Old Colorado City residents like to claim that theirs is a unique Colorado Springs neighborhood, and not without reason.
Founded in 1859, Colorado City was briefly Colorado’s capital city and was a stand-alone city until annexed by Colorado Springs in 1917. Much of its romantic past lingers today in OCC’s intact 19th and early 20th century commercial district, honored for decades as a National Historic District.
Yet business has been sluggish lately, as merchants and residents struggle daily with competing priorities. Merchants need customers, not just unmotivated visitors who want to enjoy OCC’s historic architecture.
Potential customers need to know about OCC, and be assured that they’ll enjoy walking the streets, checking out the merchants and patronizing any of the great bars and restaurants that enliven our beloved neighborhood.
That presentation was to test ideas. – Jamie Giellis
But how do you spread the good news? For many years, merchants and residents have relied upon a couple of volunteer-driven nonprofits to fund advertising and create, manage and promote events large and small.
The Old Colorado City Partnership (OCCP) focuses on “placemaking and advocacy, investing in and guiding projects and programs that define the Old Colorado City look, feel and experience,” while the Old Colorado City Association is a business group, “open to any person or business conducting business in Old Colorado City (OCC) and the historic Westside.”
OCCP describes itself as “An umbrella organization bringing together the voices of the Old Colorado City Historic Society, the Special Improvement and Maintenance District, the Organization of Westside Neighbors and OCCA. OCCP is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS. Donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.”
Dissatisfaction with this bifurcated leadership structure may have led to the city of Colorado Springs’ decision to hire Denver urbanist Jamie Giellis to analyze the situation and, if necessary, recommend changes.
Giellis’ resume includes five years as president of the RiNo arts district in Denver and 14 years as president of her firm, Centro.
According to LinkedIn, “Centro catalyzes collaborations and partnerships between the public and private sector to bolster districts, neighborhoods and communities, providing services to strengthen cities and neighborhoods, from research and strategy development to on-the-ground implementation.”
At a recent meeting, Giellis outlined her recommendations.
She called for dismantling OCCA, the SIMD and OCCP, and creating a new entity modeled on downtown development agencies (DDAs), consisting of businesses, residents and property owners within OCC’s defined boundaries.
It would be partially funded by Tax Increment Financing (TIF) defined as a way to divert “future property tax revenue increases from a defined area or district toward an economic development project or public improvement project in the community.”
The city hasn’t released Giellis’ recommendations, so she declined to make the full report or a summary available.
“I’d prefer not to have it based on the (PowerPoint),” she said, “because that presentation was to test ideas and we are going to be changing some things based upon the input we received.”
OCC stalwart Sarah Vaas was also close-mouthed.
“I’m unsure we want any public info out right now,” she wrote in an email, “since this has to be handled very carefully for the ballot initiative and we still need approval by the City Council.”
So will it go forward in some form, be put to a vote and dramatically change governance and funding in Old Colorado City? We’ll soon know, since it can’t go forward without a vote, and Colorado Springs City Council would have to approve such a vote.
One longtime merchant, who didn’t want to be identified, is all for it.
“I’m so tired of all the fighting, second-guessing and petty crap that goes on now,” they said. “We need some structure and accountability.”
