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The South Main Story…

When Jed Selby realized that the 41-acre parcel separating Buena Vista from the Arkansas River was on the market, a plan quickly started to evolve. He contacted his sister Katie and the two began brainstorming about a world-class whitewater park and environmentally friendly development. These two visionaries saw the opportunity to create a design that kept the river corridor open to the public and available to river enthusiasts everywhere. They also saw the potential to create a community designed around getting people out of their cars and talking to their neighbors during their walk to the market, coffee shop or kayak wave. Before them lay an opportunity to bring to life the type of community where people could walk to fulfill all of their daily needs.

They discovered The New Urbanism and quickly realized that its architecture and design aspects would be efficient and effective at creating the walkable, pedestrian friendly community they envisioned. Tree-lined streets, mixed-use residences, green building and a conscientious land-use design were elements of New Urbanism that truly spoke to Jed and Katie. They made a commitment to visualize, design and build South Main on these principles.

Through a week long public process, a team of New Urbanist architects and planners developed a plan for South Main based on community support and Buena Vistans' direct input. This design approach gave this brother and sister team an opportunity to truly enhance a community that they know and love. As Katie puts it, "When we see how much room for improvement there is in the way the world is being developed today, all we can think to do is start locally, here at home."

Chaffee County has so much to offer in natural beauty and recreation. The entire South Main team is committed to creating a community that enhances Buena Vista and also adds to its list of benefits - wonderful homes and public places for friends and families from around the globe.