FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KOAA) — The City of Fountain has received a $1.93 million EPA Brownfield Cleanup grant to demolish and redevelop the former Lorraine Elementary School property.
The funds will be used to clean up the site after lead paint was discovered in the building, paving the way for new development in the area.
"From my standpoint, any kind of progress is good as long as it's smart," said a former student who attended Lorraine Elementary in 1971 and 1972.
Plans for the site include a new community center where the school once stood, and an apartment complex with 106 specialty housing units just north of the location. The development area spans between North Iowa Avenue and the train tracks.
Some nearby residents have expressed concerns about the project, citing increased traffic on quiet streets, light pollution, and worries about the community's rapid growth.
"You still want that farmland, you still want those horses and stuff like that," said Edwin Templin, who has lived in Fountain since 2001.
Templin believes development needs to be balanced with economic opportunity.
"If there's no jobs down here for people to live comfortably, then what's the point of having houses," said Templin.
City officials have three years to use the grant money, though no specific timeline for demolition has been announced.
___
School's Out. Here's Where Those Mobile Speed Cameras Are Going Now
Colorado Springs' new mobile speed cameras have been busy, issuing over 10,000 tickets since January, with more than half of those in school zones. Now that school is out, police say you can expect to see the cameras near city parks and in neighborhoods.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
