Proposed N. 79th Street tennis facility site now listed for sale at $2.65 million

The prospects for development of the land at 5701 N. 79th Street in Gunbarrel for use as a tennis facility appear to be more uncertain than ever. The land has recently been listed as for sale by LIV Sotheby's International Realty's Boulder office.

The 20.24 acre lot is offered at an asking price of $2,650,000. Sotheby's listing describes the property as a "perfect canvas to build your dream estate." The listing states that it is zoned agricultural and is "surrounded by City of Boulder open space on both the East and West sides."

The owner and developers of the proposed "Tennis Center of the Rockies" project had been working their way through the approval process required by the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting Department to construct a tennis facility on this property. Two other tennis centers in the area are in the process of closing, and the developers stated that a new club would help meet the high demand for courts.

However, the landowners and developers faced significant opposition organized as Protect Rural Gunbarrel, a nonprofit, tax-exempt, grassroots group which informed and mobilized area residents who questioned whether the site was appropriate for a large commercial facility under the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.

According to county records, Tennis Center of the Rockies, LLC, purchased the property on January 16, 2024, for $1.75M. In early March 2024 the owners tabled their Special Use Review application. Planner Sam Walker of Boulder County's Community Planning and Permitting Department said, "No additional input has been added to the project file in at least the last month."