BUSINESS

ALEX MCINTYRE

Tatman Business Park is located along Diamond Valley Drive in Windsor May 25, 2021.

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT: WINDSOR HAS REMAINED OPEN FOR BUSINESS, OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY, EVEN THROUGH THE WORST PARTS OF THE PANDEMIC

BY BOBBY FERNANDEZ

The town of Windsor and its director of economic development Stacy Miller don 't claim to have anti-pandemic repellent.

What they do have, though, is an extremely rare and unique situation.

They have a town that has grown from about 10,000 people in 2000 to nearly 19,000 people in 2010 to close to 40,000 people today.

And,as quickly as the population has expanded, so has Windsor ' s economic, residential, industrial and commercial development.

Developers continue to build in Windsor.And,they ' ve continued to build right through the pandemic,even while so many other municipalities experience a sharp slowdown in growth for much of the past year, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Via everything from restaurants to new homes to industrial sites, Windsor continues to grow,exponentially. "Nothing ever really seemed to slow down — residentially or commercially, " said Miller,who has worked in economic development for 22 years,the past 10 in Windsor. "I started off in January with, I think,six prospects in the first week of the year. And, I' ve done about a half a dozen tours of Windsor so far already this year.Those are a big deal, meaning the prospect is elevated to actually coming to town to look at the site. "

Michelle Vance became the executive director of the Windsor Area Chamber of Commerce in June of this past year. In most places, there couldn 't be a less ideal time to run a chamber of commerce.

But for Vance, her phone began ringing off the hook and her inbox was filling up with messages from the moment she stood in her office for the first time. "Since June, we ' ve grown by 140 new members, " Vance said. "In just April, we grew by 24 new members.That kind of shows you the momentum. I have a grand opening every single week,all the way through July. "

Like Miller, Vance has a 20-plusyear history in economic development. She chose to pursue the chamber of commerce position and become less a developer and more a promotor of

business, feeling she could serve as a uitables advocate for businesses in a town that has impressed her with how it has attracted projects through what she calls " smart growth" . "I feel like Windsor is a masterplanned community with the different developments, " Vance said. "What other town can you say has a lake in downtown where you can go to the beach? ... I' m just fortunate to be able to work in a community that is forward-thinking, that looks to the future and that plans for the future. "

The Future Legends Complex sports park is likely the most prominent commercial/tourist project being built in Windsor. Joining the sports park on the commercial front is the likes of Windsor Pediatric Dentistry off Main Street, as well as continued, significant, development in Diamond Valley Industrial Park and Farmer ' s Corner — where this is a new Taco Bell and Cannon Xpress Car Wash.

But, Windsor ' s non-stop growth extends beyond just commercial and industrial projects. "On our residential side, we ' re doing about 100 single-family permits per month, " Miller said. "I' m very fortunate to do what I do in a town that supports every medium. "

In addition to having a community that supports its local businesses, one of the keys to Windsor ' s nearly unmatchable success during the pandemic,according to Miller,is having pro-business elected officials. These officials, Miller said, are willing to work hand-in-hand with developers, during the best of times and the worst of times — though, as the past year has proven, even the worst of times aren 't the least bit shabby in a thriving town like Windsor. "We ' ve just been very successful at yellingWindsor ' s name and saying, 'Hey, look here: We ' ve got 14 business parks and three commercial areas and 7,000 acres of commercial land to develop on. Please, come check us out. ' And, really, it takes all parts of the machine moving together to move us forward. "

Another major factor in Windsor ' s virtually unflappable ability to grow is rooted in the town ' s geography.

Situated right in the middle of larger cities like Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins — and major roadways like Interstate 25, U.S. 34, Colo. 392 and Colo. 257 — northern Colorado megadeveloper Martin Lind has routinely referred to Windsor as the " address " of northern Colorado,serving as somewhat of a downtown-like area for the region as a whole.

"You can get access north, south, east and west for mobility of people, goods and services, " Miller said. "You can get your workforce in. You can get your goods and services out. That mobility and that ease of doing business is also an attractive thing about Windsor. "

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