New Mall in Colorado Springs (Pueblo, Black Forest: homes, buying, incomes)

[CTownNative]

Originally Posted by otowi

We don't need one. But, rather than revitalize dying parts of town, they just want to build a new one in the "happening" places. Stupid planning for the long term, but they might make a buck in the shorter term. I think the Citadel is doing better than Chapel Hills now, personally - it is always fairly busy and I don't think it has as many empty stores as Chapel Hills. But it does have a different kind of clientele due to its location.

Citadel is way better IMO. But I think Chapel Hills is nice tho.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by CTownNative

Citadel is way better IMO. But I think Chapel Hills is nice tho.

Chapel Hills always seems dead and soulless. Citadel at least seems to have some kind of personality.

[lalahartma]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Terrible idea. I'd even call it insanity.

There are two HUGE unfinished parcels at Interquest and I-25, both of which are essentially shut down now for lack of funds to press on. That would be the 153 acre Colorado Crossing (CC) effort and the 118 acre Interquest Marketplace (IM) (http://www.norwoodinteractive.com/retail_interquestmarketplace.aspx - broken link).

CC is completely shuttered, the roads into it are barricaded and no work of any kind is happening. The hotel and movie complex were the initial efforts and both are silent ghostly concrete shells. The vision was for a mixed use, office, retail, condo area that would look a lot like the area on Powers where the Imax and Cinemax anchor a lot of retail and eateries. CC filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy status in February 2010.

IM has a Hollywood Cinema movieplex in operation, but that's all. The big hotel behind the movies is under roof and weathertight, but work on it has stopped. Someday it will host an annual gaggle of visitors for the annual USAF Academy graduation and other events, but right now it too is stalled, as are all the other stuff that Norwood planned to put in there. There is a brew pub now being built next to the movies and should open this summer.

With 271 acres of development in CC and IM barely started at I-25 exit 153, plus housing development going nowhere, with commercial space facing a wave or foreclosures, any talk of largely similar development on yet another nearby 191 acres is sheer lunacy. It appears to be a misuse of the "urban renewal" designation and their scheme seems only intent on using the development to justify a bond fund to finish Powers Blvd. The whole thing has a huge ponzi, pyramid, house of cards flavor to it. All of the "stuff" they want to stick into Copper Ridge can be occupants of CC and IM and the North Nevada corridor.

True!

But, also, suburbanites do not want to go downtown, and the current malls are icky.

[Terytee]

Malls suck.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Terytee

Malls suck.

I tend to agree. They seem just a collection of national chains which make all malls seem depressingly similar from coast to coast. There ALWAYS is a Gap, an Aerospatiale, a Foot Locker (and numerous copycats), a Spencer's Gifts, a Mrs. Field's Cookies, etc.

Last time I went to a mall was to buy a good kitchen knife and some dress shirts.

I've been seeing news articles for years that malls, as we know them, are largely passe; why go to a huge place with a hundred stores when you only want to visit one of them. Seems that areas like Powers Blvd and the new area on N. Nevada are the future, i.e., go directly to the store you want, park right in front, walk right in.

[Postal]

Originally Posted by lalahartma

True!

But, also, suburbanites do not want to go downtown, and the current malls are icky.

I don't go downtown or to malls unless I must. As for downtown, if it was more accessible, I would be down there much more. Just recently I was looking around town at bike shops and found a few downtown. I kept looking because of the difficulty and cost of parking downtown. Why should I walk several blocks and pay for parking when I can walk a few hundred feet and park for free?

I would love to see a downtown with ample, free parking. There are plenty of nice places to eat, drink, and shop. I would visit more if it were more convenient.

[lalahartma]

^^Yup, the problem with downtown--walking!

[kristie73]

I am not for a new mall in Colorado Springs. I rarely even go to the mall now. We have the shops at Briargate too. They should just revitalize the existing malls. I don't know that I would want to shop downtown either. I would like to see other retail businesses come to Colorado Springs though - like a Nordstrom or IKEA.

I think another revenue source for the city would be a better World Arena. A better option for concerts. Like a concert pavilion. Who wants to drive to Denver or further for big name concerts in the middle of the week? We could have a Red Rocks type place down here.

[Postal]

Originally Posted by lalahartma

^^Yup, the problem with downtown--walking!

When you don't have time it is.

[Josseppie]

I don't have a problem with the private developer who thinks the market in Colorado Springs can support a third mall. I just don't think the city should subsidize that by using "urban renewal" when that is a tool that should be used for redevelopment including downtown or even by UCCS.