Changes could come to the Colorado Springs Skyline
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — As Colorado Springs becomes home to people from all over the country, one constant remains: America’s Mountain. Walking through the streets of downtown, the glistening view of Pikes Peak has the power to stop both visitors and longtime residents in their tracks.
“Pikes Peak is one of the reasons why people come to Colorado Springs along with Garden of the Gods and all of our great natural resources,” said Matt Mayberry, Director of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. “So, this was a place that was created because of the wonderful natural setting and our job is still to continue to enhance and support that today.”
There are countless reasons why people choose Colorado Springs as their home, whether it’s for career opportunities, the natural beauty of the area, or the charm that comes from the wide variety of local businesses.
“We have a great quality of life in Colorado Springs,” said Susan Edmondson, CEO of the Downtown Partnership. “I think it’s important for all of us to continue to find that balance of those things that we love, but we can’t turn people away. They are coming here for jobs, they are coming here to retire.”
Yet, as the city grows and more people flock to the Pikes Peak Region, with it comes the need for more housing along with necessary office spaces.
“There’s a real housing crisis going on in a lot of our cities and certainly in Colorado Springs, we are thousands of units short to serve the need of people of all age ranges, all types of families, all types of lifestyles,” said Edmondson.
The O’Neil Group, along with Vela Development Partners, proposed plans to the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority for a 36-story, 497-unit apartment building, which would be located on the southwest side of downtown.
“From our perspective, we really are heavy in the defense tech industry and drawing that tech-workforce from the coasts, from Midwest cities like Chicago,” said Andy Merritt, Chief Strategy Officer for the O’Neil Group. “There are people there that are going to look for a downtown living setting and they’re going to want those kinds of high-end amenity decks because they’re used to that.”
Currently, the location is not in the best condition, with broken glass along with closed up doors to what once was Capco Tile & Stone.
Several amenities listed in the proposal include an indoor/outdoor bar, large fitness center, a resort style outdoor pool, and maker spaces, among others. A key point that Merritt referenced was the location of this building, in close proximity to Weidner Field and the Pikes Peak Center.
“This is really a natural outgrowth of that kind of the next steps, if you will,” Merritt said. “Our downtown needs to have a certain degree of density to it, for it to create the living environment that people are looking for in a downtown corridor.”
When currently looking at the skyline in downtown Colorado Springs, the tallest structure to spot is the Wells Fargo building, reaching a height of 247 feet. This proposal has sparked concerns among community members regarding potential changes and the area’s future trajectory.
“They could get plenty of density in a 250-foot apartment building, doesn’t need to be almost double that,” Kat Gayle said. “Right now, our highest building is the Wells Fargo Tower, which is 247 feet.”
Turning to the internet, more than a thousand community members have lent their support to an online petition, advocating for a building height limit on the November 2024 ballot.
“This Skyline petition is about remembering what the character is of Colorado Springs,” Gayle said. “It’s remembering why we all moved here, what we love about it, so, it’s not about the property rights of one developer.”
However, when it comes to obstructing the views of Pikes Peak, Merritt explained the location of the building is in a small section of the city that allows for larger sized buildings.
“That’s the area that has been slated for redevelopment for a long time by our community,” Merritt said. “Because there really is, if you go over there now, there’s a bunch of empty lots over there and some activities/amenities like the Olympic Museum and Weidner Field have gone over there.”
The Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority explained their role in bringing life back to areas that may not be in the best condition, along with meeting the needs of the community.
“Obviously, we’re hearing a lot about the building height, that’s something that’s come up a lot,” said Jariah Walker, Executive Director for the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority. “But the property is in an area that is zoned for unlimited building height and so we’ve heard negatives to that. We’ve also heard a lot of positives to people that believe it’s going to bring a lot of outside investment and capital into the community and something that can be built on with higher paying jobs and a higher standard of living.”
As for next steps, Merritt shared they are in the early stages and will likely go back before the board in June.
“This is not going to become like Denver,” Merrittsaid. “We have a number of different aspects to Colorado Springs that make it different and that would ensure it doesn’t become just like Denver, one of which is it’s a very small section of the city that allows for larger size buildings.”
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