Downtown Colorado Springs master plan shows proposed 19-story hotel, more big additions

A 20-year preliminary plan for the southwest quadrant of Colorado Springs' downtown would change the city's skyline forever.

A proposed 19-floor hotel and 17-floor residential building would knock the city's tallest downtown structure, Wells Fargo Tower, down to third place.

With the Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame under construction, now is the time to think about more ways to revamp that part of downtown, city staff members say.

The plan, broadly outlining what the area could look like in the next 20 years, was presented to the City Council on Monday afternoon by staff members.

The plan outlines retail, business and residential spaces that could be erected around the Champion's Plaza at Vermijo Avenue and Sierra Madre Street.

A $2 billion investment in the area, mostly private funds, could generate more than 5,200 permanent jobs and tens of millions of dollars in sales and property taxes, said Bob Cope, the city's economic development manager.

"This is a watershed moment for our city," Cope said.

But Monday's presentation offered just a glimpse of distant possibilities for the area, which is either under construction or, as City Council President Richard Skorman noted, largely blighted.

Skorman and other council members expressed interest but consternation at the concept plan's lofty projections, which also includes a 15-floor office building, two-story underground parking garage and retail space.

If the concept becomes a reality, it could be "one of the best things" the council could do for the community and the city, Skorman said.

But thumbing through the 83-page plan, Councilman Bill Murray said he's not one to trust "fancy pictures" showing what the area might look like someday.

Some of the proposed buildings likely would block the Olympic Museum's view of the mountains, Murray said. Plus, the picturesque view shown in the images would in reality prominently include the Martin Drake Power Plant, he said.

"I can go page by page and say, 'This doesn't look like my city at all,'" he said.

Plus, the plan's financial projections lack a solid foundation, Murray and other council members said.

Despite that disconnect, Skorman said, Monday's presentation was only a concept, and many details and financial figures will come to light later.

Councilman Don Knight said he hopes those details can be found with the help of the council, which often is left in the dark on such projects. When the council isn't included in the development process, Knight said, the group ultimately is presented with a finished project they can only vote for or against.

Sometimes the council is just "an afterthought," he said. "And we only get briefed after everything is poured in concrete."

The Olympic Museum, meanwhile, is expected to attract about 350,000 visitors a year. In addition, Traffic Engineer Kathleen Krager said, a pedestrian bridge will span the railroad tracks in the area, linking the museum to America the Beautiful Park. And a streetscape revitalization project is slated for portions of Vermijo Avenue and Sierra Madre Street.

The concept plan is an attempt to make sure the projects underway in the area have the "appropriate surroundings," Krager said.

Cope said the council will vote later this year on whether to create special financing districts in the area, which would generate tax revenue to fund infrastructure improvements.

Source:  Gazette.com