Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Broomfield economic vitality department highlights business attraction, retail momentum and new small-business supports
Summary
Economic vitality staff described industry targets (advanced manufacturing, flex/innovation, life sciences), changes in office demand, activity at Interlochen and Flatiron Crossing, and three small-business support programs including a $100,000 restaurant assistance pilot.
Robert Smith, director of economic vitality and development, and Jeff Schrier, economic development manager, summarized economic development priorities, recent corporate relocations and programs to support small businesses and restaurants.
Smith said Broomfield has renewed developer and tenant interest but noted broader economic uncertainty related to macroeconomic conditions and interest rates. He described the department’s “economic vitality” approach — which combines attraction, retention and equitable participation across the local economy — and named target industry clusters including advanced manufacturing, aerospace/defense, quantum computing, research and design and life‑science tenants.
On office space and Interlochen, Smith said the city will reimagine older office parks to match evolving hybrid workplace demands and that flex/innovation and lab space have drawn significant tenant interest, particularly near Rocky Mountain Metro Airport.
Jeff Schrier presented recent wins and retail activity. Staff cited company relocations and expansions (examples mentioned included Peak Energy and Raven Space Systems) and described Flatiron Crossing’s “HiFi” neighborhood and more curated retail and entertainment offerings coming to the mall area (companies referenced in the presentation included LEGO and several national retail entrants). Schrier noted a local “sweet spot” of demand for companies occupying roughly 5,000 to 40,000 square feet rather than very large single-floor facilities.
Small-business supports: The economic vitality office described three programs to support local businesses. An entrepreneur microgrant program targets startup firms with fewer than five employees. The “Enhanced Broomfield” program is designed to support small and growing commercial enterprises — restaurants, manufacturers and similar firms — with technical and financial assistance; staff cited a success story of a local food manufacturer that expanded into regional grocery and national retail. A new restaurant assistance program was budgeted at $100,000 by council; staff said they were still defining exact parameters but expect reimbursements based on performance and multi-year support rather than a one-time upfront payment.
Staff said they track job and leasing outcomes for many projects but do not yet have complete job-creation tallies for every recent lease. The department flagged retail, dining and entertainment as community priorities identified in resident surveys and said staff continue to coordinate with partners (state OEDIT, Metro Denver EDC, brokers and developers) to recruit and retain businesses.
