is the culmination of years of work by the entire community,” lead developer Toby Gannett said.

The state funding was the final push needed for Bristow House to begin construction in the spring. Gannett said the development will take approximately 22 months to build, which would put its opening around the end of 2027.

The idea for the set of affordable buildings came from a partnership of the developers, the Innovations in Aging Collaborative and four Colorado Springs-area colleges. Gannett said the groups sought best practices in affordable housing design and location, which led them to look at infill projects near downtown.

In October 2024, the Colorado Springs City Council approved an urban renewal plan covering the sites for both the Bristol and Lowell developments. Being in an urban renewal district allows the projects to use future tax revenue to pay for construction bonds and site improvements such as sidewalks and landscaping.

Gannett said that each of the three Draper Commons buildings will be supported by a different government funding source and focus on a slightly different income level for residents. Bristow House is in the middle of the spectrum, with the average resident expected to earn approximately 85% of the area’s median income and pay an average of $1,800 per month for rent and utilities.

“A lot of the units that are in downtown Colorado Springs are very expensive and are not built for the workforce and our middle-income earners,” Gannett said.

In addition to the affordability requirements, the Bristow House will also be designed to meet the National Green Building Standards for environmentally friendly construction.