Colorado Real Estate Journal - June 1, 2016
The City of Westminster has articulated a clear vision for the future: “Westminster is the next Urban Center of the Colorado Front Range. It is a vibrant, inclusive, creative and well-connected City. People choose Westminster because it is a dynamic community with distinct neighborhoods, and a resilient local economy that includes: a spectrum of jobs; diverse, integrated housing; and shopping, cultural, entertainment and restaurant options. It embraces the outdoors and is one of the most sustainable cities in America.” Bold words, but backed up by just as equally bold initiatives that will take Westminster into the next decade as a world-class urban center in the Denver metropolitan area. With six main goals as our focus, and a variety of development opportunities, Westminster is poised for incredible growth. Visionary leadership, effective governance and proactive regional collaboration. Collaboration and transparent decision-making allow Westminster to be proactively engaged with our partners, in order to advance the common interests of the region. The metro Denver area is known for its ability to collaborate, and Westminster is no exception. Working with state agencies, counties, school districts, neighboring cities and other governmental and nongovernmental entities enables Westminster in furthering its mission to be more inclusive in its vision. Vibrant, inclusive and engaged community. Westminster provides options for an inclusive, demographically diverse citizenry in unique settings with community identity, ownership and sense of place, with easy access to amenities, shopping, employment and diverse integrated housing options. Downtown Westminster will bring these elements in a setting we’ve never seen before. An area of land – roughly the size of LoDo – will be the new heart and soul of our city. An Urban Center that is fundamentally different than any other mall redevelopment in the metro Denver area within the past decade. Beautiful, desirable, safe and environmentally responsible city. Westminster thoughtfully creates special places and settings. The City is an active steward, protecting and enhancing natural resources and environmental assets. Preserving open spaces throughout the City has been a priority in Westminster for more than three decades. Since 1985, when voters first approved a sales tax specifically earmarked to acquire and maintain open space, the City has bought approximately 3,090 acres in all parts of Westminster. These vital open space areas preserve essential view corridors in the City, enhance recreational opportunities for residents through a series of interconnected trails, and sustain a rich variety of plants and wildlife. Dynamic, diverse economy. Westminster fosters social, economic and environmental vitality, and cultivates and strengthens a wide array of economic opportunities. There are over 4,000 businesses located in Westminster. The business community includes small, family owned companies, service companies and high-tech manufacturers, as well as national and international headquarters. Westminster businesses draw on the City’s resident technical and professional workforce, and can easily reach into nearby Denver and Boulder employment pools as well. Financially sustainable government, providing excellence in City services. The City promotes an organizational culture of Service, Pride, Integrity, Responsibility, Innovation and Teamwork (SPIRIT). Incorporated in 1911, Westminster’s council manager form of government is consistently recognized for excellence in management and delivery of full services to businesses and residents. Westminster is located in both Jefferson and Adams counties and enjoys some of the highest bond ratings in the state, including AAA, with the leading national rating agencies. Ease of mobility. The metro Denver area is a region on the move, and in order to keep up with the pace, mobility must come into play. Westminster is pursuing multi-modal transportation options to ensure the community is convenient, accessible and connected by local and regional transportation options through planning, collaboration, advocacy and execution. Coupled with that is the development occurring around these transportation initiatives. Westminster Station, slated to open in August 2016, is the first stop from Denver Union Station for the RTD B-Line, which eventually will go to Boulder. Just 11 minutes from downtown Denver, the station is located west of Federal Boulevard near 69th Avenue, between Interstate 70 and Highway 36. Recently, the Federal corridor was named one of the four “demonstration corridors” in the country ripe for reinvention as a healthy place with strong connections to surrounding communities. Westminster has a bold vision for the future, and it is happening now. Not just in the downtown area or at the new train station, but everywhere. Westminster is a community in transition – and not the sleepy suburb that people expect. With the major influx of new people to our state, to the metro Denver area and to our community, Westminster is rapidly growing into something different – a place that is not Denver, is not Boulder, but something new and exciting.