City presents draft 'Elevate Downtown' plan, sets public review ahead of Oct. 27 council work session

City staff and planning consultants presented a draft update to the downtown master plan, now called the Elevate Downtown plan, to the Downtown Review Board on Oct. 7, outlining priority actions for small-business support, mobility and housing and announcing a public draft to be posted before a City Council work session Oct. 27.

Consultants and staff said the two-volume update — a DDA plan of development and a downtown plan — builds on the 2016 Experience Downtown plan and the 2009 Imagine Downtown vision. "Downtown Colorado Springs is at a defining moment across all demographics," Austin (Downtown Partnership representative) told the board, citing new investments and destinations that have increased downtown activity.

The presentation emphasized a large engagement effort: consultants reported more than 2,000 online survey responses, "over 16 focus groups," and multiple pop-up and in-person events. Mark De La Torre, director of Denver operations for MIG, summarized the project scope and technical work and said the plan pairs guiding DDA policy with land-use and mobility prescriptions for the downtown area.

Ellie Schafer, senior project manager with MIG, detailed priority topics and recommended actions. On small-business support, the plan proposes expanded DDA programs to help activate vacant storefronts, fund small-format storefront improvements and curate tenant mixes for street-level vitality. On mobility, it updates street typologies, recommends safety improvements for crossings, identifies bicycle connections to the Legacy Loop and promotes mobility hubs and micro-mobility options.

Regarding public space and safety, the plan recommends continuing the Downtown Partnership's "clean and safe" pilot, expanding programming and public art, and considering locations and operations for public restrooms. On homelessness, consultants urged coordinated approaches among the Downtown Partnership, city departments, service providers and the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care rather than assigning sole responsibility to a single agency.

Housing and density are addressed with graphics visualizing new building heights and recommended upper-story and rooftop activation strategies. The plan also identifies 26 catalytic or influence sites and includes a market analysis that found nine potential sites suitable for an urban-format grocery store, a use cited by multiple participants as a downtown need.

Board members asked specifically whether the plan considers nearby influence sites and DDA boundary or TIF timing changes. Staff said the Elevate plan and an attached economic analysis consider influence sites such as the Union Printers Home and the North Corridor, and that the DDA tactics section discusses the timing of DDA boundary extension and TIF strategy. "There are tactics…about future boundary expansions, but also about what happens as we get closer to the 2037 expiration of the DDA boundaries and the TIF clock," a staff member said during the discussion.

The presentation also described how incentives could support affordable housing. Staff explained that the DDA has adjusted TIF participation over time (from near 100% reimbursement historically to about 40% today) and said higher participation or targeted incentives are possible for projects delivering true affordable units; staff noted a downtown project supported by the DDA that will provide 51 affordable units.

Next steps: staff and consultants said the full public draft will be posted around Oct. 27 and open for public comment through the end of the year; the DRB will have an opportunity to review and provide a recommendation before the plan proceeds to the City Planning Commission and then City Council for adoption in early 2026.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the minutes for the Sept. 2, 2025 Downtown Review Board meeting during the Oct. 7 meeting; the motion to approve was made and seconded and the minutes were recorded as approved (vote tally not specified in the meeting transcript).