While the proposed new Gaylord hotel complex in Aurora has been hogging the spotlight in the competition for tourism-related state sales-tax subsidies, five other Colorado communities are vying for those funds. And backers say each of their projects will draw more visitors than the 1,500-room hotel and conference center in Aurora.
“We are sort of a David against Goliath,” said Estes Park Mayor Bill Pinkham, whose town has applied for state sales-tax rebates to help pay for a lodge renovation and winter adventure park that could lure 500,000 annual visitors.
Estes Park joins Douglas County, Montrose County, Pueblo and Glendale in the battle for up to $50 million in annual tax-increment financing. The Office of Economic Development will select only two projects a year for the financing, which allows municipalities to keep sales-tax revenue to pay for construction debt accrued building amenities that lure new visitors to Colorado. By 2014, the committee will have selected six projects for subsidies.
The Regional Tourism Act, approved by Colorado lawmakers in 2009 and expanded this year, has stirred massive and creative proposals from across the state with the promise of reusing sales tax dollars generated by tourism-focused projects.
Montrose County
The county and four of its municipalities — Montrose, Naturita, Nucla and Olathe — are proposing 141 tourism and commercial projects that mark the largest RTA proposal. The county’s Great Colorado Adventures plan would establish a 2,200-square-mile region that could draw more than 2 million annual visitors. Improvements range from simple signage and trail improvements to major projects like improvements at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a new reservoir for water recreation, improvements along the Uncompahgre River, a kayak park and a horse-racing track.
The county’s regional tourism zone could generate as much as $226 million in state sales-tax revenue from new tourist activities over 30 years, create 16,300 new jobs and stir $13.4 billion in economic activity. The $1.4 billion cost of building the 141 projects over the next 30 years could also create 20,000 construction jobs.
Richard Harding, a member of the 5-year-old Montrose Citizens Funding Our Future group that is pushing the Great Colorado Adventures proposal, said the counties surrounding Montrose have a vibrant tourism industry that accounts for up to half of each county’s jobs.
“Yet only 6 percent of our workforce is tourism-related,” said Harding, who hopes to tap his home’s natural amenities, like a single contiguous stretch of land that includes a national wilderness area, conservation area, national park and national recreation area. “We are an undiscovered territory. We are a hidden jewel.”
Glendale
A nearly mile-long riverfront development is proposed, with 853,000 square feet of commercial space that includes two hotels, a 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, cinema, restaurants and retail. The 4,200-resident town estimates that by the project’s ninth year, it will lure almost 1.5 million annual visitors who spend $35 million .
The annual impact of the proposed Glendale Riverwalk in its ninth year would result in $109 million in annual expenditures, 1,850 full-time jobs and $55 million in additional annual earnings in Colorado, according to a June 2011 economic impact analysis conducted by economist Tucker Hart Adams. Over 30 years, sales- and use-tax revenues from the riverwalk project will contribute $162 million to the state, according to the study.
Pueblo
A downtown riverwalk area is in the works, including a Professional Bull Riders University training center, a Heritage of Heroes complex honoring the region’s settlers, a veterans memorial, an expansion to the convention center, a water park and a new hotel all centered around an expanded riverwalk along the Arkansas River.
The city is seeking $33.1 million in state sales-tax rebates to offset the $114.3 million cost of the project. The city’s economic analysis shows the project could draw 880,000 annual visitors and generate $26 million in county sales-tax revenue and $92 million in state sales-tax revenue over 30 years. In the same span, the project would generate $83 million in local and regional property taxes. At build-out, the project would require 2,406 permanent jobs.
Douglas County
It is hoping to lure more than 1.1 million annual visitors to its proposed Colorado Sports and Prehistoric Park along U.S. 85. The park would include a 38,000-square-foot facility anchoring the fossil-rich Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve. The adjacent Sterling Ranch Sports Village on 93 acres would include five baseball fields, 13 athletic fields, a 500,000-square-foot building with ice rinks, indoor fields, hardwood courts, batting cages, locker rooms and a restaurant. The complex also would offer 30 miles of mountain biking and horseback riding trails adjacent to the planned 3,400-acre Sterling Ranch community.
Total cost to build the sports park and archaeological complex is $80 million . Total retail and lodging revenue generated by the park’s visitors is estimated at $203 million a year by build-out at 2018, according to the county’s economic analysis. Over 30 years, the project would generate $86.6 million in state sales-tax revenue. Doug las County could see more than $3 million in annual retail, lodging and property-tax revenue from the project.
Estes Park
The 6,500-resident city hopes to spend nearly $50 million to redevelop and renovate the venerable Elkhorn Lodge on 65 acres at the edge of town. In addition to the 70-room lodge, the town has proposed a 50-acre, year-round adventure park that would include two ski trails, a tubing hill, a terrain park, zip lines and an alpine coaster, creating amenities that could help boost wintertime visitation to Estes Park, which sees a majority of its economic activity between June and October. A new cultural arts center and museum also is proposed along Fall River.
The Elkhorn Project could lure 500,000 visitors a year and an economic analysis shows the project’s first year of operation in 2015 could stir $34.5 million in economic impact and create 372 full-time jobs. Over 30 years, Elkhorn could generate $62.3 million in sales- and lodging-tax revenue.
Proponents of the Elkhorn Project see the development serving the northern Front Range, which lacks wintertime amenities.
“It could be a great venue for people up here and will serve as an incubator for people to come and get introduced to skiing,” Mayor Pinkham said.
A third-party analyst will complete an independent review of each application by Dec. 20. The Office of Economic Development will then submit each application to local communities for public comment early next year. A public hearing on the applications is scheduled for March 1.
Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com
On the drawing board
Projects proposed under the Regional Tourism Act:
Glendale: A riverfront commercial development would include an outdoor amphitheater.
Montrose County: There are 141 projects in its proposal, including a reservoir and a horse-racing track.
Douglas County: Colorado Sports and Prehistoric Park would sit adjacent to Sterling Ranch Sports Village.
Pueblo: A downtown riverwalk area would include a bull-riding training center and an expanded convention center.
Estes Park: Redevelopment and renovation of Elkhorn Lodge is the centerpiece of its $50 million plan.
