We want to hear from readers:
Send your thoughts on the proposed South Cañon City Center/Mini Resort at Canon City’s Golden Triangle to Cañon City Daily Record Editor Michael Alcala at alcalam@canoncitydailyrecord.com.
Proposed South Cañon City Center/Mini Resort at Canon City’s Golden Triangle
— Resort to historic downtown; chairlift and walkway:
The creation of a chairlift and pedestrian walkway, from free parking
at the resort to Main Street creates a visual attraction for
highway traffic and a means to attract visitors to historic downtown. A
potential route would be north from the resort utilizing Second Street as
a route, ending at the east side of City Hall, where a map
of historic downtown attractions and businesses could be used.
— Expansion of train opportunities in Royal Gorge:
The train has the potential to be the major transportation in creating a
loop in transportation, tying the city to the bridge and the bridge
to the city. It can be the one-stop hub for resort
visitors to accomplish many activities, while leaving their vehicle in
the parking area. This is a development opportunity for a vertical
elevator and staircase surrounding the elevator. For some visitors the
challenge of climbing the staircase will become a challenge (also, a
future, annual, extreme sport challenge) while the
elevator will be an attraction in itself.
— Arkansas River, Riverwalk, business expansion:
Current opportunities along the river include Tunnel Drive and the south
river rim, which are ripe for development in hiking trails to the river
access to the bridge, as well as other routes, creating nature and recreational challenges.
The most exciting opportunities lie in the creation of
new businesses along the Golden Triangle resort areas. River-side
beverage, food services, transportation rentals, artist exhibits and
tourism shops allow visitors reasons to visit the Riverwalk, as well as
historic downtown.
— Creation of Arkansas River Extreme Sports, annual events:
Expansion in how the Royal Gorge is viewed, as well as the creation of
the resort, increased uses of the train, riverwalks and hiking trails
can lead to annual events to attract extreme sports enthusiasts.
The offering of an annual event that challenges extreme athletes to
climb the bridge staircase (+1,000 feet,) will bring those athletes who
compete in similar events. The creation a Annual Arkansas River/Royal
Gorge Marathon, which begins at the base of the bridge elevator,
staircase, challenges the runners to a deal with a few miles of
running on the railway, then transferring to the Riverwalk with its
natural setting, it will bring many to the city and bridge.
The creation of the Annual Arkansas River Extreme Event, on the south
side of the river, where athletes are challenged to navigate the rigors
of Cañon City’s past water supply route, ending at the south entrance of
the bridge, could bring national attention to one of the most extreme
challenges.
— Corrections Hall of Fame, museum and Crime Prevention Center:
The Golden Triangle currently has the potential to add vital property,
to include a historical structure, the Black Hills power plant, which can
become Colorado’s Corrections Hall of Fame, museum and future wax
museum exhibit. This allows the community and visitors to understand the
value in the profession of corrections and it would be appropriate for
the community to honor administration and officers with an annual event
that inducts those in service into a Hall of Fame.
It is also possible to expand the current prison museum to tell the
history of corrections and educate in the professional opportunities in
serving. The Hall of Fame, museum and PCC Fremont Campus
can develop Crime Prevention Education programs, allowing residents and
visitors the opportunity to have a safe future through learning how to
protect themselves, their loved ones.
— Information provided by Al Ballard
After attending a two-day community planning session in December with city council members, business owners, community leaders and consultants from RNL Design & Architecture and Stantec, Inc., Cañon City business owner Al Ballard envisioned a plan to develop Cañon City’s hidden asset, “the Golden Triangle.”
Ballard said the proposed Golden Triangle includes the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, the Arkansas River, the Riverwalk and city-owned property all in one location — a location he says is the prime area for a mini-resort. It is bordered on the north by U.S. 50, to the east by Fourth Street and includes the city-owned property known as Duck Park or Centennial Park, on the south. The triangle point leads to the Royal Gorge. Ballard said it is an area that is “ripe for a historic downtown resort, services along the river, a community/information center and future access to historic downtown Cañon City, for visitors.”
“The vision is people can come here, and they can do multiple things,” he said.
According to Ballard’s plan, from the resort, families and individuals could ride the train to go ziplining, fishing or rafting or go to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park; a chairlift and an elevated pedestrian bridge would take people to the downtown area for shopping and dining; and the close-by Riverwalk offers opportunities for those who like to walk, ride bikes or jog.
“They wouldn’t have to leave their car,” Ballard said. “They could leave their car sit; when they get to downtown there already are resources being developed for downtown — the horse and buggy (service) and the segways — all these things that can move people around downtown, but the key component now is the downtown parking problem; this allows them to park at the resort area and commute to downtown.”
The resort would sit on city-owned property where Centennial Park is located. Ballard’s wife, Linda, said the park could be relocated or incorporated into the landscape of the resort.
The couple relocated to Cañon City 12 years ago to own and operate the Cañon City Queen Anne. They said they are in favor of the city potentially allowing developers to build a resort at the Royal Gorge, however, they believe it is just one element in the possibilities for the future of the community. He said now is the time to tie the city to the bridge with resorts at both locations.
“We realize Cañon City has been viewed as a day trip by people that come here,” he said. “They river raft and go off to Salida — that’s OK for some of the tourist businesses, but for the economy of Cañon City, we have to be seen as a destination.”
Golden Triangles have been important in the re-development of historic downtown Denver, the Pueblo Riverwalk and the City of Alamosa, he said.
“Every city, no matter what size, has a piece of property that has a majority of the assets of the community all tied together,” he said.
The Ballards have shared the vision with customers and fellow community members who said they support the idea.
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park General Manager Mike Bandera said he has reviewed the plan and has discussed the proposal with others.
“We are all for it,” he said. “Development of that kind is what is needed; with that kind of development plus what we are going to do up here at the bridge and the Royal Gorge resort, it will take us to a whole new level and enable our area to draw more people than ever before.”
Dr. Jack Heavrin, a Denver native, moved to Cañon City in July to operate his ob-gyn practice. He said he realized the untapped potential in Cañon City immediately upon moving here.
“There truly are some boundaries where you can exploit some untapped resources of Cañon City; there’s no question about it,” he said. “Building a resort in the Duck Park area and drawing people in from outside Cañon City, from an economic standpoint, is fabulous.”
Cañon City native and businessman Jeff Mueller also sees the plan as an opportunity to enhance the community.
“We really have to be proactive in offering or developing concepts that continue to move us forward, offering things for people to do here, whether it’s tourists or people who actually live here,” he said. “Part of being the first president of Main Street USA many, many years ago, was how you create a catalyst for promoting downtown and promoting the community and this project just lends itself to exploring the opportunity.”
He said with the upper Arkansas River being added as the newest addition to the statewide list of Gold Medal Trout Waters, in addition to the rafting and fishing opportunities, there needs to be a way draw those visitors and connect them to the heart of the city.
“It’s taking the resources we have, some property, some infrastructure and a river, and saying can we turn this into a showcase that would constitute a new venture that would bless Cañon City,” he said.
Mueller said the community needs to find a way to open the door of opportunity to a developer. Ballard agrees that the project easily could be pursued and realized by developers, so the investment of the city is minimal. Bandera said another potential for helping fund the project could be through the Regional Tourism Act Grant that the city plans to pursue.
The Regional Tourism Act creates a mechanism for a local government to undertake a regional tourism project to attract out-of-state visitors, to create a regional tourism zone in which the project will be built and to create a regional tourism authority (or to designate other financing entities) with the power to receive and utilize the increment of revenues derived from the state sales tax collected in the zone, that is above a designated base amount, to be used to finance eligible improvements to the project ( http://bit.ly/1mbJd5t).
Bandera said the City for Champions project in downtown Colorado Springs will be realized because of the RTA award and the Pueblo Riverwalk also was a result of the RTA.
Ballard has emailed the plan to the consultants, City Administrator Doug Dotson and Cañon City Councilman Kevin Ditmore.
Ditmore said the area involved is a part of town that is key to Cañon City, and he is glad someone has put thought into it and has taken an interest in it.
“My interest is definitely developing that area and the Highway 50 corridor,” he said. “One of my priorities as a councilman is to develop the entire Highway 50 corridor.”
He said the idea to potentially develop a resort at the Royal Gorge still is preliminary.
“We have to figure out as a city where we want to go with our assets,” he said. “I want to hear input from citizens on how to move forward and put Cañon City on the map.”
The plan will be discussed during the Public Works meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 128 Main St.
Richard Von Luhrte, president RNL Design, said in an email Friday that the consultants likely will return to Cañon City in mid-February for more planning meetings.
A link to the complete plan may be viewed at canoncitydailyrecord.com.