Cheyenne Mayor Says Hynds May Be Used For Affordable Housing

Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins says the historic Hynds Building may soon be used to provide affordable housing in Cheyenne.

In his weekly ''Mayor's Minute" column on Friday, the mayor wrote the following:

"More Hynds Building news. I had a follow-up with the Neenan Group. They are partnering on a project that will bring affordable housing to this historic building that has been empty for 40 years. They are excited about the project and the possibilities Cheyenne and the Hynds have to offer. More good news, we have at least five groups looking at the Hynds, it is time to get this building renovated and back to life."

The mayor recently announced that a boutique hotel that had been under consideration for the building will not happen after the company considering that venture decided parking issues posed too much of a problem.

A lack of affordable housing has been an issue in Cheyenne for years, according to economic development groups and others.

According to Visit Cheyenne, the Hynds has a long and interesting history in downtown Cheyenne:

''Built in 1919 by noted Cheyenne entrepreneur and philanthropist Harry P. Hynds, the Hynds Building design was advanced for its time and modeled after buildings in New York City. Similar to current construction methods, the structure has no interior or exterior supporting walls because its mass is carried on a steel “I” beam frame, with poured concrete ceilings and floors."

But the Hynds has been largely vacant since 1985. It is currently home to an artist collective.

The property adjacent to the Hynds commonly referred to as "the hole," has been vacant since a 2003 fire destroyed a bakeshop that once was housed there.

Although the two properties are separate, there have been several ideas put forward over the years that would incorporate both into various joint projects. As of yet, none of those ideas have become a reality,