Hello! My name is Ryan Lloyd. I’ve been a resident of the Westside for over 15 years. In 2008, I founded Echo Architecture, a local architecture firm focused on “thoughtful design that is sustainable, memorable and inspirational to our local community.” In 2021, we made the very intentional decision to move our operations from Downtown Colorado Springs to Old Colorado City, purchasing and renovating the existing building at 2752 West Colorado Avenue – a portion of which was built in 1860.
My adult life has been committed to bettering the built environment. Having lived, worked, and studied in Fort Collins and Boulder, as well as Portland, Oregon, and Prague in the Czech Republic, and Downtown Colorado Springs, I am well versed in the importance of thoughtful development and community-focused design. It is with that understanding that I encourage the residents and commercial property owners of Old Colorado City to vote in favor of establishing a Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
The DDA is an opportunity to invest in our future, protect our historic charm, and ensure that those who actually live or work in our neighborhood have a say in ensuring that Old Colorado City remains a thriving community for generations to come.
Preserving the heart of Old Colorado City
Old Colorado City is more than a collection of homes, buildings and businesses. As you probably know, it inspired the name of our beautiful state, it was the first capitol of our territory, and it was way more fun than its then-neighbor Colorado Springs. On top of that, it is one of only two walkable, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods in our entire city; it’s home to dozens of local businesses; contains some of our city’s best restaurants and retail destinations and is home to some of our region’s best residents. As you also know OCC faces challenges: aging infrastructure; desperate need of improved streetscape and traffic calming; safety concerns; increased competition from other parts of our city and the need for thoughtful growth that balances preservation with progress.
So, why a Downtown Development Authority? This is not just about development. First and foremost, it is about having a say in how we invest and develop OCC. The DDA will create a board of locally minded people: residents, commercial property owners, and business owners that are required to live or own property in the district. In addition, we will have a Colorado Springs City Council member on the DDA board, giving us a direct voice to our city government, advocating for OCC in a new and strong way. The DDA board will knit together diverse stakeholder groups with a collective vision, giving everyone a voice. The DDA will also create a paid position to advocate for our neighborhood to the local government. By creating the DDA, we can ensure that the community has the voice, the resources and the local people needed to address issues like infrastructure improvements, enhanced and safer public spaces, and the promotion of local businesses and rehabilitation of our historic assets.
The DDA is an opportunity to invest in our future.
Supporting our neighborhood
One of the core benefits of a DDA is the ability to generate funding specifically for improvements within the district. From our extensive research, surveys, gatherings and communication with OCC residents and business owners, the primary imperative will be to improve infrastructure and address safety concerns in the area. This will have an immediate, positive impact on all users of OCC, especially our local residents and businesses. Secondarily, the DDA will focus on improving and supporting our historic Main Street (W. Colorado Avenue) while celebrating our history, establishing OCC as a destination for all.
In my extensive travels and professional experiences, I’ve seen how strategic investment in public spaces and commercial districts can foster a sense of pride and belonging, which in turn stimulates economic growth. As a local designer working closely with local developers, I have worked on countless projects in Downtown Colorado Springs that would not have happened or would have been significantly downgraded without the support of their DDA. I’ve seen the Downtown DDA find tenants for building owners, find spaces for first-time business owners, provide grants for building improvements for historic structures, aid in funding public infrastructure improvements ranging from drainage, streetscape improvements, alternate transportations, and more.
Without this mechanism many of your favorite local businesses likely would not exist. These are the kind of improvements our OCC DDA can do for us. As the old saying goes “rising tides raise all boats.” With the introduction of an OCC DDA, we will be able to improve our infrastructure and streetscape, make the area safer, advocate for our district to the City, the State, grant providers, visitors, and more. These enhancements will improve everyday life for those of us that call OCC our home and for those that are visiting.