After halting construction in March due to COVID-19, the Oso development is back on track with the construction of two buildings to contain both residential and commercial spaces, located by Whitetooth Brewery.
Currently, workers are building the framing for the buildings, before electricians and plumbers can start to come on site.
According to Ned Johnson, whose heading up the project with Innovation Building, they are aiming for a June 2022 opening.
According to Johnson, all 28 of the condos located in Oso 606 have sold, with a mix going to out-of-towners and locals alike.
“One of the neat things is everyone that has bought into it so far has a really strong Golden connection,” said Johnson.
“Everyone loves Golden and love to ski, bike, hike, just everything you or I love about Golden. Everyone is looking to spend time in Golden.”
Oso has not yet started accepting leasing applications for Oso 612, which will function as long-term rental apartment.
Johnson anticipates they will start to accept applications from local businesses to move into the ground floor of the buildings starting in March 2021.
According to Johnson, the local dentist and optometrist will both be operating out of the commercial space in Oso.
In particular, Johnson is excited about the cafe that will be located between the two buildings, with a courtyard and outdoor seating.
He says whoever ends up running the cafe will go through an interview process to ensure they’re the right fit for the development.
“It’ll be fun to have that outdoor meeting place for town, especially along the road to the ski hill and to the mountain bike trails,” said Johnson.
“We want it to be really special.”
The main purpose of the concept of Oso came out of a need for rental housing in Golden, with Johnson saying market rate for rent will be charged to help those in search of housing.
In fact, the original plan was to have both buildings be long-term rentals, but that plan was altered to have half the units be sold to help support the rental aspect.
For Johnson, long-term rental housing is a priority in Golden.
“That was the main impetus for doing this project in the beginning was to bring more rental apartments to Golden because we’re really low on options,” he said.
“The idea was that we want to have long-term rental apartments where people consider them a home.
“A lot of people who come to town can’t afford to buy a home, whether it’s a stepping stone or whatever their situation.
“People who are renting will have the same access to high end sustainable net zero energy, super comfortable homes and I think people are going to be really happy with that.”
Due to the zoning of the building, short-term rentals will be allowed in the Oso 606 building, which includes all the condos for sale.
“We’re zoned commercial, so short-term rentals will be legal,” said Johnson.
“It’s a big benefit to a purchaser if they decided not to live there.
“The building is going to be very soundproof and well insulated, so we are anticipating that in terms of owner satisfaction, we want the building to be as quiet as possible.”
Oso has already won the Clean BC Better Buildings Net Zero Ready Challenge for being ecologically friendly and will emphasize a sustainable life style.
Johnson says the complex will be pedestrian friendly and tie into the downtown, with a future outlook to implementing a car sharing service.
