Revitilization Projects Highlighted at Development Summit

The vacant St. Francis hospital building on Pikes Peak Avenue is one site of future development in Colorado Springs.
Credit Andrea Chalfin / KRCC
The vacant St. Francis hospital building on Pikes Peak Avenue is one site of future development in Colorado Springs.

Community leaders and developers from Colorado Springs and elsewhere came together yesterday to talk about urban revitalization projects in and around the city's downtown.

The seminar included tours of a number of planned projects, including a bike tour of Legacy Loop, the Catalyst Campus of Technology, and a tour of the Center for Leadership at the Air Force Academy.

In another presentation, Chris Jenkins with the Nor'wood Development Group said downtown is more vibrant than it's ever been, but it's always an ongoing process.

"Everybody who I've seen talk about a center city story, it never just starts right now and finishes," said Jenkins.  "It's a long journey, and in fact our community has been at it for quite a while.  And we're still emerging. I don't think we've hit that critical mass of momentum yet."

Nor'wood is planning to develop the sites of the former St. Francis Hospital and Gazette buildings on Pikes Peak Avenue into mixed-use space, to include apartments and businesses. 

Wednesday's seminar, presented by the Colorado chapter of the Urban Land Institute, also highlighted the new Ent Center for the Arts and Alpine Village at UCCS and plans for the South Nevada and Ivywild areas.