Economic development

Hancock: The future of Colorado hangs between boom and blackout

Substack, Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , , , , ,

There’s a difference between dreaming big and hallucinating. Colorado’s progressive legislators have yet to figure that out.

Once a beacon of frontier grit and entrepreneurial promise, Colorado is drifting into a twilight of self-imposed stagnation. This isn’t the result of some unforeseeable external shock. No. The decline is being engineered — brick by legislative brick — by a political class more interested in social signaling than in fostering economic vitality.

The question isn’t whether Colorado faces a reckoning. The question is whether we will admit the cause before we hit the wall.

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Walcher: We built it, and they still won’t come

GregWalcher.com, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice / / , , , , ,

Building a new subdivision is complicated. Almost every city and county in America have master plans dictating “conforming uses” of land. Most specify lot and home sizes, rules for vehicle access, water supply, sewage disposal, flood control, affordable housing, and park space. Those are addressed in lengthy application processes and public hearings, all preceding building the infrastructure, and then the homes.

The National Association of Home Builders says government regulations account for 24 percent of the final price of new homes. Sixty percent of that comes during planning and development, only 40 percent during actual construction.

Walcher: We built it, and they still won’t come Read More »

‘I can’t do business in Denver now’: Developers flee as climate mandates bite

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , ,

While Colorado is earning praise from climate advocates for its new mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, developers and their economists are giving D and F grades to the state and its capital city, blaming the regulations for a noticeable decline in some projects.

Representatives for developers and property owners are flagging new data showing a marked drop-off in investments and revenues from commercial projects in Colorado. That decline, they said, follows directly on the heels of Colorado’s adoption of some of the nation’s boldest carbon-reducing strategies.

‘I can’t do business in Denver now’: Developers flee as climate mandates bite Read More »

Indoor water surfing facility eyed for Colorado Springs’ north side

Colorado Springs Gazette, Approved, Local / / ,

Surf Shack, a planned, two-story 12,000-square-foot recreation center, would bring indoor water surfing to Polaris Pointe, the retail and commercial development southeast of Interstate 25 and North Gate Boulevard, according to a proposal submitted to city government officials.

Indoor water surfing facility eyed for Colorado Springs’ north side Read More »

New Colorado stop sign: Buc-ee’s, the big, beloved convenience store opening its first location

Approved, Northern Colorado, The Colorado Sun / / ,

As a kid, Randy Pauly’s favorite barbecue in Texas was served out of a window. He’d order a brisket sandwich, step back and wait for a hand to slide a plate out in front of him. He never saw what he called “the action.” The chopping, slicing, saucing and slamming it all together.

New Colorado stop sign: Buc-ee’s, the big, beloved convenience store opening its first location Read More »