Downtown Colorado Springs development is booming

Colorado Springs is thriving, fueled in large part by the dramatic revitalization of its downtown area. A testament to its rapid growth, Colorado Springs is expected to surpass Denver to become the largest city in Colorado by 2050. This year alone, the city was recognized by the Brookings Institution as the Fastest Growing City for Millennials, the No. 1 Most Desirable Place to Live by U.S. News and World Report and among the Top 25 Happiest Cities. Here are just a few examples of development projects that have new residents and businesses flocking to Colorado Springs:

Game-changing sports developments

Known as Olympic City USA, Colorado Springs is strengthening its already extensive sports industry with the opening of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and Hall of Fame in 2019. The $75 million, 60,000 square-foot museum will be one of the most accessible and interactive museums in the country, honoring the legacies of American Olympians and Paralympians.

In addition, Colorado Springs will welcome an $8 million Pedestrian Bridge to America the Beautiful Park. The bridge will connect the extensive Legacy Loop trail system and park to the U.S. Olympic Museum and a new stadium for Colorado Springs’ minor league soccer team, the Switchbacks.

A booming tech sector and home-grown innovation

In case you haven’t read about these “Five Tech Companies to Watch in Colorado Springs,” Colorado Springs is a growing hotspot for startups and tech companies. On top of the businesses that call the region home, entrepreneurs are flocking to coworking spaces like Epicentral Coworking to fuel their creative spirits. It was only a matter of two years until this local startup hub outgrew its initial space.

Not only are the people of Colorado Springs pioneering innovative ideas, but the city itself is also becoming smarter by partnering with Panasonic CityNOW on a project called SmartCOS. The project will bring new IoT public technologies to southwest downtown, including new LED streetlights, parking solutions and more.

Plenty for foodies and creatives

Thanks to the city’s long list of Downtown restaurants, coffee shops, distilleries and breweries, you can eat (or drink) your heart out in this cultural hotspot. The Downtown restaurant scene includes favorites like Four by Brother Luck, who was a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Chopped, and Story Coffee, named Colorado’s most beautiful coffee shop by Architectural Digest. Many Downtown eateries exclusively offer Colorado spirits and brews, plus hidden speak-easy style cocktail bars, local breweries, award-winning baristas and a local lemonade shop round out the beverage options.

Restaurants aren’t the only thing attracting residents and businesses to the Downtown area. In fact, nearly 230 arts-related businesses (including makers, artists, architects, designers, and performers) are located in the state-certified Creative District of Downtown Colorado Springs. Year-round First Friday’s Downtown features art, live music, and special events at more than two dozen locations – and it’s easy to hop on a bike and peruse galleries with PikeRide, the recently launched bike share program serving the city center.

Get in touch to learn more about downtown development and upcoming projects in Colorado Springs.