New Mall in Colorado Springs (Mead: income, military, shops)

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by Seeker5in1

People shop online these days. The mall days are over.

True. I honestly don't know why people go shopping at all anymore except for groceries and maybe clothes. Even then, I buy a lot of my non-perishables online as well as clothing at times if I know exactly what I want and in which size. One day, I needed some tape and wasn't in a big hurry so I ordered it (and nothing else) online. To me, online shopping is probably the best thing about the internet. Besides relocation forums of course.

As for a new mall, I keep thinking of that giant, brand new, boarded up hotel just sitting there at the Briargate exit. It's an embarrassment. I don't think it;s time for a new mall yet, unless they're planning to close down on of the existing malls in the process.

[CharlotteRJ]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Agreed. Even the Pueblo Mall is doing good. I think the Springs just overbuilt on the Malls and is to spread out. Instead of focusing on its current malls they want to sprawl even more with a new one. Not good.

In a lot of other areas, malls are being built or rebuilt as "Town Centers" (or TownE CentREs). The urban or urban-ish feel to them are a real draw. And don't get me wrong, I like CS downtown pretty well the way it is, I'm just surprised that there's not a newer, revitalized corridor in it.

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by CharlotteRJ

In a lot of other areas, malls are being built or rebuilt as "Town Centers" (or TownE CentREs). The urban or urban-ish feel to them are a real draw. And don't get me wrong, I like CS downtown pretty well the way it is, I'm just surprised that there's not a newer, revitalized corridor in it.

I think that'll change if they get that stadium proposal approved. Stadiums usually work wonders for the downtown's they are built in. They are an engine of economic recovery (see Coors Field in LoDo) and usually become just part of a major revitalization.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by CharlotteRJ

In a lot of other areas, malls are being built or rebuilt as "Town Centers" (or TownE CentREs). The urban or urban-ish feel to them are a real draw. And don't get me wrong, I like CS downtown pretty well the way it is, I'm just surprised that there's not a newer, revitalized corridor in it.

I have seen that. Maybe in this area I am old fashioned but I like Malls. In the winter when its cold I don't want to be outside in the cold and in the summer I don't want to be outside in the heat.

As far downtown Colorado Springs. The problem the Springs has is one that is common in military towns. Many of the people are not going to be life long Springs residents so they don't feel the need to spend their money to revitalize the city. The closest thing I can compare it to in my life was when I lived in San Diego for 5 years when I was in grad school. Sure I liked the city but knew I was not going to be there after school so I did not get involved in the city nor did I do anything to make it a better town. I just went to school and partied.

[YoYoSpin]

Originally Posted by iknowftbll

I think that'll change if they get that stadium proposal approved. Stadiums usually work wonders for the downtown's they are built in. They are an engine of economic recovery (see Coors Field in LoDo) and usually become just part of a major revitalization.

As long as it's not paid for with new taxes or bonded debt...If Mayor Bach wants a new stadium, let his developer friends pay for it.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by YoYoSpin

As long as it's not paid for with new taxes or bonded debt...If Mayor Bach wants a new stadium, let his developer friends pay for it.

That is a good example as to why downtown Colorado Springs has not seen any redevelopment like downtown Denver or Pueblo.

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by YoYoSpin

As long as it's not paid for with new taxes or bonded debt...If Mayor Bach wants a new stadium, let his developer friends pay for it.

It sounds like they are repurposing funds designated for the urban renewal projects. It seems this project would qualify as urban renewal anyway, so I'm not sure why they have to "repurpose." There's probably some weird law or something.

[Neusyn]

Originally Posted by iknowftbll

It sounds like they are repurposing funds designated for the urban renewal projects. It seems this project would qualify as urban renewal anyway, so I'm not sure why they have to "repurpose." There's probably some weird law or something.

Well Copper Ridge is a Urban Renewal project and anybody that's even seen the site can say that's hardly urban, it's open grassland and hills between voyager and I-25.
The first if two reasons I support it is because its not just going be all of those standard outlets stores elsewhere. Don't get me wrong a lot those stores are going to be in there but they are lobbying for a lot of those stores that Colorado Crossing was lobbying for before it went belly up and that's a different thread. Bass Pro Shops and the Colorado Grand Resort and Hotel (supposedly has a water park in it) are two big businesses being built there on the north side of the Copper Ridge and the mall section is being built and on the south side with the Powers freeway running across the middle between them with an interchange at voyager.
Which brings me to my second reason, the Powers freeway. The developers for Copper Ridge and Flying Horse all have land set aside for Powers that is going to be built through there. CDOT even had RE Monks do grading in Copper Ridge for the future powers, and you can see the grading in Flying Horse. And if I am remembering correctly didn't the city or county approve the use of taxes generated by Copper Ridge to help build Powers in it or am I wrong and it actually got turned down?
And that shell of the Multi-floor hotel off of Interquest by the Interstate, is owned by a contractor who did work on it but never got paid by the original developer whom went bankrupt. I think the contractor is trying to find a person or group to buy it.
In my opinion with the projection that The Springs and county is supposed have around 900k to 1m people by 2050? (I think that the correct date if I remember correctly) There will be another mall or two built east of powers. The question of "If question the springs can sustain another mall" is talking about now and malls aren't built overnight so it should be When and where can the springs sustain another mall.

[iknowftbll]

Originally Posted by Neusyn

In my opinion with the projection that The Springs and county is supposed have around 900k to 1m people by 2050? (I think that the correct date if I remember correctly) There will be another mall or two built east of powers. The question of "If question the springs can sustain another mall" is talking about now and malls aren't built overnight so it should be When and where can the springs sustain another mall.

An interesting post, but unfortunately, I am not familiar with the details of a lot of these developments. I loosely follow the goings-on of the city because I consider it a possible place to settle down once I leave the military. In a nutshell the story of Colorado Springs (from my humble perspective) can be summed up thusly: Just when city leaders got serious about a vision for the future, the economy hit the skids. This has delayed indefinitely and even cancelled outright some of the more ambitious projects slated for the city.

With that in mind, it looks like the vision is persisting and they are looking for ways to move forward on some of these. That is good because if they can find a way to get the mall built, a stadium built downtown, etc, it'll pay dividends in the long run.

Also, I believe the city of Colorado Springs is estimated to have about 431,000 people according to the Census Bureau's 2012 estimate. They also estimate the MSA to at about 670,000. The MSA will likely reach about 750,000 by 2020 if the current rate of growth continues. City leaders need to approach their plans with the reality that they are planning a growing city, even if the rate of growth slows down. I agree with your thoughts quoted above that the city needs to be leaning forward on many of these developments. This may not be a popular thing to say, but they need to be courting developers and planning ahead for when the economy recovers. Failure to make the right decisions now will force the city to miss the boat. From the looks of it, I think the city leaders are trying to make the right decisions.

[Seeker5in1]

Originally Posted by YoYoSpin

As long as it's not paid for with new taxes or bonded debt...If Mayor Bach wants a new stadium, let his developer friends pay for it.

Amen. Make the people who will pocket the millions pay for it.