CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. (KOAA) — Four small southern Colorado cities are getting a significant economic boost after the Colorado Department of Local Affairs designated them as official "Main Street Communities."
Cripple Creek and Woodland Park join more than 30 cities statewide with the designation, which provides access to grant funding and consulting assistance for community development projects.
For some in Cripple Creek, the new title represents hope for continued growth in the historic gaming town.
"We all work together. All the storefronts. My husband is fifth generation from here," said Brandie Larsen, owner of Broken Box Boutique.
Larsen, who is raising the sixth generation of "Cripple Creek-ers," knows the town's history well. She said gambling revitalized the community when it was struggling.
"Gambling has been a good thing for this town. Before that, it was dying," said Larsen.
Now, the Main Street Community designation will help the town promote events like Ice Fest next month and the summer classic, Donkey Derby Days.
"There's so many things to do here. And people miss all that there is to do," said Larsen.
The Colorado Main Street Program helps designated communities with various needs, from grant funding to hands-on consulting and assistance.
Since 2019, the program has helped secure more than $200 million for the more than two dozen designated communities across Colorado, resulting in more than 600 new businesses and nearly 1,000 facade improvements.
"The true goal is developing that vibrancy while keeping these treasures alive," said Gayle Langley from the Department of Local Affairs.
Marie Rieger, Cripple Creek's marketing and events director, said the city plans to use the partnership to improve signage and develop area enhancements.
"You need people who understand how to build so it doesn't impede on any historic preservation," said rRieger.
The city is considering wayfinding and interpretive signage improvements, as well as a pocket park next to city hall. Most of the city's events take place on Bennett Avenue.
Victor, Cripple Creek's neighboring mining town, serves as an example of an established Main Street Community. The town received a grant through the Department of Local Affairs last year to help with its historic facades.
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