April 6-April 19, 2016 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— Page 37
For complete contact information, links and
Key Facts, visit our Web sit
Adams County Economic Development
Arvada Economic Development Association
Aurora Economic Development Council
Town of Berthoud
Brighton Economic Development Corporation
City and County of Broomfield
Castle Rock Economic Development Council
City of Centennial
Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance
City of Commerce City
Denver Office of Economic Development
Denver South Economic Development Partnership
Downtown Denver Partnership Inc.
City of Englewood Community Development Dept.
Town of Erie
Federal Heights Redevelopment Agency
Grand Junction Economic Partnership
City of Greenwood Village
Jefferson County Economic Development Corp.
Lakewood Economic Development
City of Lone Tree
Longmont Economic Development Partnership
City of Louisville
Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp.
City of Northglenn
Northwest Douglas County EDC
Town of Parker
Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority
City of Thornton Office of Economic Development
Town of Superior
Westminster Economic Development
City of Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge 2020
Town of Windsor
For information regarding appearing in the EDC Profile
Section, please contact Jon Stern at 303.623.1148
Economic
Development
Councils Directory
Economic Development News
Mayor Michael B. Hancock
and Denver Arts & Venues
announced the vision plan for
the Denver Performing Arts
Complex.
The vision, dubbed The Next
Stage, is a redevelopment plan
to enliven, diversify and sus-
tain the 12-acre complex in
downtown Denver.
A new music hall, rehearsal
and recording space, commer-
cial development, expanded
retail and an arts high school
campus are elements of the
redevelopment.
“The Next Stage vision pro-
vides a phenomenal opportu-
nity to elevate our arts com-
plex to become a vibrant, pub-
lic regional center of cultural
activity in the heart of down-
town,” said Hancock. “With
this vision, we will set out to
realize the potential of the arts
complex by better attracting
diverse residents and tourists,
integrating it into the neigh-
borhood and enhancing the
Galleria and Sculpture Park.
I am thankful for the ELT’s
(Executive Leadership Team)
and community’s commitment
to create this vision together.”
The featured elements of The
Next Stage are an open wedge
design that offers more green
space, an elevated Sculpture
Park with parking beneath it, a
new midsize music hall for the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
and other presentations, and a
number of other retail options.
A memorandum of under-
standing has been established
between Denver Arts & Venues
and Denver Public Schools to
study the feasibility of bringing
a school of the arts to the arts
complex.
“The next generation of per-
formers, artists and patrons is
growing right before our eyes
in our schools,” said Susana
Cordova, acting superinten-
dent of Denver Public Schools.
“We are committed to study-
ing how our school of the arts
can fit in at the arts complex
because of our commitment to
diversity, creativity and imagi-
nation in education.”
H3 Hardy Collaboration,
Mayor Michael B. Hancock and
the Denver Office of Economic
Development released JumpStart
2016, the city’s strategic plan for
economic development.
“This is Denver’s time. We are
seeing record-breaking economic
success on so many levels, and
the challenge now is to maintain
this growth in a manner that will
positively impact all our people,”
said Hancock. “Our JumpStart
vision has always been founded
on inclusivity, striking a balance
between bold goal setting and
ensuring that we are directly cre-
ating economic mobility for resi-
dents in every corner of the city.”
As in previous years, JumpStart
2016 outlines strategic pillars of
economic development: business
development, small-business
advocacy, housing, neighbor-
hoods and workforce develop-
ment. Eachpillar includesdetailed
initiatives, goals andpartnerswith
which the OEDwill collaborate to
convert plans to action.
Included in this year’s report is
a broad, three-year framework for
economic development strategies
for the 2016-2018 window.
Among the specific initiatives in
the 2016 plan:
• Build outreach efforts to inter-
national companies looking to
expand in the U.S., while also
exploring international opportu-
nities for local firms to tap new
markets.
• In conjunction with institu-
tional early stage venture funds,
support Denver-based startups
through a new loan fund, which
in turn will provide payment
enhancements to the city follow-
ing a firm’s successful growth
and/or exit strategy.
• Identify up to 500 firms that
contribute to Denver’s core econ-
omy, and assign them an OED
business development represen-
tative to strengthen lines of com-
munication for future expansion
or retention conversations.
• Provide financing to the top
ideas addressing food insecurity
in the Globeville-Elyria/Swansea
neighborhoods.
• Build upon the success of the
JumpStart BizPlan Awards by
organizing JumpStart Academy,
a consortium of startup entrepre-
neurs that can formally share stra-
tegic planning, finance, market-
ing and mentoring practices with
peers and future applicants.
• Support the creation of at
least 600 additional affordable
and workforce housing units, and
also pilot new financing tools for
affordable homeownership.
• Establish a retail incubator
and storefront on East Colfax
Avenue for immigrant-entrepre-
neurs to manufacture, market
and sell goods to the Denver
community.
s
The Longmont Economic
Development Partnership and
the city of Longmont have cre-
ated a new small-business grant
program in order to broaden the
base of businesses that are eli-
gible for city grant funding.
The new Advance Long-
mont Small Business Grant will
replace the current Start Up and
Business Improvement Grants
that were previously only avail-
able to retail businesses. The
new Advance Longmont Small
Business Grant can be awarded
based on either retail sales tax
generation or new job creation
in the community. Grant funds
are available to businesses for
making permanent upgrades
and improvements to their
properties, or for eligible startup
costs such as utility connections,
licensing fees or marketing costs.
The grant will provide up to
25 percent of eligible property
improvement costs up to $7,000,
or up to $2,000 for eligible start-
up costs. A business must be a
brick and mortar business locat-
ed within a targeted investment
area in the city to qualify for
a property improvement grant
and can be located anywhere in
the city to qualify for a grant to
help fund startup costs.
“We wanted to open up the
city’s grant funding programs
to be more inclusive of all types
of existing and new small busi-
nesses that are increasing the tax
base, adding well-paying jobs
to the Longmont economy and
making capital investments in
Longmont commercial proper-
ties,” said Jessica Erickson, presi-
dent of the Longmont EDP. “Part
of the city’s Advance Longmont
economic development strategy
is to support small local busi-
nesses and those within our tar-
geted primary industries, as well
as scalable startup businesses.
One way we can do that is by
opening these grant funding
opportunities up to all of these
businesses.”
The city of Longmont began
offering grants to retail business-
es in 2006 as part of an effort
to support the retail base of the
economy and to diversify the
local economy.
More information and the
Advance Longmont Small Busi-
ness Grant applications can be
found on the Longmont Eco-
nomic Development Partnership
website at
A rendering of what the Denver Performing Arts Complex could look like
following plans to enliven, diversify and sustain the 12-acre complex in
downtown Denver.
