Meatpacking giant Cargill Inc. plans to put $40 million toward building employee housing in Fort Morgan.
Like many areas throughout Colorado, the city northeast of Denver on Interstate 76 is struggling with a shortage of affordable housing. Cargill, which employs about 2,000 in Fort Morgan, will partner with real estate development firm Portmanteau Partners to build 150 housing units for the global food corporation’s employees.
Construction is set to begin soon, with the units available for rent and purchase by January 2025, said spokesperson Matt Grant. The prices aren’t yet finalized, but “will be competitive for the market.”
Selia Perez, general manager of the Fort Morgan facility, depicted the move as “extremely necessary.” Fort Morgan has served as home to Cargill since 1987 when the company bought the packing plant from Sterling Beef.
Child care in Morgan County can be a challenge, according to a 2021 report by United Way of Morgan County. And in August, the Morgan County Re-3 School District started implementing a four-day school week, with Mondays off.
Cargill said the decision has left many families looking for child care on those days. As a result, it’s giving a $100,000 grant to United Way of Morgan County to work on the issue of child care access, and another $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs in neighboring Weld County for Monday programming through the 2023-24 school year.
“We’re increasing opportunities to work and live here in the Fort Morgan community,” Perez said.
