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EPA Office of Community Revitalization Building Blocks grant. The two-day Smart Growth 101 workshop helped Pagosa Springs understand its redevelopment potential and to begin working together towards a shared vision for its future.

Moving forward with downtown revitalization projects

Pagosa Springs has three major redevelopment opportunities that will help it expand year-round housing opportunities, making it more affordable while spurring downtown redevelopment.

The first redevelopment opportunity is the former home of the town’s historic “Adobe building” in downtown, which was destroyed by a fire shortly before the workshop, displacing 16 businesses. As a result, that privately-owned site—and an adjacent town-owned property—is ripe for redevelopment. Since the workshop, the owner of the former Adobe building has decided to sell the property and the town is currently considering options for combining the two sites for a larger development project, one of Smart Growth America’s recommendations. Together, those two sites could realize even greater opportunities for artist spaces, workforce housing, and other community amenities. Sites like these in the heart of a downtown can often serve as catalysts for further redevelopment while providing new housing units in a walkable part of town.

Adjacent to downtown, another 27 acres is earmarked for mixed-use development because of a previous agreement with the owner. Planning for phase 1 of the project—which includes a hotel and conference center, commercial spaces for retail and restaurants, and new residential units for year round residents—begins this year. To better connect this new development with the downtown, officials are hoping to work with the developer to accommodate a new multimodal river crossing in the future.

next steps memo that Smart Growth America provided Pagosa Springs was referenced in the town’s comprehensive plan update and the lessons learned during the workshop informed that update.

Smart Growth America’s John Robert Smith addresses the workshop participants. (Staff photo)

For more information on Smart Growth America’s Technical Assistance program and how your community can request assistance from Smart Growth America on a variety of land use, development, and transportation challenges, please visit our technical assistance home page.

• Implementing smart growth tool description >>
• Pagosa Springs: next steps memo >>
• Pagosa Springs: Fiscal Impact Analysis >>
• Pagosa Springs: Progress report – one month >>
• Pagosa Springs: Progress report – six months >>
• Pagosa Springs: Progress report – twelve months >>