Support the Mission

The Just Like Us Village

A Place to Build a Life

The Just Like Us Village is envisioned as an integrated residential community in Eagle County, Colorado, designed around a simple idea: people thrive when home, purpose, relationships and opportunity are connected.

A paved walking path at golden hour leading into the Village, with wildflower beds, timber homes among aspens on the left, the stone and timber Village Commons with a covered porch and cafe tables on the right, and mountain peaks beyond.
Conceptual rendering

Conceptual rendering of the planned Village vision. Not a depiction of a final design.

A naturally integrated community

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are the central charitable population. The Village is also planned to include qualifying essential workers as neighbors.

Together, this creates the possibility of a naturally integrated community rather than an isolated or institutional setting.

Who we serve

Current Concept

What the current planning concept includes

The current planning concept includes approximately 50 individual homes, shared community spaces, a Village Commons, accessible walking paths, recreation areas, and spaces that can support work, learning and community programs.

Aerial concept view of the Village on a forested hillside: individual homes along winding paths on the left, the timber lodge Commons with a patio at the center, a pond with walking trails in front, and the valley beyond. Labels read: Residential neighborhoods, approximately 50 homes in a natural, walkable layout. The Commons: dining, recreation, events, learning, community gathering. Trails and open space, integrated with the natural landscape.
Conceptual rendering
Concept board from the Just Like Us team. Illustrative only, not a final layout, site or home count.
Illustrative plan of the envisioned VillageA conceptual drawing, not to scale and not a final layout. Individual homes spaced along a looping walking path around a central Village Commons, with workshop buildings, gardens, a dog park, recreation areas, a legacy walk from the entrance and open land for future expansion.123456789
Illustrative plan. Not to scale, and not a final layout, site or home count.
  1. Village Commons with a public cafeThe heart of the Village, envisioned with a mountain lodge feelCafe, community dining, a fireplace gathering room, classes and life skills, fitness and an event hall
  2. Individual homesApproximately 50 envisioned, each its own home
  3. Employment and enterprise buildingsApproximately 3 flexible workshop buildingsBarndominium-style workshops with outdoor work space
  4. Accessible walking pathsConnecting every home to the CommonsPlus hiking trails, a pond and open space woven into the landscape
  5. Gardens and outdoor gathering spacesRaised beds and a greenhouse growing produce for the community and cafe, plus quiet places to reflect
  6. Dog park
  7. Recreation areasOutdoor auditorium, pickleball, climbing, outdoor fitness and a fire pit
  8. Legacy walkRecognition and storytelling along the way inInterpretive stops that honor personal journeys and celebrate milestones
  9. Room to growSpace for future expansion

Not yet final. The exact site, acreage, unit count, resident mix, phasing and design have not been finalized and remain subject to site control, financing, public approvals and program needs.

A lane of individual stone and timber homes with copper and slate roofs, front porches with chairs and planters, a winding path through wildflower gardens, and a wooden sign pointing to Homes, The Commons and Trails, with mountains behind.
Conceptual rendering

Designed for Belonging

A neighborhood, not an institutional campus.

The physical environment should feel like a timeless Colorado mountain community: warm, walkable, human-scaled and rooted in the landscape.

The goal is not an institutional campus. It is a neighborhood: a place where people know one another, gather naturally, have privacy when they want it, and participate in daily life.

The lodge-style Village Commons at dusk, with open timber beams, stacked stone walls, tall glowing windows and a wide porch with string lights over cafe tables.
Conceptual rendering
Inside the Commons great room: exposed timber beams, a stacked stone fireplace, long communal tables and a cafe counter, with a mountain view through the windows.
Conceptual rendering

The Heart of the Village

The Village Commons

The central Village Commons is envisioned as the heart of the Village, with a genuine public-facing cafe or hospitality operation where residents may have employment opportunities.

The current concept for the Commons includes a cafe, community dining, a fireplace gathering room, space for classes, workshops and life skills, a fitness room and a hall for events and celebrations.

It is intended as a gathering place for community events, activities, family visits and everyday interaction, indoors and out, and a natural meeting point between Village residents and the wider community.

Concept of the Commons at dusk: a large timber and stacked stone lodge with tall glowing windows, a stone chimney, and a sign reading The Commons at Just Like Us, set among gardens and lit paths.
Conceptual rendering

Concept only. Program, design and operating model are in development.

Inside the Commons

Spaces to gather, eat, learn and celebrate

Concept renderings from the Just Like Us team. Illustrative only, not final designs.

  • A great room with timber beams and tall windows, people relaxing on a curved sofa around a round stone fire pit with a hanging steel hood, one playing guitar.

    The Heart of the Commons

    A welcoming space to relax, connect and belong, gathered around a central fireplace.

  • The Commons Cafe counter with a menu board and pastry case, staff serving, and people at tables and leather chairs, including a wheelchair user.

    Community Cafe

    Nutritious meals, coffee and a gathering place for residents, families, neighbors and visitors.

  • A dining hall with long timber tables full of people sharing a meal under exposed beams.

    Community Dining

    Healthy meals and meaningful connections at shared tables.

  • A classroom in the Commons with people at round tables with laptops, an instructor speaking, and a wall sign reading Build, Learn, Create, Belong.

    Learning and Skills Development

    Classes, workshops, life skills and real-world opportunities.

  • A bright fitness room with treadmills, bikes and weights facing tall windows with mountain views.

    Fitness and Wellness

    A fitness room for a healthier, more vibrant life.

  • An event hall with chandeliers and open glass walls, a band playing for a crowd seated at tables, with mountains outside.

    Events and Celebrations

    A space for community, culture and connection.

Recreation and Community Life

Outdoor spaces to explore, connect and thrive

From the Legacy Path to the dog park, outdoor auditorium and recreation areas, the Village is envisioned with places for wellness, adventure, creativity and community.

Concept renderings from the Just Like Us team. Illustrative only, not final designs.

  • A timber and stone outdoor stage with a band performing for an audience on benches, among pines.

    Outdoor Auditorium

    A space for music, performances, education, community events and celebrations.

  • A timber arch reading Legacy Path over a stone-lined walkway through wildflowers, with a stone marker engraved Stories, Strength, Connection, A Brighter Tomorrow.

    The Legacy Path

    A walking trail with interpretive stops that honor personal journeys, celebrate milestones and inspire future possibilities.

  • A path through an aspen grove lined with interpretive signs, carved panels and a bench, with mountains beyond.

    Interpretive Stops

    Markers and benches along the Legacy Path to pause, read and remember.

  • A fenced dog park with dogs playing on the grass, agility tunnels, people watching from a bench and a wheelchair, and a sign reading Dog Park.

    Dog Park

    A safe, accessible space for residents, families and four-legged friends to play and connect.

  • Pickleball courts and a climbing wall beside a patio with a stone fire pit and wooden chairs where people relax.

    Recreation and Wellness

    Pickleball, hiking, climbing, outdoor fitness and a fire pit for relaxing together.

  • A wooden deck at the edge of a pond at sunset, with two people sitting quietly, one in a wheelchair.

    Quiet Spaces

    Places by the water to reflect, recharge and enjoy the natural beauty of a mountain home.

  • Raised garden beds with sunflowers and a small greenhouse, people watering and tending plants, one from a wheelchair.

    Gardens and Green Spaces

    Raised beds and a greenhouse to learn, grow and provide fresh produce for the community and cafe.

  • People on a bench at a stone-pillared overlook watching the sun set over a mountain valley.

    Breathtaking Views

    Scenic overlooks that are a constant reminder of the bigger possibilities ahead.

Connected to the Larger Community

A home base, not a boundary.

The Village is intended to be a home base, not a boundary. Residents should have opportunities to work, learn, shop, recreate, volunteer and build relationships throughout the surrounding community.

At the same time, employers, educators, volunteers, nonprofits, essential workers and other community partners can participate appropriately in Village life.

Community impact

A Phased Path Forward

Built in thoughtful phases.

JLU expects development to occur through thoughtful phases.

Site control, community and municipal collaboration, planning, financing, approvals, infrastructure, design and program readiness will shape the pace and sequence. JLU will publish specific commitments only when they are sufficiently developed and documented.

A stone walkway leading into the Village at evening, lined with engraved pavers and low plaques, with the Commons glowing in the distance.
Conceptual rendering
Partner With UsStay Connected

A community like this is built together.

Whether you want to support the mission, explore a partnership, or follow the journey, there is a place for you in what comes next.

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