GILPIN COUNTY — Gilpin County dedicated their new Community Annex building on August 12, 2026, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and an open house for the public.

The new building off Highway 46 will house the Food Pantry, a commercial kitchen available to rent, and the Senior Program staff, who have relocated from the Human Services building.

Gilpin County contracted with Sechler Architecture for the design of the new multi-use building in 2024 and awarded the construction contract to AD Miller Services Inc. on March 25, 2025. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held on September 3, 2025.

In her remarks before the ribbon cutting ceremony, Gilpin County Commissioner Susan Berumen said that the contractor brought the project in on time and under budget even after having to deal with high winds that toppled the initial framing.

Berumen also thanked County staff for their efforts to ensure the successful completion of the building. She singled out County Manager Ray Rears and Facilities Manager Ryan Keenan for their contributions and oversight of the project.

The volunteers for the Food Pantry were recognized and thanked for their many hours of dedication in helping to serve those residents who need some assistance.

The budget for the building was set not to exceed $2.465 million, and received a $650,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) from their Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund. Gilpin County invested approximately $1.815 million in the project with no financing, and used the grant money to install solar panels that will reduce the energy costs for the building.

In her remarks, Hollingsworth thanked previous commissioners Linda Isenhart and Web Sill for their initial support for a better facility going back to 2019. Hollingsworth also thanked the County staff for their ongoing efforts to provide critical services to county residents.

Commissioner Jeff Aiken joked about being in another cartoon but said that it was a magnificent building and when the dust settles, people will realize that it was a worthwhile project.

Chris La May, North Central Regional Manager for DOLA, spoke about the state’s ongoing investment in Gilpin County, including grants for the Human Services Building and Timberline Station #3. La May used the term "Wraparound Services" to describe incorporating multiple services in the same location to serve a specific demographic. Seniors who come for the food pantry can also speak with Senior Program staff during the same visit.

New offices for Senior Services at the Community Annex. The offices are equipped with secure connections to county and state servers so staff can handle queries and applications onsite.

Photo by Wes Isenhart

Berumen referenced the possibilities of offering pop-up services at the Annex. The new facility has secure connections to the state servers, so applications to the various state aid programs can be made onsite.

With the completion of the Annex, refrigerators and freezers from the Justice Center were moved to the new building, freeing up space and reducing energy costs at the Justice Center. Volunteers will save hours of time not having to move supplies between the Justice Center and the Food Pantry.

A concrete pad has been poured for a generator, which will be used to keep the refrigerators and freezers running to keep the food from spoiling when there is a power outage. Purchase and installation of a generator are yet to be scheduled.

The commercial kitchen has a separate access so that can be rented anytime during the day or night. Parks and Recreation will handle the scheduling and reservations for the kitchen.

Photo by Wes Isenhart

The commercial kitchen will be available for rent 24/7 and will be accessible through a separate door. Scheduling time to rent the commercial kitchen will be handled by the Gilpin County Parks and Recreation Department. The kitchen can be used to prepare hot meals like Senior Lunches that will be served in the Community Center, which is only a short distance away.

Since the Annex is on the same campus as the Community Center and the Justice Center, it will be included in protection plans for emergencies and evacuations. The warehouse portion of the building will store food supplies that could be distributed in an emergency.

The Food Pantry is open on Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For information about the Food Pantry or to make a donation contact Corinne Keller at 720-432-6120 or ckeller@gilpincounty.org. The county website (gilpincounty.colorado.gov) has webpages on the food pantry and the senior program. Click on the Departments tab and then Human Services.