Summit County signs lease with White River National Forest to bring up to 177 affordable rental units to workforce

In a historic move, the White River National Forest and Summit County signed a 50-year lease of the 11-acre Dillon Work Center administrative site for the development of affordable workforce housing.

The signing of the contract on Wednesday, Sept. 27, marks the first lease to be signed under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which provides the Forest Service with the authority to enter long-term lease arrangements at qualifying administrative sites in exchange for cash or non-cash considerations.

The lease will help meet the workforce housing needs of the local community and U.S. Forest Service by allowing for the development of up to 177 affordable, long-term rental units of mixed configuration along with a neighborhood community center, residential parking, public transit connections and upgraded infrastructure and utilities.

Work on the ground is currently expected to begin in 2024.