The Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) Board approved the use of bond funds for the first phase of construction at Camp Colton in its meeting Tuesday, June 25.
Phase one of the plans includes the construction of a new lodge and infrastructure improvements, such as road improvements and an updated septic system.
Friends of Camp Colton Executive Director Ari Wilder said the plan is to break ground next month.
The total budget for the phase is around $6.7 million. Of that total, around $3 million will each come from a district bond passed in 2022 and private fundraising conducted by the Friends of Camp Colton, while $953,892.27 will come from the district's adjacent ways funds.
"We've been through a master planning process, we've gotten a lot of community input and the real goal is for Camp Colton to continue," Wilder said. " ... [The facilities] are well-loved for a reason. It's an amazing program that most school districts do not have, and it's so special that our kids get to experience being off the grid, away from technology with their peers, with their teachers in this spectacularly beautiful place."
FUSD's board heard an overview of the planned updates to Camp Colton, particularly the new lodge.
"There's a lot of nostalgia and history and legacy on the site, so [we're] trying to find a way to capture that legacy as well as the aesthetic of lodge facilities in the Rocky Mountains and the upper mountain areas," said Heber Slabbert with AJC Architects. "We're trying to capture this with the right materials that still reflect the wood, the metal and the glass of that time and the stone fireplaces, but use modern products that won't require having to be stained and sealed ... every two to three years."
The new lodge will be built on a different site at the camp than the current lodge, chosen because it is solar-friendly. It will still offer views of the San Francisco Peaks through several glass windows, and, according to Slabbert, the designers have been working with DHM Design on a plan to revegetate the area after construction.
The camp kitchen will be four times larger than in the current lodge, with pass-through windows and the capacity to serve 80 kids.
"Everything's been designated and designed for the optimal energy performance for the months that it's in operation," Slabbert said
She added: "This building encapsulates all the current needs."
In her remarks, Wilder added that the upgrades from the current facilities are to ensure the new buildings are up to code.
"There will be a few more electrical outlets, but [the kids] are also going to learn about sustainable design," she said.
A recording of this meeting is available at vimeo.com/fusd1. The presentation on Camp Colton, which includes renderings of the proposed construction, starts around an hour and 45 minutes in.
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