GILPIN COUNTY - Gilpin County held a groundbreaking ceremony on September 3, 2025, celebrating the start of construction of the new Community Annex building.

A contract has been signed with A.D. Miller Services Inc., and construction is slated to be finished by July of 2026.

The ceremony was celebrated by elected officials, employees from the contractor, County employees who run the food pantry, and food pantry volunteers who contribute their time and effort to the enterprise.

Gilpin County Commissioners Sandy Hollingsworth and Jeff Aiken gave opening remarks to start the ceremony. Human Services Director Janey Barker, Facilities Manager Ryan Keenan, County Manager Ray Rears, Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong, and Timberline Fire Chief Paul Ondr were also in attendance.

Hollingsworth thanked the volunteers for their tireless dedication and talked about the efforts over the years, going back at least to 2018, to upgrade the food pantry and consolidate operations.

She spoke about the reality of food insecurity, where people don’t have access to nutritious food or have to make difficult choices between buying groceries or medicine. Hollingsworth considered it appropriate for local government to help those in need, and thanked those in the community who support these efforts.

In subsequent remarks, Hollingsworth also thanked the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for their $650,000 grant to help with the construction.

Aiken added that he thought it was a worthwhile endeavor, and he was happy to be part of it.

The contract with A.D. Miller for the construction of the new building is not to exceed $2,465,000.

A single-story building with 2,220 square feet of space, the new facility will include a lobby and pantry area, storage space with a walk-in freezer, a commercial kitchen, and three additional offices.

The contract price includes all of the kitchen equipment, shelves, furniture, and connections to County water and sewer lines. The parking lot will remain dirt and the existing modular building will be removed when the new building is operational.

After the speeches, the invited dignitaries grabbed a shovel to throw some dirt around. A.D. Miller had a big backhoe on hand to give the ceremony a little muscle.

The next step is for the surveyors to finish the layout of the building before excavation for the foundation begins.

For more information about the construction of the Community Annex, contact Facilities Manager Ryan Keenan at rkeenan@gilpincounty.org or 720-316-1667. The County maintains a webpage on the project at gilpincounty.colorado.gov/departments-offices/county-manager/community-annex. To volunteer contact Corinne Keller ckeller@gilpincounty.org or 720-432-6120.