[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6261944,"mediaKeyId","3117268-cf5b5dcfaafb0f1ab30707c1de52f744","parentId",3117268,"title","City staff and consultants urge study of a Downtown Development Authority as districts face stagnation","audioSeconds",4433,"startMs",4246000,"endMs",8679000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3117268-cf5b5dcfaafb0f1ab30707c1de52f744&start=4246&end=8679","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3117268-cf5b5dcfaafb0f1ab30707c1de52f744/thumbnail_4246000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261944/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/City-staff-and-consultants-urge-study-of-a-Downtown-Development-Authority-as-districts-face-stagnation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261944-d37c7dfc79beaafeb21c99eeff693d31/orig.mp4?Expires=1770498134&Signature=TA1vbTlvzJx9TXahgPyuo~VubgE6KE1Ivi9nWVX1cvDlelikQyHTC6UzsXoN-~bAgzpV3qqnPJqYM91ajqxl8Nr992yqH63oRmJ~pLMjiS8CJ4Y6rhanv7pPCynKQ8icpLvHRkm7oM7mWF1dM3HY0No1HTzO0VOdf~yQksBRpbfWo4pm~ZWtxs3B0DNVZV4PGsXomkZtsBSYtehHeuQgszX-U1QWtzXVC-ookrZ9UJckltmShAnTFPp0e5Atr5LcALalL0uJj6KfMeqyDASdHnq~0yEoeAImfAleGixDlGtOy7Nxis3-mtgTJxpuFGDSqNPllmkqiBiOJEAuyFzhSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-04-25T02:30:15.93Z","article","City staff and consultant Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) on Tuesday presented an analysis of Boulder’s general improvement districts (GIDs) and recommended exploring a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to fund capital projects and ongoing services across the downtown–University Hill corridor.

“Your general improvement districts on the Hill and downtown go back 55 years,” said Brad Siegel, principal with PUMA. Siegel summarized market indicators showing elevated retail and office vacancy and property‑value growth that has lagged inflation in downtown and University Hill. “These factors indicate that reinvestment and stimulus in these areas is needed,” PUMA’s Amanda Kennard added.

Why it matters: the analysis showed sales tax and assessed‑value growth in downtown and the hill have plateaued since 2019, while office vacancy remains stubbornly high downtown. The consultant and staff framed a DDA — a tool authorized by Colorado statute — as a potential mechanism to capture future incremental property and sales tax revenues (tax increment financing, or TIF) and, optionally, an up‑to‑5‑mill levy to support capital and service investments in a defined downtown boundary that could include the Broadway corridor between downtown and the hill.

Recommendations and options: PUMA and staff proposed a near‑term feasibility study for a DDA as the primary recommendation. They described alternatives if a DDA proves infeasible, including adjusting existing GID mill levies (subject to TABOR/DeBrucing rules and votes of affected property owners), creating a Pearl Street public improvement fee, using citywide bond measures for major projects, or deploying urban renewal on a site‑by‑site basis.

Council concerns and questions: members were generally supportive of further exploration but raised key issues before taking any formal steps. Questions included:
- Governance and oversight: councilors asked how a DDA board would be formed and how the council would retain oversight. PUMA noted council appoints the DDA board and would approve bond issuances and any ballot measures.
- Ballot and voter scope: staff clarified that any DDA establishment would require local elections among electors within the proposed DDA boundaries (residents, commercial property owners and designated business lease holders), not a citywide vote.
- Revenue impacts on other taxing districts: councilors asked how TIF would affect distributions to other taxing authorities such as Boulder Valley School District; PUMA said a full fiscal analysis and coordination meetings with other taxing entities are standard next steps.
- Equity and citywide trade-offs: several members asked whether dedicating future incremental revenue to a downtown area would conflict with the city’s stated preference to avoid dedicated taxes and whether it could reduce the funds available for citywide initiatives.

Other analysis and district findings: PUMA reported that the City’s downtown General Improvement District (CAGED) has historically been successful (originally focused on parking management) but now faces “mission creep” and administrative overlaps with the downtown business improvement district (BID). University Hill’s GID (UJID) generates limited revenue relative to district needs. Boulder Junction’s existing mill levy was generating more revenue than near‑term needs, and PUMA recommended restructuring or consolidation options there.

Short‑term work already underway: staff listed completed and planned physical and placemaking investments connecting downtown and University Hill, including temporary wayfinding signage, a creative crosswalk at 13th and Pennsylvania, safety and sidewalk improvements on Eleventh Street, expanded ambassador coverage on the Hill, and a park‑to‑park shuttle. The staff memo also noted a $1.4 million allocation in the 2025 budget for Hill streetscape enhancements; staff said further financial modeling and public engagement would follow if council supports a DDA feasibility study.

Council direction: council members generally signaled interest in studying a DDA but requested detailed fiscal modeling, assessment of the interaction with other ballot or citywide funding strategies, guardrails on governance and oversight, and equity analysis to be completed before any formal vote or ballot measure.

Ending: staff will receive a final PUMA report, incorporate council direction, and move forward with the Commercial Areas Blueprint and any DDA financial modeling and stakeholder engagement selected for next steps; council asked staff to return with more detailed options and the fiscal implications of each.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 24, 2025 City of Boulder City Council Study Session","oneSentenceSummary","Consultants presented an improvement-district analysis showing downtown and University Hill facing economic stagnation and persistent retail/office vacancy. Staff recommended exploring a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to pool capital and service funding; council members broadly expressed interest but raised financial and equity questions.","taxTitle","Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3386,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6261949,"Boulder presents draft economic vitality strategy, council presses for specifics and urgency",3966,279000,4245000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3117268-cf5b5dcfaafb0f1ab30707c1de52f744&start=279&end=4245","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3117268-cf5b5dcfaafb0f1ab30707c1de52f744/thumbnail_279000.jpg","/articles/6261949/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-presents-draft-economic-vitality-strategy-council-presses-for-specifics-and-urgency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261949-dad452f1e1759981ac92c8b952d47def/orig.mp4?Expires=1770498134&Signature=aul8sV5xOsvNKiYFLCBvT5OJuvBN3p9c0oiwMroR8d6rflTTComC5nCDYQ1QlEA-cV6xqprtnJTzcQYZcxeRlZSb942zmG6pgcNVu-0gtwSahVcCZ-kZOXVhhj4Rop2kT06XR2SnipY2nYv9SrGJpej8s9RqX099-x3zxLycSb-NOiYN7SFLoZuxPqMCzgM9rBGrYZ5tEwvjadoNwBAX8hfv8alhn1Rc8f7j1LyZE0YBXtMZ-AZ~uSHTBfi-XlCeV9ddDJ1oEYYgnsJr8xte3qCxNHFcqHVRWEbKWqXTrUjj8RGRkqJp1TyhZ6nXTuaCfjCvru1VH6GDZp3QSUw9mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff on Tuesday presented a draft economic vitality strategy intended to guide Boulder’s economic development work over the next two to three years, emphasizing equity, resilience, vibrancy and innovation.

The strategy, led by Jennifer Pinsonow, economic vitality manager, lays out programs to support micro and small businesses, expand access to capital and workforce pathways, and explore tools such as a downtown development authority to address long-term funding gaps. “The strategy is designed to broadly describe projects and programs for creating a stronger, more resilient economy in a post pandemic environment,” Pinsonow said.

Council members broadly welcomed the plan but pressed staff for concrete, near-term actions and clearer communications so businesses can see how public input was used. “We need to understand what concrete actions we’re going to be asked to take so that we can evaluate them,” Mayor Aaron Brockett said. Council member Matt Benjamin and others asked for a shorter-term rollout with items the city can deliver in the next 6–12 months to show urgency and build trust.

Why it matters: staff described the strategy as a response to economic headwinds that have produced higher commercial vacancy rates, slow retail and office recovery since 2019 and other pressures that are not unique to Boulder. Jennifer Pinsonow said the city last updated an economic development plan in 2013 and that gaps in city capacity and funding mean the plan will be used to prioritize work, inform the Boulder Valley comprehensive plan update and shape department work plans and consultant scopes.

Key elements: staff organized the draft strategy into four focus areas:
- Equity: expand support for micro businesses, improve access to capital and procurement opportunities, and use a racial equity instrument to guide program design.
- Resilience: create a disaster-response playbook, expand business-preparedness programs and promote sustainability for business operations.
- Vibrancy: pilot grants and programs to reduce commercial vacancies, activate commercial areas, and coordinate tourism-related investments tied to the new conference center and Sundance Film Festival.
- Innovation: support advanced-industry attraction, workforce pipelines and possible chip-zone designation to qualify companies for state and federal incentives.

Staff said partners including the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Boulder Partnership, Visit Boulder, the Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) helped shape the strategy. “A healthy and vibrant business community is absolutely essential for a healthy and vibrant community as a whole,” City Manager Nuria Rivera Vandermeid said when introducing the topic.

Questions from council: multiple members sought specifics about how resident and business input from the city’s community forum and microbusiness outreach will be validated and reflected in implementation. Council members asked for a public repository or dashboard that would track how community suggestions are being used and what constraints staff discover (for example, financing requirements that keep rents high on certain commercial properties). Mark Wolf, assistant city manager, said staff plan to include more detail in department work plans and scopes of work with partners as the council’s priorities become clearer.

Programs already in progress: staff described current and near-term actions that are already underway, including expanded SBDC operations, a Boulder microloan program with the Colorado Enterprise Fund, increased outreach about permitting and code simplifications, promotional efforts to attract tenants into vacant spaces, and grants to create below‑market shared commercial spaces.

Council direction and uncertainties: speakers emphasized prioritizing actions the city can control (code simplifications, process improvements, business navigation) while also investing in projects that can generate city revenue. Several council members urged staff to front-load work that improves vibrancy and business retention, and to treat employee ownership and worker co‑op options as explicit program elements. Council members also asked staff to make explicit how the strategy supports lower‑income residents and workers, not only business owners.

Next steps: staff will refine the draft strategy based on council feedback, finalize benchmarking metrics to track outcomes, post the final plan online and fold actions into departmental work plans, budgeting and partner contracts. Pinsonow said staff expect the strategy to inform the Boulder Valley comprehensive plan update and guide implementation across 2025–2026.

Ending: Council members expressed general support for the strategy’s goals while asking staff to return with measurable near‑term actions and clear communications so the business community can see results and the public can track progress.","City staff presented a draft economic vitality strategy covering the next two to three years and targeting equity, resilience, vibrancy and innovation. Council members praised the framework but repeatedly asked for more near-term specifics, measurable benchmarks and clearer communications to business owners about existing supports.","actionData","errors"]

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City staff and consultants urge study of a Downtown Development Authority as districts face stagnation

Boulder presents draft economic vitality strategy, council presses for specifics and urgency