The first residents of Huron Landing are moving in today, as officials representing Summit County and Breckenridge toured, toasted and cut a ribbon Friday on the new $8.5 million workforce-housing project.

“It’s half as exciting as it was to have the lottery selections and get locals into the housing,” director of Summit County housing Nicole Bleriot said of Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “That was the most exciting moment, when we could pick names out of the fishbowl, and it was almost a lump-in-the-throat, ‘Yay! We’re getting people in.’ This is just icing on the cake.”

The workforce housing project on Country Road 450, off Colorado 9, near the 7-Eleven in Breckenridge, is the result of a 50/50 partnership between the county and the town — and it’s believed to be the first of its kind in Summit County.

A lack of affordable housing has long been an issue in the county, and Bleriot said she believes this project could be the first of many town-county partnerships on workforce housing to come.

“We’re such a small community of multiple towns and the county, it’s absolutely essential that we all collaborate and work together,” she said. “We’re mightier when we’re together … and this has been a huge team effort.”

Altogether, there are 26 two-bedroom apartments on 1.7 acres at Huron Landing. Of those units, 22 were made available for renters through a lottery, with the first 11 going to people working in the Upper Blue River Basin and remainder going to people working anywhere in Summit County.

The county and town also get two apartments each for their exclusive use in the agreement.

Bleriot said the county will use its two apartments for transitional-employee housing while Breckenridge plans to put its units into play as long-term rentals for town employees.

The apartments are in a prime Summit County location. Not far from the highway, they all have private entrances, washers and dryers, storage space, covered decks and room for parking, all in close proximity to bus stops and the recreation center.

The rental rate varies based on how many bathrooms a unit has. As some of the apartments come with two while others only have one. For the two-bedroom, one-bathroom units, renters will pay $1,550 a month and for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments, the rent will be $1,700 a month.

The rates come in at 66 to 80 percent of the area median income for the one-bathroom units and at 82 to 89 percent AMI for the two-bathroom apartments. It’s also required that a minimum of two and a maximum of four people live in each unit.

The apartments are smoke free, and “no smoking or vaping of any kind” will be allowed inside or anywhere on the property. Any violations could result in eviction, according to rules spelled out on the development’s website, HuronLanding.com.

While smoking is forbidden, pets are welcome. Certain breed restrictions are in place, but residents are allowed up to two pets — cats or dogs — per unit with an additional, non-refundable deposit.

Summit County has owned land at Huron Landing since the 1960s, and the parcel was identified as a potential housing site in the 2010 Upper Blue master plan update. Breckenridge annexed the parcel last December, and construction began in fall 2016.

The apartments were expected to be complete by August of this year, and with Friday’s ribbon cutting, they came in on schedule.

Applications from potential renters were accepted in April and May, and the lottery to determine who would get apartments was held the week of May 15.

At this time, applications are no longer being accepting. A wait list will be opened if, and when, apartments come available.

The approved applicants have from today to Aug. 15 to sign 12-month leases.

Managing day-to-day operations at Huron Landing is in the hands of a private company, Corum Real Estate.

The leasing office at 605 Airport Road is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.