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Home > Departments > Business > retail opportunities
Campus West Downtown East Mulberry Foothills Mall Harmony Corridor I-25 Corridor North College Corridor South College Corridor

City of Fort Collins ImageDescription

The Campus West area is an aging (60s and 70s) suburban-style commercial arterial strip located next to CSU. The strip is surrounded by concentrated mixed housing that serves the student market.

More details:

  • Abuts/terminates at CSU – 25,000 students and 8,000 employees
  • Primary spine street, Elizabeth, is 4 lanes with 21,000 vehicles per day (newly rebuilt per the vision)
  • Between the strip and CSU is another 4-lane arterial, Shields, with 37,000 VTD projected to grow into the 40,000’s
  • Locally owned small parcels and modest multi-tenant buildings (7,000-20,000 sq. ft.)
  • Potential redevelopment sites range in size from >1/2 acre to about 2 acres

Opportunities

City of Fort Collins Image
  • Redevelopment and tenant space
  • Captive market of students
  • Campus Retail; Neighborhood/Community Commercial
  • 60,000 vehicles per day between the two main streets
  • Apparent market voids, proximity to CSU, and residential base create potential to serve a broader market beyond students, if the area is repositioned with attractive character and an anchor or two

Vision

  • Campus West Community Commercial District Planning Study (2001) (PDF 4.5MB)
  • Zoned for retail which reflects a vision for multi-story mixed use pedestrian - street front redevelopment; City and public are supportive
  • Planning Study done
  • Newly rebuilt street is in place as step one
  • First new mixed use loft redevelopment set to begin construction; 2-story 40,000 sq. ft. total
  • Redevelopment probably feasible only with structured parking and with public subsidy of TIF

Challenges

  • Most owners have a low basis, sound income stream with healthy occupancy
  • Parking is strained
Why Fort Collins?
Opening a Business
Development Opportunities
Target Industries
Downloadable PDFs