Collin Kelley’s plans to create a chef-driven market and dining concept at Steamboat Basecamp on the west side of Steamboat Springs was introduced to the real estate community at a broker-preview event last week.

“The market is a natural extension of how we already cook and eat in Steamboat,” Chef Collin Kelley, the owner of Primrose and Cypress restaurants, wrote in a news release. “It’s about well-sourced ingredients, food made by hand, and giving people a place they can rely on several times a week, whether that’s sitting down for a meal or picking up something thoughtful to cook at home.”

Kelley envisions the market as a modern, European-inspired market hall of approximately 4,500 square feet across one-and-a-half stories. The plans include indoor and outdoor dining, a mezzanine level, and seating for approximately 50 guests. A patio will extend the experience outdoors for coffee, cocktails, and casual meals throughout the day.

“You’ll be able to get eggs, dairy and fresh baked breads. There will be pastry items and meats, cheeses and seafood, and all that kind of stuff that you can take home and prepare,” Kelley said in an interview.

“We will also have an in-house dining and bar component. If you want to enjoy a glass of wine while you shop, you can. If you want to sit down and have us cook dinner, you can. At lunchtime we’ll have a robust deli and prepared foods area where you will be able to get pizza, sandwiches and a salad bar — those kinds of things that will really be geared towards locals,” he added.

The market will also serve as a commissary for Kelley’s restaurant group, allowing for in-house butchery and meat fabrication. The developers plan to integrate local farmers and producers, and the market will have a patio space for events and, potentially, an ice cream cart.

Kelley is partnering with MR Homes to develop the space as a daily-use food destination that will expand Steamboat Basecamp’s growing retail mix.

“The market and dining concept fills a long-standing gap on the west side,” said Kevin Riegler of MR Homes, the locally based developer behind Steamboat Basecamp. “This is a carefully considered addition that brings quality food, daily convenience, and a strong sense of place to both the Basecamp community and the greater West Steamboat neighborhood.”

Kelley said the plans could change as project remains under contract for land purchase and awaits council approval on Jan. 6. When finished the market will anchor the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Elk River Road. Kelley said he hopes to provide convenient grocery services, especially for residents on the west side of town and north of Steamboat Springs.

“We’re going to be more like a Trader Joe’s size than a City Market or Safeway,” Kelley said. “We’re not able to compete with those guys on that scale, on those types of items like commodity groceries … We’re going to beat them on quality and curation of fun and interesting gourmet and upscale products, that are inspired by travels to Europe where we we’ve experienced some cool markets.”

The new market, which has yet to be named, will join the mix of entities at the Steamboat Basecamp, including The Lofts at Steamboat Basecamp, which were completed in late 2023, and the recently completed Basecamp Row, a limited collection of newly completed, design-forward townhomes.

The neighborhood also includes Big Iron Coffee, Steamboat Fit, M3 Golf Lab, and Orange Peel Bikes, which are all located inside space formerly occupied by the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper operation. Kelley said the project is in the very early stages and is still dealing with some administrative details that need to be completed to make his idea a reality. He said if those details can be resolved, he hopes for a smooth closing on the property in early January. That would allow construction to begin next summer, with a planned opening in March 2027.

“I can’t close until Landmark (Consultants) does the survey and it gets the plat recorded with the city,” Kelley said late last week. “We’re in this holding pattern until some administrative stuff happens, but I am under contract to buy the land.”