O
ld Colorado City could see changes to how the historic area is managed and how improvements are funded – if the Colorado Springs City Council passes a proposed ordinance and OCC voters then decide to create a Downtown Development Authority for OCC. The Colorado Springs City Council will review the proposal in a June 24 work session.
The proposed ordinance was crafted under the guidance of Jamie Giellis with the Denver-based city planning consulting firm Centro Inc. The Old Colorado City Partnership raised funds to hire Giellis to look at recommendations from the 2018 Downtown Colorado Inc. assessment and provide guidance on implementing the recommendations related to OCC’s funding and organizational structure. The OCCP also formed a steering committee that is working with Giellis on the project.
OCCP President Sara Vaas said the OCCP board raised $72,500 to hire Centro Inc. Funding sources included The O’Neil Group, Jay Gust with Ascent Restaurant Group, Gold Hill Mesa developers and local businessman Tim Haas, as well as the city’s Community Development and Economic Development departments and the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority.
“We are excited as residents and business owners to lead this effort through votes, to have a seat at the table and decide on our future,” Vaas said.
As the draft of the proposed ordinance currently reads, the proposed DDA boundaries are North 31st Street on the west; West Pikes Peak Avenue on the north; Interstate 25 on the east; and West Cucharras Street on the south.
To engage stakeholders, Centro Inc., on behalf of OCCP, mailed a survey to property owners and registered voters within those boundaries, and held informational meetings this spring for residents, business owners and property owners, as well as OCC-related board members and city of Colorado Springs staff.
From that stakeholder engagement, a vision for OCC emerged: essentially, a walkable and safe historic Main Street with a mix of eclectic, local businesses.
We are excited as residents and business owners. – Sara Vaas
Residents as well as commercial property and business owners identified parking as major issue. Another big concern for residents – and by far the top priority for commercial property and business owners – was addressing homelessness. Business and commercial property owners also expressed concern with the leadership and marketing of OCC.
Stakeholders also identified major infrastructure needs, including the irrigation system and sidewalks. Gielles said city staff cited ageing infrastructure and lack of adequate resources about why maintenance and improvements had not occurred in some cases.
Giellis, the steering committee and other stakeholders looked at several tools to implement the needed improvements stakeholders identified, including a Business Improvement District and a General Improvement District. Ultimately, Giellis said, she recommended the DDA structure because of the flexibility DDAs have in the types of projects they can do and the types of funding they may use.
The DDA would be funded by Tax Increment Funding, which does not take from the current city budget, but rather uses funds from future property and sales tax growth – as well as mill levies, a form of property tax based on assessed value. One mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. A DDA is capped at 5 mills, according to Giellis.
“Once the DDA is formed, there will be a negotiation with all the entities that receive property and sales tax: the DDA, schools, the city and the county,” Giellis said. “And there will be separate TIF agreements made with each of them as to the percentage share that each will take over the life of the DDA.”
The proposed ordinance could have a first reading as early as July 9 and a final reading and public hearing on July 24. If council passes it, it would go to voters within the OCC DDA borders in a separate ballot mailed out for the November election.
If voters approve this measure, it will make Colorado Springs the state’s first city to have two DDAs, Giellis said. Voters established a DDA for downtown Colorado Springs in 2006.
The Old Colorado City DDA would take over the responsibilities of the two existing Special Improvement Maintenance Districts in the proposed DDA boundary.