1-Color
June 19, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 47 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
New law could aid Littleton’s downtown
ONE HAIL OF A TIME
State offers tax credits for revitalization By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Suz.Q.Z the Clown transforms Lincoln Griffith, 3, into a blue tiger during the Littleton Block Party on June 14. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Active Athletics aerial performers dazzle the crowd June 14 at the Littleton Block Party. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Jose Trujillo, a former Littleton councilmember and former restaurant owner, helps clear a downtown sidewalk before the block party June 14. Hail and rain that afternoon left leaves and branches covering much of Main Street. Photo courtesy of Korri Stainbrook
The ladies of Sweet Cheeks Boutique are pretty in pink at the Littleton Block Party on June 14. Photo by Jennifer Smith
F
ollowing a wild spate of hail, vendors scrambled to set up their wares on streets littered with downed branches. But the storm ended around 4 p.m., leaving them plenty of time for the Littleton Block Party’s 6 p.m. starting time on June 14. “I’m very pleased with the results, especially in light of everything we were up against,” said Greg Reinke, president of the Historic Downtown Littleton Merchants. Though the weather kept some folks away, Reinke estimates somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 showed up to enjoy local food and beverages, roving circus entertainers, bands on four stages and two fireworks shows.
POSTAL ADDRESS
Carrie Turrentine creates a ballon animal for Jace Olson as his mom, Brandy, watches. Photo by Jennifer Smith
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT
(ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 315-780)
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The city’s Historic Preservation Board is excited about new state tax incentives designed to attract reinvestment in historic commercial properties like many of those found in downtown Littleton. “It really fits with the economic concepts the city has been assertively pursuing,” said Chuck Reid, HPB vice chair, during a June 10 joint study session between HPB and Littleton City Council. The Colorado Job Creation and Main Street Revitalization Act allows property owners to get up to a 25 percent tax credit on projects that help preserve historic buildings as viable commercial entities. HB-1311 provides $5 million in tax credits in 2016 and $10 million in 2017 through 2019, when it’s set to expire. “Many of Colorado’s traditional main streets are at a tipping point,” writes Rachel Parris, a project manager with Colorado Preservation Inc. “Many buildings are vacant, their historic facades in decay and their local economies in desperate need of investment and revitalization. Colorado was one of the first states to create a Historic Preservation Tax Credit in 1990, but there is significant need to improve this tax credit so that Colorado remains competitive with neighboring states and so that the credit can be better used to attract critical commercial reinvestment, rehabilitation and revitalization of main streets across our state.” While the bill was written with areas damaged by last year’s floods in mind — Estes Park, for example — it’s not restricted to them. Consider the former Opus building on Main Street, now empty for nearly two years. “Bars and restaurants are a healthy and vibrant section of the economy,” said Reid. “We believe the historic district led people to want to invest in downtown Littleton.” To qualify, the building has to be designated historic either individually or as part of a district. But Littleton’s downtown historic district is a unique beast, allowing property owners to opt in at their discretion. Most districts simply blanket an area whether the owners like it or not, and that was an epic point of contention in Littleton in 2005 as city and business leaders struggled to define what the district would be. The opt-in compromise was finally reached, and today, about 60 percent of the property owners have joined. Margi Clute, HPB chair, said the board’s priority has been trying to convince more Downtown continues on Page 28
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