Council to Reconsider $600,000 Incentive for Circle K–led Redevelopment of blighted northern site

Melissa Cook, director of the Department of Housing and Citizen Services, told the Pueblo City Council on Oct. 20 that the city is negotiating a public‑private agreement with Circle K to redevelop a blighted commercial parcel near Northern Avenue and to create 45–50 workforce housing units on the rear of the site.

The presentation described a purchase agreement in which the city would provide $600,000 to make the project financially feasible; those funds would come from accounts originally budgeted for demolition. “This is not intended to be a 1 for 1 transaction and purchasing this at market value,” Cook said, explaining the money is an incentive to close the deal and remove blight rather than a straightforward market purchase.

The nut graf: city staff argued the combined project would remove commercial blight, serve as a tax‑increment financing (TIF) catalyst for the Urban Renewal district, create workforce housing and add about 1,200 square feet of grocery‑oriented retail to a Circle K store to help a nearby food‑desert area.

Cook…