City of Greeley staff on Sept. 17 delivered a broad update on downtown planning and major capital projects, telling the Historic Preservation Commission that Downtown 2032, a Civic Campus concept, transportation improvements and major west‑side redevelopment are at varying stages of planning and early implementation.

City staff said council approved roughly $10 million for Civic Campus predevelopment work, a 9–14 month process that is under way to address site planning, property transactions, construction timelines, design concepts and feasibility. The Civic Campus concept would consolidate municipal, county and school district uses in a coordinated downtown campus to free prime centrally located land for private development and activate downtown public space.

Staff also gave updates on several other large projects: the Merge project (a traffic, safety and multimodal connection effort intended to improve north–south access and serve as a regional mobility hub), Sixteenth Street enhancements that are under construction as a connector to UNC and downtown, and airport planning that could include a future terminal, control tower, hangars and parking to serve commercial and general aviation over the long term.

On housing, staff described a mixed‑income approach that planners are using to address a wide spectrum of needs — from homelessness and rapid rehousing to affordable rental housing and homeownership — and said that the housing team is evaluating tools to encourage multiple income levels in new developments. Commissioners and members of the public pressed staff on how Cascadia/Catalyst development will address affordability; staff said the projects are moving toward construction timelines tied to the arena and entertainment district and that further details, including PUD materials, are posted on the council agenda and on SpeakUpGreeley.

The presentation included updates on Poudre River restoration planning to reduce flooding and improve habitat; the Cascadia and Catalyst projects on Greeley’s west side (an entertainment district with a proposed 8,600‑seat arena, hotel and indoor water park and a mixed‑use Cascadia development that would include residential units and retail); and the Spanish Colony Historic Resource Survey, for which the city recently hired a consultant and plans a public kickoff event.

Staff emphasized opportunities for public engagement and directed residents to the city’s Speak Up Greeley portal and council meeting materials for project details; staff said the Cascadia/Catalyst PUDs were scheduled for public hearing at the City Council meeting on Sept. 18. Commissioners and members raised questions about protection of open space (Arroyo Del Sol), potential impacts on designated historic resources, flood mitigation for downtown and affordable‑housing commitments in major new development. Staff responded that many details remain at the schematic or predevelopment stage and that follow‑up public meetings and stakeholder committees will be convened.

Staff encouraged interested residents to subscribe to project pages and the City Scoop newsletter for updates and to attend upcoming public hearings.