Pueblo County finalizes Pueblo Station area plan; staff to post plan online and schedule presentation

County Manager Vena Genesio told the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 30 that Pueblo County has finalized the Pueblo Station area plan and will post the document online for about two weeks before scheduling a formal presentation by consultants WSP and Bridal Architects for the board to consider final approval.

The plan — developed with consultant WSP and Bridal Architects and informed by multiple public meetings and targeted outreach to business and property owners in the Union Depot area — returns the proposed rail station design to the historic Union Depot location. "This project is very important because it sets Pueblo County up to be extremely competitive for any future funding and any future developments," County Manager Vena Genesio said, describing the plan as providing a location, documents and initial architectural designs that would aid future grant and development applications.

The project traces to Ballot Question 1A, approved by county voters in February 2016, which allowed the county to retain expiring tax credits in exchange for completing projects on a voter-approved list. Genesio told commissioners about $780,000 of 1A funds was budgeted for the station plan and that the contractual amount for the current phase is nearly spent. She said construction would require pursuing additional capital, likely from a combination of federal and state sources.

Next steps are procedural: post the finalized plan online for roughly two weeks to allow a final public review, then bring WSP and Bridal Architects to present the final report so the board may consider a motion to approve. Commissioners at the meeting expressed support for posting the plan and for staff scheduling the consultants to present; no formal approval of the plan occurred at the Jan. 30 work session.

County staff said the finalized plan is intended to strengthen Pueblo County's position for future light-rail funding and development opportunities and to better connect the Union Depot site to downtown amenities such as the Riverwalk and recreational access across the river.

Officials said they will notify the public when the document is posted and will schedule the consultant presentation roughly two weeks after posting.