The Colorado Springs City Council is moving toward annexing an unincorporated area of almost 10 acres along West Colorado Avenue from Ridge Road to Columbia Road.
That area is home to a liquor store, several motels and a Mexican restaurant. The motels include the Maverick, which has closed, and the Mecca, which is for sale. Both were built in the 1930s.
Private properties are not included, but landowners could join the city later if they want.
This move should result in more efficient law enforcement response to the area, long known as “no man’s land.” Currently, the Manitou Springs Police Department, the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department work under an intergovernmental agreement to enforce laws there.
The area’s sidewalks and gutters were recently replaced using funds from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority’s 1-cent sales tax. The area was not included in the Westside Avenue Action Plan project, which was substantially completed in November 2019.