Blue Dot Place – national leader in Downtown livability
What was once a conversation about how to make Downtown Colorado Springs a more accessible setting has evolved into a robust movement. The “city center is where people, capital, and ideas coalesce due to size, proximity, and density,” according to the International Downtown Association (IDA), a global champion for livable urban centers. Today, developers, residents, city planners, tourism advocates and outdoor recreation groups are working together to effect change in our city center, knowing that the strength of a city overall lies in its urban core.
Access
Arguably one of the most critical components of a strong Downtown is access. IDA notes that as a city strives for inclusivity, plans must be made to attract diverse residents, employers, and businesses to the city center, and these people must be able to move easily between the different parts of their lives: work, home, and recreation. While mobility and access have always been hot topics in urban development circles, initiating action towards making greater mobility a reality takes thoughtful planning and civic leadership.
Leading the way
Among these thought leaders are the developers of Blue Dot Place, Darsey Nicklasson and Kathy Loo. When Blue Dot, a 33 unit urban apartment complex, opened in 2016, it ended years of residential development stagnation as the first for-rent residential community added to the Downtown core since 1960. With great intention, Nicklasson and Loo sought to establish a connection between home, work, and leisure. With this in mind, the two made plans to court businesses to the commercial portion of their development that would serve their residents. Additionally, it was recognized that residents that choose to live Downtown often seek alternate forms of transportation including walking, biking, and public transportation.
Business attraction
Two years since its opening, Blue Dot Place is now surrounded by locally owned businesses including Loyal Coffee, Iron Bird Brewing, Local Relic Brewing, and Baby Cotton Bottoms, just to name a few. (Coming soon, The Bench, an outdoor sports-themed bar and restaurant owned and operated by the same owners of Odyssey Gastropub.) The Quad Innovation Partnership, an entrepreneurial think-tank, is housed on the bottom level of Loyal Coffee, providing support and mentorship to local graduates as they transition from college into the workplace.
Built for bikes
Josh Holland, an original Blue Dot resident, was drawn to the modern and innovative design of the building, and also to the community that has formed on the south Nevada block. “It’s great living next door to a fantastic coffee shop as well as being right next door to a brewery. I enjoy being able to bike to all of the stores and restaurants as well as being able to bike to work.” Holland notes that 90 percent of his transportation is done by bicycle and that he and his wife are now a proud single-car family.
To support resident cyclists, Nicklasson and Loo implemented 65 secure bicycle storage spaces, a bicycle workroom equipped with an air pump, work stands, and tools for resident use as well as an indoor bicycle wash station.
Blue Dot Place has proven that there is demand not only for urban residential options but that sustainable living is a key component of such demand. In addition to creating a walkable, bike-friendly community, residents enjoy LED lighting, an electric car charging station, solar panels, and recycling/composting services.
Creating community
Blue Dot resident Kathleen Saltmarsh-Voss was seriously injured in June of 2017 when a debilitating accident left her wheelchair-bound. Kathleen speaks to the sense of community she has experienced since her accident. “My neighbors took out my trash and watered my flowers. Our assistant manager, Jerianne Corr, visited me in the hospital and even worked with my case worker in the rehab facility in regards to my apartment’s floor plan so that I was able to go home with a clear after-care plan. The flooring and wide layout of my apartment have made wheelchair access much easier and Darsey (Nicklasson) has personally addressed my concerns since the accident. I feel safe at Blue Dot but I also feel supported by the community we have created.”
National recognition by the Urban Land Institute (ULI)
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) supports best practices in land use and directly influences issues such as urban design and transportation. A March ULI case study featured Blue Dot Place as a forerunner in active transportation. The study explored interconnections among walking, bicycling, and real estate development and found that the intentional efforts of Blue Dot’s developers positioned them as vanguards in the industry. ULI asks its constituents to consider the changing needs of communities as cities grow, they challenge developers to plan projects that invigorate the urban core. Successful projects are recognized with The Urban Land Institute’s Impact Award. As a finalist in the category of Infill, Blue Dot Place was applauded for their ability to reverse decades of residential stagnation and to catalyze growth in the surrounding area directly affecting positive market growth. Intentional efforts to support a bike-friendly community were also applauded. Report here.
Seamless integration with a city on the move
As mentioned, the movement towards a more walkable, bike-friendly city has migrated from a topic of conversation to reality. Recent successes include the addition of the city’s first parking-protected bike paths in 2017, added to Weber from the Lowell Neighborhood up to Pikes Peak Avenue. The City of Colorado Springs as well as advocacy groups including the Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC), Bike Colorado Springs, and private donors have invested in enhancements to trails and signage along the Legacy Loop surrounding the city.
PikeRide, Downtown’s bike share program set to launch in June 2018. With bike stations planned for the south Nevada block near Blue Dot Place, Nicklasson stated, “we are thrilled to have our block selected…we believe it will be heavily used by our residents and customers on the block. They can easily and quickly get to other parts of Downtown.” Nicklasson stated that the Downtown residents and the broader community can support bike infrastructure by being “open to trying new street designs and giving feedback.”
This is just the beginning of a mobility evolution in Downtown Colorado Springs, and we’re excited about the changes ahead.
Blue Dot Place
412 S. Nevada Avenue