Opportunity Zone Focus | Pueblo, CO

Corona Park

Corona Park Opportunity Zone sits on top of a bluff overlooking the Arkansas River and downtown Pueblo. The area was developed in the 1870’s by General William Jackson Palmer, founder of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and Colorado Fuel & Iron, as a residential suburb to the bustling downtown and railyard located to the north-east. Development follows a curvilinear street pattern with pocket parks designed around the romantic principles of English gardens. Corona Park is home to many historic Victorian homes in differing states of condition. A recent interest in this area has prompted individuals to purchase and restore many of the historic homes. Opportunities within the district are limited to redevelopment of the housing stock, higher density residential development, and limited commercial services adjacent to W. 4^th Street and the east side of Abriendo Avenue. The residential development on the bluff is complimented by the adjacent Arkansas River and Trail system. The City is developing an expansive Levee Park improvement which will include a new trail on top of the Arkansas River Levee, improved whitewater park amenities, and habitat restoration within the River. Possibilities exist for mixed-use development facilitating commercial services that complement the whitewater park and the provide goods and services for the surrounding residents.

Downtown

Uses in the Downtown Opportunity Zone are primarily commercial and mixed-use with residential units located above the historic commercial storefronts. Additional, opportunities exist for industrial development east of I-25, west of Elizabeth Street, and north of W. 6^th Street. The City has identified new high-density residential development as a priority within the vicinity of Main Street. Restaurants, retail, and mixed-use commercial/residential are priorities for the unimproved parcels adjacent to HARP and within the Union Avenue Historic District. The southern portion of the Downtown Opportunity Zone is located in an Urban Renewal District (Areas south of W. 3^rd Street, west of I-25, and East of D Street).

Eilers Heights

Eilers Heights Opportunity Zone is a historic, mixed-use, neighborhood developed on a grid street plan in the 1880’s. The area developed around the Colorado Smelter and CF&I Steel Mill, providing housing, services, and goods for residents and workers. This zone is approximately 580-acres and is comprised of a mixture of uses ranging from heavy industrial, commercial, to high density residential. Multiple family businesses thrive in this zone and opportunities exist for new commercial and industrial development within the Northern Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue/Drive corridors. The residential neighborhoods are mostly developed offering prospects for redevelopment. This zone is within the Established Development Boundary, providing more flexibility with landscaping, parking, and general development requirements.

EVRAZ Industrial District

The EVRAZ, North America Opportunity Zone area includes the 1,500-acre area comprising the EVRAZ’s steel manufacturing facilities in Pueblo. EVRAZ manufactures approximately 40% of all steel rail materials in the U.S. and is actively exploring the development of a new “state of the art” rail mill on approximately 70 acres of the existing property.

The City has recently approved an annexation of the proposed industrial property that could contain a new nationally significant rail mill. Connections to water, electricity, natural gas, fiber are available within the property and the steel mill property has a direct connection to Interstate 25 at the Indiana Avenue Interchange with (Exit 96).

Other rail-based companies in the immediate vicinity included Excel’s Comanche Power Plant, Chemtron, and Midwest Steel. Pueblo’s strategic location for north, south, east and west rail transportation provides a key advantage over other locations in the Rocky Mountain Region.

The City of Pueblo can provide attractive incentive including tax relief, infrastructure incentives and fast-track approval for land use approvals and facility development. Incentives that can be available are:

City Financial Incentive Program for Job Creating Projects - 1/2 cent sales tax
City Sales and Use Tax Capital Improvement Fund for Job Creating Projects
Partial Property Tax Rebate Program Negotiated Based on Specific Project

Lake Minnequa

Lake Minnequa Opportunity Zone is a historic area that was originally established as the Town of Bessemer in 1886 and was developed to provide housing and services for CF&I Steel Mill. The area is primarily developed on a grid layout with a mixture of uses ranging from low density residential, higher density residential, commercial, and recreation. Saint Mary Corwin Medical Center is a primary anchor of the Lake Minnequa Opportunity Zone providing specialized cancer care, orthopedics, wound care, and outpatient services. Residential and commercial uses are complimented with the Minnequa Lake Park, which offers trails, boating, and organized sports fields. A commercial corridor extends south along Lake Avenue and west along Pueblo Boulevard, all of which are located in an Urban Renewal District. Development opportunities include new residential development and redevelopment of the historic housing stock. Commercial development opportunities exist along Lake Avenue and north of Pueblo Boulevard.

Mesa Junction

Mesa Junction Opportunity Zone is located to the south-east of the Downtown and Corona Park Opportunity Zones. Mesa Junction is a historic neighborhood on a grid street plan with commercial, high-density residential, and low-density residential uses. Development opportunities include commercial, residential, and mixed-use. Pueblo Community College (PCC) is located one half-mile to the north, many Mesa Junction businesses and residential units cater to PCC students and faculty.

Parkwest

The ParkWest Opportunity Zone is situated along North Pueblo Boulevard and stretches from the Arkansas River to US Highway 50 West. This Opportunity Zone is named for the Medical and Office Center in the northern part of the zone, which offers space for similar development. Along with medical and office uses, Intellitec College also has space in this development. This Zone is uniquely situated at the junction of Highway 50 and State Highway 45, North Pueblo Boulevard. It is approximately halfway between the Pueblo West Metropolitan District and Interstate 25 and offers prominent visibility for all travelers along those major thoroughfares.

The south portion of this zone includes opportunity for development on properties that have been previously zoned and subdivided primarily for residential housing and smaller scale commercial development. There are opportunities for recreational development adjacent to the Pueblo Boulevard corridor. The western part of this zone is home to the Nature & Wildlife Discover Center’s River Campus and Raptor Center.

Saint Charles Industrial Park

Pueblo’s Saint Charles Industrial Park provides one of Colorado’s premier rail based industrial parks along the Interstate 25 corridor. Currently home to Vestas Towers Americas Inc’s 695,000 square-foot wind tower manufacturing facility (the largest in the world), Vossloh North America’s concrete railroad tie manufacturing facility, and a leading worldwide producer of high-quality pumice products, CR Minerals. The rail hub features Colorado’s only complete rail access north, south, east, and west with interchanges connecting to Union Pacific and BNSF. The Saint Charles Industrial Park can accommodate a variety of companies supply chain needs within the 1,600-acre master-planned development providing a 8,900’ parallel City of Pueblo-owned track for connections to the industrial park with switches at the north and south ends linking to the Union Pacific track.

The City has recently approved the acquisition of 450 acres of industrial rail-based land located in the east end of the park providing future tenants a large array of opportunities for direct access rail-based industrial uses. Connections to water and wastewater services, electricity, natural gas, fiber are available within the park and the property has a direct connection at the Stem Beach Interchange with Interstate 25 (Exit 91).

Other rail-based companies in the immediate vicinity included Excel’s Comanche Power Plant, Chemtron, GCC Concrete, and EVRAZ North America (formally Rocky Mountain Steel). These companies and other developers are betting on locations further south from Denver to serve the transportation needs that avoid the conflicts and delays within the Denver metro and Northern Colorado areas. Saint Charles Industrial Park provides the size, flexibility, and local rail connections that provides dual rail service that make it a great location for new or expanding industry.

The City of Pueblo Provides prospective users at the park attractive incentive options that include tax relief, infrastructure incentives and fast-track approval for site acquisition and/or facility development. Incentives that can be available are:

City Financial Incentive Program for Job Creating Projects - 1/2 cent sales tax
City Sales and Use Tax Capital Improvement Fund for Job Creating Projects
Partial Property Tax Rebate Program Negotiated Based on Specific Project

State Fair/ Events Center

The Colorado State Fair has been in Pueblo for longer than Colorado has been a state! Every year the fair draws visitors from all over to the 100 acre site in South Pueblo. Nestled between historic residential homes and businesses, this opportunity zone is looking for a new attraction to build on the momentum of the fair. While the fairgrounds are only used by the State Fair for a few weeks each summer, the grounds are rarely actually vacant. Concerts, exhibits, car shows, agricultural events and rodeos all use the space year round and attract their own set of visitors. This Opportunity Zone includes the commercial hub of South Prairie Avenue which offers commercial and office zoning.