Colfax Community Vision & Action Plan

Project Updates: Phase II

The Colfax Community Vision & Action Plan is now entering Phase II! Aurora City Council approved the next phase of the project during a study session on April 7.

One of the key findings from Phase I was that a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and/or Community Development Corporation (CDC) are the most promising organizational models to further explore in Phase II based on feasibility work and community feedback. Over the next several months, the project team will continue collaborating with the community to develop a more detailed outline of the priorities and program areas that a future organization would be charged with implementing, and how these organizations would be structured.

Emerging priorities for the neighborhood based on March 18^th Open House voting exercise, listed in order of vote frequency. A DDA and/or CDC can most likely address many but not all of these program areas, which is why Phase II's emphasis on refining the plan framework in conjunction with community members is important.

1. Prevent displacement of existing residents and businesses
2. Improve public safety
3. Attract new businesses and fill empty storefronts
4. Cleaning, maintenance, and beautification
5. Advance arts and the creative economy
6. Increase coordination between area organizations
7. Improve pedestrian experience and traffic safety
8. Improve perception of area, promote distinct identity

The online survey is still open, please spread the word!

Stay tuned for future events and engagement opportunities. Please “subscribe” for project updates.

Please Take the Online Community Survey!

• Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan: Community Survey
• Plan de Visión y Acción para la Comunidad de Colfax
• Tầm Nhìn và Kế Hoạch Hành Động của Cộng Đồng Colfax
• Colfax လူမှုအသိုင်းအဝိုင်း မျှော်မှန်းချက်နှင့် လုပ်ဆောင်ချက် အစီအစဉ်
• የኮልፋክስ ማህበረሰብ ራዕይ እና የድርጊት መርሃ ግብር

Community Open House with YAASPA

April 11^th from 5:00 - 7:00pm at Paris Elementary, 1635 Paris St.

• Come ask questions, share your input, and learn more about the project
• Free food, childcare, translation services, and prizes
• Please register here

Northwest Aurora is the cultural heart of the city and East Colfax is Aurora’s original downtown. The city of Aurora has hired P.U.M.A. (Progressive Urban Management Associates) to help create a vision and action plan focused on implementing community priorities for the Colfax area. The planning process will also explore creating one or more new organizations such as a Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Community Development Corporation (CDC), and/or Business Improvement District (BID). See below for an overview of DDAs, CDCs, and BIDs.

Why is this project important? This project will create an action plan for achieving community goals and could result in a community-led organization with a dedicated funding stream that is solely focused on the Colfax area in Northwest Aurora.

Planning process at-a-glance: over the next year, P.U.M.A. will work with community and civic partners in Northwest Aurora to:

• Hear from as many community members as possible about their top priorities.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of different organizations to deliver these priorities and fulfill the community’s vision.
• Deliver a detailed business plan to guide organizational work plan(s), budget, and leadership structure.
• The P.U.M.A. team will also help with the legal process required to form these organizations.

What is a DDA? Downtown Development Authorities (DDAs) are quasi-public agencies that can provide both organizational focus and financing to support downtown improvements. DDAs create a self-sustaining organization to champion a downtown for the long-term.

What is a CDC? Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are community-based nonprofits that work to revitalize and provide services for neighborhoods. They also act as a powerful uniting force that advocates on behalf of their communities.

What is a BID? Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) focus on supporting the economic health of a commercial area and are funded by a self-imposed assessment on commercial properties. BIDs are governed by a board made up of commercial properties and tenants.

Review the one-page explanation for a quick overview of the project:

• Project Overview (English)
• Resumen Del Proyecto (Español)

Study Area Map:

The map below illustrates the primary study area (yellow dashed outline) in the context of Original Aurora.