• The December Historic Preservation Commission work session and regular meeting have been canceled due to lack of business. See you in January!
• Join Historic Larimer County (HLC) on Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. for their 8th annual Holy Places for the Holidays Tour! This is a chance to learn about the history and architecture of three of Winsor's beautiful historic church buildings, including interior spaces. For details and to RSVP, visit HLC's events page.

Are you a historic property owner?

Contact Historic Preservation Services (preservation@fcgov.com; 970-224-6078) to learn more about financial support programs for qualifying rehabilitation work and for information on required design review.

Last Month's Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Decisions

Date: November 19, 2025

• Consent Agenda (APPROVED 7-0) 
  • Minutes of Sept. 17, 2025
• Discussion Agenda: 
  • Staff Activity Report
  • Special Demolition Notification - 1513 N. College Ave., K-Bar-D/Budget Host Motel - commercial property with no development currently proposed (APPROVAL RECOMMENDED 7-0)
  • 2026 HPC Work Plan (APPROVED 7-0)

The City of Fort Collins is a Certified Local Government (CLG) in partnership with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the National Park Service (NPS). Each year, the City submits a required annual report of activities that occurred in the federal fiscal year of October 1 to September 30.  Some highlights from this year’s report include:

• Completion of a neighborhood-level historic context report (“An Intersection in Transition: Laurel Street and College Avenue”) and 48 associated intensive-level historic property surveys
• Completion of 18 intensive-level historic properties to support development review decisions (4 determined landmark eligible; 14 determined not landmark eligible)
• 24 landmark design review approvals
• 9 single-unit dwelling demolition notices
• An array of educational activities, including walking tours, public lectures on history and preservation topics, co-sponsorship of the annual Historic Homes tour with Poudre Landmarks Foundation, and information tabling at community celebrations and open house events.

Planned projects for FY2026 include a preservation code cleanup project and the launch and refinement of new web pages as part of the City’s major website redesign.

Meet the members of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)! These volunteers offer their experience, expertise, and time to provide feedback and make decisions on historic preservation matters in the city.

Name: Jerry Gavaldon

How long have you served on the HPC?

• This is my first time being on HPC. 

How do you bring your professional background and experience into your work on the HPC?

• I am a life long resident of Fort Collins. My family has been in Fort Collins since 1911. I am also a real estate broker for 25 years. I am a political science major with a minor in history and business. I am very knowledgeable in local, state and national history. 

What do you think is the most significant preservation concern in Fort Collins right now?

• We need a robust process on preservation of significant homes, neighborhoods and commercial. This has to be fair and equitable for all. We need to have preservation vs rapid teardown of homes that we have recently observed and allowed. This avoids empty lots that sits as developers have moved on. There has to be a robust plan in place before any teardown. We need to hold them accountable. 

What is your favorite historic place in Fort Collins, and why?

• I value the whole city for historic places.

It’s December and it’s at least trying to be a bit cooler, and warm beverages are a great way to enjoy that fall and winter feeling. While some folks might love a good mix of pumpkin and spice, hot chocolate has been a long-standing tradition in Fort Collins during the cooler months (or all the time if you’re that dedicated!).

Chocolate, and the cacao berry seeds it’s derived from, are native to the Americas. It is a popular beverage among Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec cultures in present-day Mexico and Central America. Served cold in water with spices and flowers, the original indigenous drink is a bit different than the Europeanized version we drink today. By the end of the 1500s, drinking chocolate, served hot, was popular among many Europeans, assuming they could afford it, alongside tea and coffee.

In May 1888, a Fort Collins Courier article promoted hot chocolate (and coffee) as a great addition to any picnic. By 1901, the Owl Drug Store at 100 N. College Ave. (now the home of Maida Trattoria) advertised hot chocolate as one of its main draws for customers. The City’s Preservation team is a big fan of combining wintry beverages with historic places, so here are a few places you can get your hot chocolate fix this season in a City Landmark:

• Nuance Chocolate, formerly the Dyer & Altman Second-Hand Store and Mincers Auto Trimming Shop, built in 1906 at 214 Pine St.
• Starry Night Coffee, formerly the Brinker Grocery, built in 1907 at 112 S. College Ave.
• Explorado Market in the Miller Block, built in 1888 at 154-162 Linden St., now 11 Old Town Sq.
• Happy Lucky’s Teahouse in the former City Hall Annex. The original firehouse and City Hall was built in 1882, with this addition built in 1902, at 236 Walnut St.
• Mugs Old Town, in the Armstrong Hotel, built in 1923 at 259 S. College Ave.
• Butterfly Café, in the former Dairy Gold Creamery Laboratory, built in the 1950s at 212 Laporte Ave.
• Little Bird Bakeshop, in the former Frank Corbin Residence, built in 1906 at 613 S. College Ave.

Where’s your favorite historic building to get a holiday beverage in Fort Collins?

(Photo by Historic Preservation Services - Armstrong Hotel, now Mugs Old Town, at 259 S. College Ave., 2023)

December Historic Preservation Commission work session and regular meeting CANCELED due to lack of business.

Next Work Session: Jan. 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., in person at City Hall (300 Laporte Ave., CIC Room). Public may attend, but no public participation occurs at work sessions.

Next Regular Meeting: Jan. 21, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., in person at City Hall (300 Laporte Ave., Council Chambers) or virtually via Zoom. Public may attend and provide comment.

Agenda:

• TBA

Surveys in Progress:
We are currently researching the following properties to determine if they are eligible to be Fort Collins Landmarks in association with a current development review application. Determinations of eligibility are based on the best available information today and are valid for five years. Members of the public with information regarding the history of these properties should contact Historic Preservation Services as soon as possible at preservation@fcgov.com.

• 120 E. Stuart St. – c. 1950 single-unit dwelling, development review for change of occupancy

Recent Survey Results: 

• 629 Stover St. – Triplex, moved onto the site in 1944, development review to certify triplex use - Issued Nov. 25
• 314 N. Howes St. - Commercial Building, c. 1960, City-owned property, advance planning; Not Landmark Eligible - Issued Nov. 20
• 1513 N. College Ave. (K-Bar-D/Budget Host Motel) -1946-1973 (multiple buildings) - Demolition proposed (see demolitions section below), no development currently planned; Landmark Eligible
• 1900 Laporte Ave. - c. 1900 single-unit dwelling - Inventory of City-owned property (no planned development); Not Landmark Eligible
• 5630 Tilden St, single-family dwelling, built 1974 - survey of City-owned property initiated by Social Sustainability; Not Landmark Eligible

The City of Fort Collins requires public notification prior to the demolition of single-unit residences over 50 years of age. These notifications occur to inform neighbors of a potential change coming to their neighborhood and because certain groups can nominate a property for Landmark designation against the wishes of a property owner under Municipal Code Sec. 14-31 (the HPC by motion, a City Councilmember by written request, or three residents together by petition). Public noticing is considered complete the day after the HPC meeting for which it is noticed. Written public comments can be submitted to preservation@fcgov.com up to 48 hours prior to the HPC meeting for inclusion with the meeting packet. These notifications appear on the commission's discussion agenda, and an opportunity for spoken public comment will also be provided at the meeting. Visit the recently updated Single-Unit Dwelling Demolition Notification webpage for more detailed information on this process.

Active Demolition Notices:

• None

Recently Completed Demolition Notices:

• Standalone Demolition Notification (demo of commercial property with no development currently proposed) - 1513 N. College Ave. (K-Bar-D/Budget Host Motel), built 1946-1973, multiple buildings (1 public comment supporting proposed demolition at 11/19/2025 HPC meeting; approval recommended by HPC to the decision-maker, the Chief Building Official, due to the extent of methamphetamine contamination)
• 1617 Person Ct., built c. 1947 (no public comment at 8/20/2025 HPC Meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 408 N. Loomis Ave., built c. 1906 (no public comment at 5/21/2025 HPC Meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 121 N. Whitcomb St., built c. 1895 (no public comment at 5/21/2025 HPC Meeting; no action taken by HPC)
• 712 Scenic Dr., built 1975 (no public comment at 4/16/2025 HPC meeting; no action taken by HPC)

If hot chocolate is not to your liking, perhaps a hot soda? According to this 1900 advertisement, the Parlor Drug Store's soda fountain offered an array of hot drinks, including "Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Lemonade, Orange Phosphate, Ginger, Fruit Juices, Beef Extracts, Clam Bouillon, etc."

Chedister's Parlor Drug Store was located where Jax Fish House is now, in the Opera House building at 123 N. College Ave. The Opera House is listed as a historic building on the State and National Registers.

(Image: Advertisement. Fort Collins Express. November 10, 1900.)