Entrepreneurs Aim to Raise the Bar on Sustainable Rural Tourism

CANON CITY, Colo. - June 18, 2021 - (Newswire.com)

Fremont Economic Development Corporation, a 501c6 private not-for-profit focused on economic development in Fremont County and central Colorado, today announced the opening of The Industrial Hotel, a 4-unit hotel in Florence, Colorado, built from upcycled shipping containers.

Located in an industrial section of south Florence, the project's business partners, Barna Kasa, owner of KDevelopers, and Wyatt Reed, owner of Fire Age Designs, reclaimed a dilapidated lot on the bank of Coal Creek for a building site. To be billed as Fremont County's most sustainable Airbnb, The Industrial showcases building design and furnishing principles based primarily on salvaged, recycled, and upcycled materials.

In 2019, Wyatt Reed was a winner of FEDCs Business to Business Fall Roundup pitch competition. Reed presented The Offgrid Academy as an "experience tourism" concept where vacation guests learn each aspect of building an off-grid home. As part of the project, Reed designed a 190 square foot tiny house that can be mounted on top of a shipping container and disassembled and packed for relocation. The final hotel will feature at least 4-units, including the original two-story model and a fully ADA compliant unit.

Reed and Kasa recently started a podcast to chronicle their experiences in adapting to building code and zoning restrictions, exploring alternative housing options to meet the growing need for low cost, non-traditional housing.

"What started as a project to create low-cost housing quickly morphed into this upcycled hotel concept," said Barna Kasa, founder, KDevelopers. "People need a wider range of housing options both for affordability and lifestyle choices. These options should be sustainable and leverage one of our fastest growing resources - the urban waste stream. Creating non-traditional housing options means changes to zoning, construction methods, and cultural norms. Our goal is to help inspire this change by creating beautiful, comfortable, and very practical living quarters for people visiting our region to enjoy the transformational outdoor lifestyle."

The opening of the hotel is also being highlighted as part of the AgSTART program launch. Modeled after FEDCs award winning TechSTART program, AgSTART creates profitable ventures at the intersection of ag-tech, traditional agriculture, and conservation initiatives that positively impact the region's natural resources. Sponsored by Startup Colorado and River Science, local permaculture designer Kaila Kobow of Vitalscape Design will create plans for an on-site native pollinator garden to regenerate the landscape and riverbank.

"We're honored to support the opening of The Industrial through the sponsorship of the native landscape design and restoration of the site's riverbank," said Luke Javernick, Ph.D., Executive Director, River Science. "Colorado's rural landscapes have a long history of misuse and degradation, but innovative projects like this help to educate and build an awareness of the importance of conserving our most valuable natural resources." 

For More Information
The Industrial Hotel, visit website
Vitalscape Design, Creating Wholesome Environmental Health, visit online
Offgrid Academy, FEDC 2019 B2B Fall Roundup "Bull Session" Pitch, watch video
The Offgrid Academy on Facebook
It's NOT a Tiny House Podcast, click here

About Fremont Economic Development Corporation (FEDC)
Fremont Economic Development Corporation is a professional economic development organization focused directly on business attraction, retention and expansion in Fremont County, Colorado. With an established and growing network of business, academic and governmental partners, we directly assist companies with competitive location or expansion projects by connecting them with the right people, the appropriate resources, and the most meaningful and relevant information. To learn more, visit www.fremontedc.com

About River Science
River Science is a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping our clients access the information they need to achieve the greatest conservation impacts. River Science also runs River Watch of Colorado, a community science program that collects water quality data in Colorado's streams so that we have a baseline of our river health. River Watch is a project of Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife, celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2021. www.river.science

For press inquiries, please contact Kevin Mahmalji, kevin@tworiversconsulting.co

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Original Source: FEDC Announces the Opening of the Industrial Hotel