Northglenn officials are up to their elbows with planning projects to revitalize the city’s image through infrastructure improvement, a new marketing strategy and the development of a station area plan for the Regional Transportation District’s at 112th Avenue.
“There are a lot of projects in the works right now,” said Northglenn city manager, John Pick. “They’re prioritized to align with our strategic plan for growth and to meet (community demands).”
The city created and adopted a strategic plan earlier this year that outlines a number of projects to support and encourage business development, which had been spurred this year on a larger scale with the and .
High on the city’s list is the preferred land use assessment, and eventually the master plan, for the North Metro Rail Line station that will be built between Colorado Boulevard and Washington Street on 112th Avenue.
Part of the master plan targets the former Karl’s Farm Dairy site at 1741 E. 120th Ave. for redevelopment. Pick said the city will delve into those specifics this year and early in 2015.
Another key project includes a new marketing strategy that will rebrand the city on a regional and state level. The research is underway now, with hope that the new strategies will be identified and implemented in April.
City officials say the marketing plan will evaluate the image and logo, and then craft an overriding thematic message. Northglenn has completed, or is in the process of completing, business surveys, a city attitude survey and city event polls.
A major component of rebranding is proof of investment. Northglenn is actively identifying capital improvement projects for 2015 that will improve the city’s network of major and residential streets, as well as addressing the needs of some of the city’s amenities, like the indoor recreation center pool, which practically never closes.
“The Recreation Center Pool is one of our most widely used amenities,” said Amanda Peterson, director of parks, recreation and cultural services. “In addition to open swim, the facility is where many local children take their first swimming lessons and older youth get a competitive or recreational swim team experience … all through the year.”
Many of the goals in the strategic plan are echoed in the city’s 2015 budget, which is in process and already has more money to work with than in 2014, thanks to a boost in sales and use tax revenue.
The rec center pool is due for a $250,000 rehabilitation, which is noted in the working budget. More than $5 million in street widening and improvements (most notable is the widening of 112th Avenue) and a $7 million wastewater treatment project are also in the budget.
“We’re doing a corridor plan that takes a look at the major traffic corridors throughout the city,” Pick said. “One of those in the 2015 budget is a plan to look at Community Center Drive near the Webster Lake Promenade, which is certainly a higher traffic area for residents.”
The city’s public works department will finalize the street improvement program for 2015 and identify the streets next month. The public hearing for the 2015 budget is slated for Nov. 10.
Director of Finance Jason Loveland said during a budget presentation last month that the additional revenue is due to more money from sales and use taxes, thanks in part to the Webster Lake Promenade, Walmart Marketplace and several marijuana businesses located in the city.
The working budget, which currently tops off at about $44 million, also proposes a 5 percent increase in staff for Northglenn, to include an additional city planner, an engineering manager and an administrator and records specialist in the police department.
Pick said: “That’s also to address the current growth and growing needs in the city staff.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp
