Longmont's Prospect New Town Catches Second Wind

Don't call it a comeback: Longmont's Prospect New Town community, a New Urban development south of Pike Road and West of Highway 287, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. 

In the mid 1990s, landowner and former tree farmer Kiki Wallace didn't like the building trend he was seeing along the Front Range: large, treeless lots with sprawling homes, homeowners commuting long distances, and total segregation between dwellings and businesses.

To counteract the suburban sprawl, Wallace partnered with Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company ("DPZ," for those in the know) and Longmont developer Dale Bruns to begin work on an 80-acre development inspired by the New Urbanism philosophy, promoting walk- and bike-ability, integration of housing and businesses, and a newfound sense of community. 

By the time the planning board approved the project in 1995, Wallace had already pre-sold 35 of the first phase's 65 lots. This surge of integrated living sparked inspiration in other communities around the Front Range, including Boulder, Broomfield and Colorado Springs. 

In 1996, the Prospect neighborhood won the Governor's Smart Growth Award, and in 2002 an article in Dwell Magazine referred to Prospect as "America's coolest neighborhood." During its fourth phase of construction, Prospect New Town's remaining lots were purchased by Markel Homes in 2014.  

With Boulder prices heading skyward and bidding wars the new norm, Prospect New Town's seamless mix of businesses, detached homes, row houses, live/work lofts and apartments is more desirable than ever. In Mod Boulder's five-year history, we've never seen this many Prospect listings on the market. Interested in viewing one of these unique properties? Now's the time.