A YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION
Downtown Glenwood Springs continues to claim its place as our community’s “living room.” It’s where we go when we want to run into neighbors, catch a great meal, see what’s new in our amazing locally owned shops, sit in the sun and watch the trains go by, enjoy the twinkling lights under a dark night sky… the list goes on.
Today, as the new year begins, we now have THREE amazing new spaces downtown where we can do all of this and more!
2025 was a year of great progress. It was also a year of heavy construction and navigating all of the challenges that come along with it. Despite the unease that a construction project can cast, we banded together to champion our local businesses that were impacted, so that we could create these new public spaces that are now celebrated parts of our community.
Investing in downtown remains one of the most impactful forms of both economic development and community building for Glenwood Springs - but it is not an easy or quick thing to accomplish. Reflecting on this, we are reminded that building a great downtown demands bold vision and long-term dedication. Phase 1 of the 6th Street Corridor Master Plan is finally implemented - a full eight years after the plan was adopted.
But that long road was worth it. Over $7.5 million was invested into these improvements, leveraging funding from the Downtown Development Authority, the City of Glenwood Springs, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. What was once the crumbling remnants of a 5-lane state highway is now a gorgeous, functional downtown street. What was once the “landing” site of the old Grand Avenue Bridge is now a vibrant community plaza.
Looking ahead, 2026 will be a year of celebrating these new spaces. We look forward to seeing the community out and about enjoying them. At the end of the day, that’s what our mission is all about - creating vitality for the downtown.
There has never been a better time to be in Downtown Glenwood Springs. Your ongoing patronage ensures our downtown continues to thrive as the economic, civic, and cultural heart of Glenwood Springs.
Thank you for being a part of Downtown Glenwood Springs - yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
WHO WE ARE
The Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is a tax-funded district established in 2001. Revenues to the DDA are earmarked and used exclusively for the purposes of downtown revitalization. The DDA’s mission is to create vitality for the downtown; strengthening the downtown as the retail, entertainment, office, government, and tourist hub of the area - ensuring access for all.
The DDA district includes the area north and south of the Colorado River, east of the Roaring Fork River and west as far as Blake Avenue, with an emphasis on the commercial core of the city.
The DDA is governed by a seven-member volunteer Board of Directors of business and property owners within the District that the Glenwood Springs City Council appoints.
WHAT WE DO
The DDA works closely with property owners, business leaders, city elected officials, municipal staff, and community members to guide policy and investment choices downtown. The DDA is guided by the DDA’s Plan of Development, which was updated and adopted by the Glenwood Springs City Council in 2021. The ongoing work and distinct projects noted throughout the plan are realized through direct initiatives executed by the DDA, which are detailed in an annually updated Strategic Plan.
2025 Downtown By the Numbers
$5,400,000: Amount of DDA funding invested into public space improvements
$5,000: Amount of free money distributed to spend at 6th Street businesses to encourage shopping during construction
575: Twinkle lights added to alleyways
17: New decorative banners installed
10: Grants awarded through the DDA to downtown businesses
13: Downtown events sponsored by the DDA
50: Local vendors featured at the Market on 7th
21: Local musicians hired to perform at the Market on 7th
$4,577: Amount of local produce purchases through SNAP and WIC programs for our low-income community members at the Market
89: Pounds of free churros distributed at Grand Holiday
30: Gallons of free hot chocolate served at Grand Holiday
Photo credit: Beyond the Sagebrush
2025 Highlights at a Glance
- 6th Street was completely renovated from the roundabout to Pine Street
- A brand new public plaza was added to downtown with the opening of North Landing
- The alleys have been transformed into a bright pedestrian walkway from Blake Avenue to Colorado
- The 12-week long Market on 7th had its highest attendance on record, nearly doubling the amount of locals attending
- The DDA partnered with Colorado Mountain College to expand public parking hours for over 60 spaces in the 8th Street Parking Garage
- More than 20 businesses attended our first ever pre-holiday season “Downtown Business Meeting”
- The debut “Downtown Download Newsletter” was distributed to nearly 600 subscribers detailing downtown events, data and resources for businesses
- The DDA partnered with Kiwanis Club to renovate the tables and chairs in Bethel Plaza
- 17 brand new banners highlighting Glenwood’s recreational opportunities were installed on poles across downtown.
EVENTS & ART ACTIVATION
Market on 7th
The DDA leads Glenwood’s Market on 7th, our downtown farmers market that enlivens 7th Street for a 12-week season every summer. This season saw a 44% growth in attendance from the previous year, and exceeded overall attendance from the peak year in 2021 with over 10,000 customers! Perhaps most exciting was that our local and regional attendance increased by 50%.
Inaugural Downtown Business Meeting
In November, the DDA hosted its first pre-holiday Downtown Business Meeting to talk about downtown sales performance and visitation, holiday opportunities, and brainstorm about ways we can support the downtown business community by working together. Over 20 businesses attended!
Grand Holiday
The DDA also helped sponsor Grand Holiday, downtown’s annual holiday celebration! This year, the event changed location to Bethel Plaza (under the bridge), and boy did attendance explode! Over 1,000 people attended this new and expanded event that included free carriage rides, visits with Santa and the Grinch, and of course hot cocoa and churros. BIG thank you to the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association for leading this fun event!
Banners "Glow Up"
You may have noticed some fun new banners coloring downtown. The DDA worked with Visit Glenwood and the City to design 17 new banners highlighting all the fun recreational opportunities in Glenwood Springs. We also added new banners along the parking garage at 9th and Cooper to bring more attention to this free but often underutilized parking facility. Which one is your favorite?
Public Capital Improvements
One of the key ways that the DDA supports Downtown economic development is through capital investment and improvements to public amenities.
Special heartfelt thanks are extended to the City of Glenwood Springs staff - our most crucial partner in moving all this work forward - and to the amazing businesses that are impacted by these projects. Your resilience, dedication, and enthusiasm are our inspiration. We also wish to thank the amazing staff at the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association for helping us market and support the businesses during construction. You are a true "dream team!"
2025 Capital Improvement Projects included:
6th Street
What was once the remnants of a 5 lane state highway has finally been transformed into a dynamic, beautifully landscaped downtown street! 6th Street from the roundabout all the way to Pine Street now features wide sidewalks and a multiuse path, new street trees, dozens of new plants, new lighting, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) for safer crossings, and an outdoor pedestrian shopping plaza.
Alley Revitalization
The longterm vision of creating a continuous, well-lit pedestrian pathway between the County Courthouse and Blake Avenue has finally been realized with the completion of the Alley Revitalization Project! Beyond improvements to the traditional infrastructure and service-oriented aspects of these alleyways, this project provides additional benefits including encouraging outdoor activities and business opportunities on adjacent private property, and creating safe, interesting, and festive spaces with special lighting and artistic features in a critical part of downtown.
North Landing
Originally, the space where the Old Grand Avenue Bridge “landed,” North Landing was an underutilized grassy area located adjacent to Hotel Colorado and the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. After a robust design process involving the DDA, Parks and Recreation Board, Arts and Culture Board, and neighborhood residents, this space has been transformed into North Downtown’s “outdoor living room!” While the finishing touches are still being completed, the space features an art sculpture garden, boulders for scrambling, a performance space, a shaded seating area for food trucks and their patrons, a public restroom and drinking fountain. It will be completed in spring 2026.
SEE YOU DOWNTOWN IN 2026!
DDA Board Members: Charlie Willman, Chair; Shelley LaDue-Fishbein, Vice Chair; Larry MacDonald; Kevin Brady; Kevin Flohr; Chris Lehrman; Paula Gorra
City Council Liaisons: Marco Dehm and Mitchell Weimer
Executive Director: Jillian Sutherland
Thanks for reading! For additional questions about the work of the Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority please reach out to Jillian Sutherland, Executive Director at director@glenwoodspringsdda.com
Credits:
Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority; Beyond the Sagebrush and the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association