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Candidates tout murals, events and alley activation as tools to lift Alamosa downtown
Summary
At the candidate forum, officials described steps to boost downtown Alamosa’s year‑round activity including façade grants, murals, alleyway activation, block parties and a new hotel; candidates also flagged traffic, semitrailer flows and winter seasonality as ongoing obstacles.
Candidates and the mayor discussed ways to make downtown Alamosa more vibrant year‑round, citing a mix of city grants, private investment, events and infrastructure changes.
Mayor Ty Coleman credited the city’s economic development staff and a facade grant program for stabilizing storefront occupancy on Main Street. “We also have a facade grant program to where we provide funding to help out with some of the different storefronts,” Coleman said, and he encouraged residents to visit the murals and sculptures now downtown.
Several candidates proposed event‑driven and place‑making measures. Jan Vigil and other speakers highlighted alleyway activation as a strategy that has worked in comparable Western towns: “The alleyways behind Main Street … are being activated as a place where you can go get a bite to eat, you can shop,” Vigil said.
Mark Martinez and others flagged a competing constraint: a state highway that runs through downtown and frequent semitrailer traffic. “One of the biggest problems is a state highway runs right through our downtown,” Martinez said, noting outdoor dining can be affected by passing freight and associated odors.
Candidates and councilors also pointed to other steps already taken: slowed traffic lanes intended to encourage strolling and dining, block parties and First Fridays events that attract local attendance, and planned pedestrian connections such as Hunt Avenue improvements that will link Cole Park and downtown.
Councilor Dawn Krebs and supporters praised recent collaborations with Adams State University, Visit Alamosa, the Chamber and small business groups to attract events and retain businesses. Several incumbents also noted a new hotel under development and retail activation projects as near‑term boosts to overnight stays and downtown spending.
Speakers acknowledged limitations: winter seasonality and limited municipal budgets for continuous street‑level upgrades. Candidates encouraged volunteers, business groups and deferred‑sentencing community service options to help maintain public spaces between city maintenance cycles.
No new downtown resolution or funding was proposed at the forum; speakers emphasized ongoing development and collaboration rather than an immediate council vote.
