Recap: Explore Your City

This summer, dozens of restaurants, hotels, apartments, and other developments in Colorado Springs remain on track to open in 2021, and throughout the rest of the year.

Last year, In-N-Out Burger made its grand arrival on the Springs’ north side, we saw the opening of the country’s only U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, and a ribbon cutting for the UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center. Now, we welcome the completion of the Switchbacks’ Weidner Field and the Ed Robson Arena on the Colorado College campus which will bring multi-purpose sports and event centers downtown. In addition, Kinship Landing opened in downtown Colorado Springs providing visitors a unique lodging experience with nearby restaurants and activities.

Here are just some of the recent happenings in Colorado Springs, in case you’ve missed it.

Grand Openings 

There is always something new to explore in Colorado Springs, and this year we celebrate even more activities as projects come to completion.

The long awaited Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway opened this summer after closing in 2018 for renovations and adjustments. After approximately $100 million investment in upgrades, the Cog Railway opened to visitors this summer in time for the Cog’s 130th anniversary.

As the highest ongoing construction site in North America, the Pikes Peak Summit House is officially complete and opened to the public this summer. It’s sited to withstand the extreme environmental conditions that take place at an elevation of 14,115 feet above sea level. The entire site was designed to meet the latest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, equipped with digitally interactive displays and was constructed by GE Johnson.

The pedestrian bridge connecting the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and America the Beautiful Park opened this summer tying together parks, trails, and creating a unified south end in Colorado Springs. Additionally, C.O.A.T.I. food hall recently opened on Tejon Street’s Trolley Block and Tejon Eatery opened in July showcasing nine restaurants, two bars, and a vintage motorcycle museum amid Tejon’s Club Block.

Developments in Colorado Springs

After decades without newly constructed hotels, a Marriott and Hyatt Hotel will open in downtown Colorado Springs. With 1,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space, the 120-room Hyatt Place is under construction across from City Hall and is expected to open in mid to late September. Plus, Ent Credit Union – Colorado Springs-based financial institution – is nearing completion of a five-story, 300,000-square-foot headquarters on the city’s far north side.

The largest building in Colorado will open this summer at the Peak Innovation Park at the Colorado Springs Airport. Amazon’s 3.7-million-square-foot fulfillment center is bringing more than 1,000 jobs.

Housing is the topic of the year and Colorado Springs is moving quickly on new apartments and housing with over 3,000 apartment units recently completed, under construction or announced according to the Downtown Partnership. Two new apartment projects are planned aimed for affordable living for Colorado Springs’ workers. The Equity Group, a longtime Colorado Springs development company, proposed the two-building, 134-unit Airport Creek Point apartments on the city’s southeast side. Lincoln Avenue Capital envisions the 10-buiding, 240-unit College Creek apartments on just over 10 acres in northern Colorado Springs. Through July, new permits have been issued for 3,204 single family homes according to the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, a 21% increase compared to this time last year.

Overall, Colorado Springs’ population growth and influx of millennials, highly educated residents, job growth, wage increases, quality of life, reputation as a desirable place to live, and increased downtown activity and amenities are all contributing to regions economic upward trajectory.

On the Horizon

We can’t end this summary without a look at some of the recent projects to cross the headlines. PteroDynamics, an aircraft design and manufacturing company that develops innovative vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, selected Colorado Springs as their new research and development headquarters. The new facility is expected to create 186 jobs, capitalizing on the skilled workforce available in El Paso County and across the state.

Another update includes Swire Coca-Cola USA, the Coca-Cola bottler for Colorado and 12 other Western states, which is nearly tripling the size of its Colorado Springs distribution center near the Colorado Springs Airport! The center will be powered by a 900-kilowatt rooftop solar array that will produce more electricity than the building uses along with other sustainable building amenities.

Lastly, Entegris, a global high-tech manufacturer, is embarking on a $24 million expansion to better supply the COVID-19 testing and vaccine industries. Entegris will hire about 40 new employees who will join the company’s local workforce of about 280 people.

Did we catch your attention? Contact us to learn more about our growing city.