CANON CITY, Colo. (KOAA) — Cañon City is working to modernize while maintaining its small-town appeal through strategic development projects that began over a decade ago.
The city's economic development efforts have focused on revitalizing Main Street, connecting downtown to the Arkansas River, and planning future housing and commercial developments.
"Our economy was certainly impacted by I-25 and competing with those communities for growth and development has been very difficult," said Rick Harrmann, Cañon City's economic development manager.
The 2012 decision to expand Main Street resulted in wider sidewalks and improved parking downtown. In 2017, the city began updating its riverwalk, creating new connections from downtown to the Arkansas River.
Cheryl Owens, who has owned Cheryl's Book Nooks on Main Street for nearly 50 years, has mixed feelings about the changes.
"I like the community. I like the smallness," said Owens. "Some of the real old timers don't want to see any more growth, they prefer it as it is now or was. Others enjoy getting to enjoy having more things to do."
Despite the improvements, Owens believes the city may have gone too far with some aspects of the beautification.
"When they beautified the street, they went a little too far," said Owens, sharing how there are several bumps on the street that make driving and parking difficult for cars.
She also noted that many locals remain unaware of downtown businesses.
"We have a lot of people who don't even know we exist and they live here," said Owens.
Looking ahead, Harrmann says the area around Four Mile Ranch Golf Course is slated for future housing and commercial development. The city also plans to complete Main Street improvements between 8th and 9th Streets.
"2012 was the Main Street plan that created this concept. 2017 we worked into plans for the Arkansas River corridor master plan," said Harrmann.
According to Harrmann, the goal of these projects is to "right size" Cañon City, finding a balance where growth happens without overwhelming the community.
"People want a nice, vibrant downtown. And this really aids in that," said Harrmann.
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