Commerce City task force urges focus on 'place, price, process,' proposes ambassador program

Commerce Citycouncil on Tuesday heard final recommendations from an inaugural small-business task force that spent roughly a year interviewing owners and partners and identified three primary barriers to local entrepreneurship: available small retail space, high rents and taxes, and opaque approval processes.

"Place, price, and process" was the phrase Spencer Kout, owner of VIN 39 Wine Bar and a task force member, used to summarize the findings. Kout told council that many potential local entrepreneurs cannot find appropriately sized or affordable commercial spaces and that projected lease rates and additional metro-district levies make Commerce City costlier than neighboring locations.

The task force recommended a package of policy actions to address those obstacles: create zoning districts or incentives that encourage developers to build multiple small retail units, offer targeted developer incentives (construction loans, tax rebates, land donations) and explore landlord incentive programs such as cooperative leasing or subsidies. For existing businesses the group urged a resource-navigation program and a "small-business ambassador" pilot -- volunteers and business owners who would serve as liaisons between entrepreneurs and city resources.

"We found a lot of resources in the ecosystem," Natalia Antesana, senior economic vitality specialist, told council when introducing the group, "but the live connection is missing." Task force members said they frequently found business owners unaware of programs run by partners including the Small Business Development Center, Elevate Commerce and the Colorado Enterprise Fund.

Task force members and business owners who addressed council described practical barriers: unclear timelines for permitting, inconsistent code enforcement across inspectors and departments, and limited bilingual materials. Liliana Sotto of Las Dos Americas Tortilleria said the process "opened up a lot of how to do this" after she learned about resources she had not known existed. Arlene Castro, who developed and owns I Go Realty, urged incentives for landowners to make space available at tenant-friendly rents.

Council members broadly praised the work and pressed for implementation plans. Council member Kim asked whether the city's incentive policy could be used to assist existing businesses; staff said their incentive framework primarily shares new revenues generated by new investment and is generally tied to new development or expanded operations. Council member Dukes urged a written report "that includes the good, the bad and the ugly" so council can track progress, and Council member Ford emphasized the importance of trust in inspections and a single point of contact to reduce delays.

Some council members said the city must couple incentives with oversight: if developers receive subsidies to build small retail, there should be guardrails to keep rents affordable. Several also urged practical near-term steps such as better signage and temporary allowances for grand-opening promotions to increase visibility for small tenants.

Next steps described by staff include converting the task force's recommendations into more formal guidance for developers, further outreach through Elevate Commerce and preparing a staff report for follow-up action. The task force members said they expect to serve as founding participants if the proposed ambassador program is launched.

The council did not vote on any ordinance at the meeting; staff said they would return with implementation steps and additional analysis for council consideration.