The city of Fort Collins has racked up quite a few national awards in the past few years.
But Wednesday’s designation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation was maybe the most impressive, because the honor is based on so many factors, said the president and CEO of the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“It shows how great our downtown is, how wonderful our outdoor recreation is and how sensitive we are to the environment,” said Jim Clark. “This is a huge one for us.”
The National Trust named Fort Collins one of its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
Clark said a jury from the National Trust picked Fort Collins in part because of the bustle of Historic Old Town Square.
That area, said the National Trust, is a unique vacation destination that boasts walkable, bike-friendly streets featuring a dense collection of unique, locally owned businesses.
The National Trust pointed out that Fort Collins is one of the few communities in the United States to successfully retain its downtown pedestrian mall.
“Few visitors to California’s Disneyland realize that the theme park’s ‘Main Street, USA’ is actually modeled on Fort Collins’ Main Street,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “But why settle for an imitation when you can experience the real thing?”
For 10 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has annually selected communities across America that offer distinctive cultural and recreational experiences.
The group was especially impressed that Fort Collins mixes stately historical buildings with state-of-the-art “green” efforts. The city boasts an impressive 1,800 properties and districts listed in national, state and local registers of historic places.
But also Fort Collins is striving to make its downtown the first Zero Energy District in the nation, the National Trust said.
There is also ample hiking, biking and other outdoor activities outside the city, the group said.
Other Colorado cities that have earned the same designation include Boulder, Crested Butte and Georgetown, Clark said.
Fort Collins and Sitka, Alaska, are the only two Western cities to get the designation this year.
Destined to win
Got a favorite on the list of the 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations? Voting on the Fan Favorites runs through Feb. 28 at
