Wheat Ridge residents will notice an increase in construction around the city starting this fall and continuing over the next several years as the city moves forward with passed in November.
The ballot asked residents to approve a 12-year-long, half-cent increase in sales taxes to raise funds for four community improvement projects that were nominated by , which was originally created in 2007 by then Mayor Jerry DiTullio, with the mission to identify quality-of-life projects for Wheat Ridge residents.
The task force, made up of eight Wheat Ridge residents, held six meetings throughout May and June 2016 before presenting a list of projects to City Council. The projects included improvements to Wadsworth Boulevard, Anderson Park, Ward Station and Clear Creek Crossing.
When put to vote in the fall, the tax increase to fund the chosen projects passed by a 10-point margin, according to city manager Patrick Goff.
“The citizens were very supportive of this,” he said. “(The projects) all focus on revitalization and economic development in the community. They will hopefully encourage private investments, which will improve city revenue in the future.”
Construction start dates will vary for each project, but are anticipated to happen within the next three years, according to Goff. Work on at the southwest quadrant of Colorado 58 and Interstate 70 — will entail the addition of an exit into the community off I-70 and will likely begin this fall, Goff said. The city will put forth $10 million for this project.
Improvements to , are expected to happen second — sometime in 2018 — and will include $4 million in enhancements such as a new family locker room, building repairs and a multi-use field that will replace the baseball field. This project will likely be completed in phases depending on the pool’s open season.
Plans to widen Wadsworth Boulevard into six lanes — three in both directions — add pedestrian and bicycle paths and enhance streetscapes, will go into effect in 2019 and will cost the city $7 million. This project is in the environmental assessment stage.
At $12 million, the most expensive of the four projects will be improvements to Wheat Ridge’s Ward Station including the possibility of a pedestrian bridge over the tracks and other public amenities. This project will depend relatively on , which is supposed to happen this year. Construction in this area will also depend on the development around the RTD station.
“(Residents) should be assured that we are going to communicate as much as possible to make sure they know what’s going on with each project,” Goff said. “We’re trying to be as transparent as possible so the residents know how their money is being spent.”
The city’s website has dedicated a page exclusively to updates and information on the progress of each of these four projects at . The city is also offering a quarterly e-newsletter which can be subscribed to at.