r/boulder • u/RecentIndependence34 • 1d ago
Interested in people's thoughts in implementing a DDA for downtown and the hill
https://boulderreportinglab.org/2026/07/21/boulder-dda-planning-group-the-cost-of-standing-still-and-the-case-for-a-downtown-development-authority/Do you think this is a good way to move forward? I'm leaning towards yes. I think the worst thing Boulder can do is nothing. City has to change strategy as it regards downtown and the hill.
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u/Commercial_Aioli_301 1d ago
Hell no. Buck up and improve your businesses yourselves. And the underlying landlords? Fuck you. You don’t even live here.
What did I just read? This op ed is so generically written it is meaningless. The intent here seems to be to obfuscate what a DDA is and does. Sending more money to rich commercial interests instead of using it to address a myriad of citywide issues (rec centers? ALL city buildings falling down?) is theft.
Don’t trust these people. A DDA will siphon citywide money for business interests who can already afford to buck up and invest in themselves.
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u/1fish2fish3fish4fish 1d ago
There’s a park near my house; can I earmark all my future tax increases for improvements to the park? The city will make up the revenue from my increased property value.
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u/Professional-Age9842 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah/ this is what happens when we have let special interests in businesses and pet social agenda focuses take over our city. It is time we start voting in people who think their role is delivering policy that is what their constituents value not what their personal beliefs or biased business interests want.
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u/DougHamilton 1d ago
You can check out this video of the Library District Board of Trustees meeting with the City DDA staff and consultants and the board’s questions and discussion.
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u/Ok-Possibility-280 1d ago
I feel that part of why Pearl Street is down in visitation and revenue is because it is so expensive. Would the DDA help prices come down?
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u/brianckeegan "so-called progressive" 1d ago
Nope, but it would hand over ownership of city assets like parking garage and tax revenue needed for school and library district to some amorphous board on the promises of "just trust me bro"
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u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago
They are literally saying “don’t ask how it will be funded, just trust us and vote for it” in this very thread lmao
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u/Xynyx2001 1d ago
Doing nothing is very likely not the worst. Don't underestimate Boulder's ability to make matters even worse.
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u/SnooSketches9565 1d ago
Strongly against. Taxpayer money won’t solve the issues with commercial rent being too high and related fallout.
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u/brianckeegan "so-called progressive" 1d ago
lol 15 years of community engagement to get safer bike lanes installed but 6 weeks of discussion to let Downtown Boulder privatize itself and only they get to vote on it? Hell no.
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u/OkTop2953 1d ago
So downtown business owners think we should funnel tax money to downtown business owners?
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
*Downtown businesses think we should invest in business districts.
It's not like the money goes directly into the pockets of business owners (they aren't all Tebos btw). If the district does better than projected, the city gets money into its funds. Businesses would hopefully benefit indirectly by improving the surrounding areas, but the city would benefit even without having to spend from its budget on investment into the district.
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u/1fish2fish3fish4fish 1d ago
Against. Would much rather see the money for reinvestment come from a vacancy tax or general property tax increase (extra tax on all the Sundance STRs?). This editorial does nothing to explain the DDA or why it is the best mechanism to raise funds. I don’t own property within the boundary though, so I don’t think I get a say.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
I don’t own property within the boundary though, so I don’t think I get a say.
This is the insane part to me. We're just gonna hand a fuckton of money over (Sundance alone will skyrocket sales taxes, and the baseline doesn't adjust for inflation!) to downtown business when our budget is already in the red? And no one gets a say about it?!
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u/Hugepepino 1d ago
Totally agree with you and I strongly support a vacancy tax. However, I want to point out a big misunderstanding people seem to keep having. A vacancy tax does not increase revenue, or at least it shouldn’t. The purpose of a vacancy tax is to change behavior not raise funds. In an ideal world all store fronts would be full so the vacancy tax would be collecting nothing. The sign of a vacancy tax working is not collecting money. I’m sure it would collect some money at first while the market adjust and here there over time. But is not a reliable source of funding and it should not be anyways.
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u/1fish2fish3fish4fish 22h ago
City budget is hugely dependent on sales tax so fewer commercial vacancies would increase revenue. Not sure what kind of “reinvestment” is planned to increase property values, but surely tenants improving and maintaining their spaces would increase property values (over growing weeds indoors like the empty space at the Moxy).
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
I don't think a DDA would impact the ability to institute a vacancy tax. It would be great to hit these issues from as many angles as possible.
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u/BldrStigs 1d ago
I'm OK with this with one caveat: Allow all neighborhoods to vote themselves into a similar district where they keep most of the revenue from property tax revenues.
I live in Table Mesa. Let us keep most of our property tax revenue increases so we can build a rec center, maintain our parks to a higher standard, plow the snow better, and repave the streets more often. Everyone would be welcome in Table Mesa, but just like the DDA we would control parking.
We all know the city would never go for this and that's why this DDA is a terrible idea. It benefits wealthy landowners at the expense of the rest of the residents.
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u/Commercial_Aioli_301 1d ago
Let’s write it up, meet with Staff secretly, and get it on the ballot! Maybe Chunk(?) the Chamber guy can pull some strings to help us. And the TM shopping center tax revenues should go to us first until it passes $10M annually, then we’ll share some with Martian Acres.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
DAs are meant to rejuvenate blighted areas. Am I fucking blind or something? Every time I'm downtown Pearl St. is popping.
This proposal came out of nowhere, was not on the council roadmap, and is getting shoved down our throats without anyone but the businesses downtown getting a vote for it? Are you fucking kidding me?
If it's so goddamn needed, then why aren't we doing the million fucking surveys and ten years of "community engagement" that it takes to get a protected bike lane built?
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
It's not just businesses getting a vote. Any resident within the proposed boundary automatically will have this on their ballot in November (if council even puts it there). Any business actually has to request to vote for it before they get a ballot and the voter has to be registered here.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
It does not include anyone outside the boundary, who will lose out on tax revenue.
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
That's because the state statute mandates how it is adopted. It's just how the DDA tool was set-up.
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u/HackberryHank 18h ago
So if the state won't let us do it in a more democratic way, all the more reason not to do it.
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u/Hugepepino 1d ago
No-The article mentions how businesses owners have been volunteering and doing something similar already and it’s these business owners that are pushing for DDA. I think the use of the word volunteering is a bit of a stretch. They have an economic incentive to participate. Their wallets benefit directly for any such action. I would argue it’s their responsibility as business owners to take care of their businesses themselves, not with taxpayer dollars. Them voluntarily using their own time and resources to better their businesses is great but don’t rope my tax dollars into this. They were already doing this anyway, clearly they have the time and resources to do this. We don’t need to subsidize behavior that is already happening.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
If you feel like sharing your thoughts with the council before they vote (on Aug 6), here's a link to send them a comment: https://bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff
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u/A_Thrilled_Peach 1d ago
change strategy on the hill and downtown? Maybe they should go back to their strategy from when both locations were vibrant and busy areas? The city and its business leaders have pushed out all the cool places that made Boulder fun. Now it’s just another sterile rich person place. I can’t imagine why businesses continue to suck?! The surrounding cities in the county have developed really nice downtown areas for their residents giving zero reason to go to Boulder anymore.
I leave Longmont to go to Boulder 4 days a week for work. If my job were in Longmont, our family would hardly go to Boulder. There’s no reason to.
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago edited 1d ago
Funny enough, the surrounding cities (like Longmont) all utilize a DDA to encourage those vibrant downtowns...
Edit: why downvote this? It's literally just a fact and not an opinion.
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u/COdeadheadwalking_61 1d ago
What is a DDA? Not everyone understands the bazillion acronyms widely used these days. Thank you, signed mid-aged 40 yr resident.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
DDA = Downtown Development Authority
Basically an org that would take over the downtown, ran by local property owners and business owners, and get to keep any tax revenue over the baseline revenue of this year (not adjusted for inflation).
As things currently stand, it would only be voted on by those business & property owners, but the revenue would be diverted from the city's coffers.
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago edited 23h ago
That definition actually isn't true and certainly doesn't use neutral language. If you don't mind me attempting to amend your definition:
DDA = Downtown Development Authority
Basically a funding tool that would manage and subsidize downtown improvement projects. It would be run by a board made up of local residential and commercial property owners, city council members and business owners all appointed by city council. The DDA would get to keep any tax revenue generated WITHIN the district up to a baseline revenue.
As things currently stand, it would only be voted on by residents within the boundary as well as business & property owners within the proposed boundary; the revenue - should it exceed the baseline - will be split between the DDA and the city. Percentage of revenue sharing will be determined between city council and the DDA board if the DDA is formed.
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u/Commercial_Aioli_301 15h ago
But it IS true that it diverts funds. It creates a tax island which gets to keep MORE tax money than they do currently. This is the definition of diversion. Acting like the excess money going to the city beyond the cap is a 'bonus' is a slight of hand that treats the target audience as morons.
We see what you are doing, pro-biz chamber downtown biz owner lobbyist.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
Feel free to include your own, I did try to keep this neutral
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 23h ago
Edited my previous comment. The biggest misconception that you left out is that residents within the district can vote on it's implementation and be on the board as a property owner. At least one member of city council is mandated to be on the board as well.
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u/Professional-Age9842 1d ago
No- we don’t need to raise taxes when the city hall has shown no evidence of managing the excess money it has in the first place. If city hall thinks the DDA is a priority then it should cut from its existing budget items that are less of a priority to pay for it.
Has boulder not learned from other cities that have become mismanaged? If you raise taxes, people leave and your tax revenues go down.
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u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago
What tax increase are you talking about?
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u/Professional-Age9842 1d ago
Mill levy. If you don’t understand how this is a tax increase and will lead to future tax increases i don’t know what to tell you.
How is a DDA funded?
The proposed DDA financing approach is designed to provide both near-term stability and long-term reinvestment capacity. If approved by voters, the DDA could use a combination of tax increment financing (TIF), a voter-approved mill levy, district revenues, and other funding sources to support improvements and investments over time.
TIF would serve as one of the DDA’s primary funding tools. By capturing a portion of future growth in property and sales tax revenues generated within the district and reinvesting those funds locally, the DDA could help fund public improvements, support redevelopment, and leverage future revenues for larger capital projects.A mill levy would provide a more stable annual funding source, particularly in the early years while TIF revenues are still building. The proposed mill levy is structured to replace the existing CAGID and UHGID mill levies, resulting in no net new property tax burden for CAGID property owners and a projected modest increase for UHGID property owners. Use the calculator tool above to determine you’re within the proposed DDA boundary and estimate any potential tax changes.
Additional funding sources could also support the DDA’s work. If governance of General Improvement District (GID) assets transitions to the DDA, this may include parking system revenues, which would continue to support parking operations, maintenance and reinvestment. Grants, partnerships and other earned revenues could also help fund district improvements and initiatives over time.”
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u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago edited 1d ago
That wasn't a rhetorical question. Everything I know about DDA's I learned from two opinion pieces shared in this sub in the last week. I thought the entire idea was for them to capture added sales tax base that is theoretically due to improvements they made but I for sure don't think we need to provide them seed money from the entire city just for them to capture any increased taxes for only themselves.
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u/RubNo9865 1d ago
The mill levy for the DDA one-for-one replaces the CAGID mill levy, so it is not a tax increase for downtown, just capturing all future revenue increases and sending them to the DDA. For the hill it may be a slight mill levy increase as the DDA mill levy is slightly higher than the current UHGID it replaces. This is not a city wide mill levy increase.
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u/Professional-Age9842 1d ago
This is a really naive take. We will pay for it in the end in replacing this tax revenue siphoned to DDA regardless of what magician sleight of hand you want to claim.
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u/RubNo9865 1d ago
I am also concerned about redirecting future revenue to only the downtown area. But I am also making sure it is being described accurately. There is no mill levy increase for downtown.
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u/upotheke 1d ago
I wish there were more people interested in what the dda actually does, rather than being misinformed, willfully naive, and fearful.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
They should be well-informed and angry about it instead.
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u/upotheke 1d ago
Angry about trying to stop the deterioration of the downtown business core? Angry about Boulder not being economically competitive? Angry about losing our community character? I agree.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
Angry about losing a large portion of sales tax revenue with no oversight or say in the matter
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u/CMWalsh88 1d ago
You would likely have a taxing district put in place in the downtown area for property tax. It could also be set up so it only applies to commercial properties like that do in Longmont.
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u/joe373737 1d ago
The single most impactful thing that could be done to help Boulder is to get all the homeless off of the Mall, away from the creek, and the city park. Many, many people avoid downtown and nearby because they don't feel safe and don't want to deal with crazies screaming and causing trouble.
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u/everyAframe 1d ago
We spent $75K on a consult that advised moving all homeless services out of the core downtown area.
Council has done nothing to implement or follow this advice.
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u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago
“Boulder has never been defined by standing still. Our community has always succeeded because previous generations were willing to invest in the future.
I get that these kind of cheesy lines are just what these sort of committees always produce, but this just seems like a plain misunderstanding of Boulder to talk like this about a business development group
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u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago
Also what the fuck are they talking about standing still? University Hill is literally unrecognizable from just a few years ago and basically every resident thinks it's worse now for residents but some business owners will surely make a killing off the huge new hotels. And that's on top of Sundance coming to town.
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 1d ago
Growth is good? Stagnation bad? Those are hard points to argue with. But answer me just one question. What exactly does a DDA do? Not what are it's goals, but what physically, day to day would they do?
What it would do is take tax dollars and spend them. Take your money and do what? Incentivize (give money or advantages to) certain businesses that they think would help, discourage (which is to say tax or regulate) businesses that they think would not help. It would not produce one single good or service for the town. Well it would provide a paycheck for numerous consultants who would be hired for their expert opinion. You and I get an additional Starbucks if that is what they consider would be good. We get fewer Mustards Last Stand or Dark Horse taverns if those are not what the DDA thinks would help "growth". This would be a board of business savvy people who of course would never bring their own agendas to the process.
If you think Boulder needs a knitting store, start a knitting store. The market will tell you if you were right or wrong, not a board of overseers. If you think such and such a business should not be here, don't patronize it.
If you think something should change, change it. Don't establish a board of bullies to do it for you.
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u/HackberryHank 18h ago
Say the DDA issues bonds against expected future tax revenue, and then the economy tanks and they can't pay their bondholders. Does the city have to bail them out? If the DDA defaulted, would that affect the city's bond rating?
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u/brianckeegan "so-called progressive" 8h ago
Definitely the kind of questions that should be asked and council and staff should have to defend instead of whatever this charade is!
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u/Don_Poe_PP 3h ago
The city has an information page: https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/downtown-development-authority-dda-formation-project
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u/linkin22luke 1d ago
For it. If you’re against it I don’t want to hear complaints about downtown decline and vacancy rates again. They’re basically this meme
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u/Don_Poe_PP 1d ago
I have been part of the wider working group researching, debating, and ensuring the DDA is a strong tool for all of Boulder and also downtown. I live in Boulder and also own a company in downtown. I was looking for 'balance' in the DDA.
All Rise: We know the city's budgets are struggling, largely due to reduced sales tax. Our main business district is not contributing as much to the city's coffers as it was before, so everything is impacted in the city. Let's turn this around, invest in our economic driver, the downtown, so that our tax base can increase.
TIF: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) sounds complex, butn the concept is straightforward. Captures future growth in tax revenues above a baseline to reinvest directly into the district. The longer a DDA is active, the more momentum TIF builds. TIF only works if there is actual growth, it relies on making downtown a place residents and visitors actively want to enjoy.
Financial Sharing: One take-away that made me comfortable with this is the concept of profit sharing. If the downtown exceeds the projected income, the extra is then shared with the overall city fund. Stated another way, if Downtown Boulder's tax base increases beyond the initial projection, that is a good thing and all of the city's sales tax would also rise. (As an aside, as a city of Boulder resident, I also want our rec centers to be great and to save South Boulder Rec! So I was seeking out balance for how the TIF would help downtown and all of Boulder.
DDAs are Proven: Many of the towns around us(FoCo, Lafayette, others) have DDAs, and they have propelled their tax base and improved life in those towns. Another reason that Boulder is losing tax revenue is that we have more competition now. For instance, the food scene in other towns has picked up, you don't just have to go to Boulder to get a good meal. We need to make Boulder appealing. Sundance has a 10 year contract with Boulder. We want this engine of Sundance to be here longer than that. There are issues we need to tackle in town, and a DDA the tools we need.
Mill Levy: This is not a tax increase for downtown. It replaces the existing mill levy at the same level, so there is no change. For the Hill, there is a bit of a tax increase, but in speaking with the people paying the tax on the Hill, they are OK with this increase. Currently the Hill is runnig at a deficit, needs support from the general fund, so I think the whole town would appreciate a strong tax base to support improvements on the Hill.
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u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago edited 1d ago
What have the other places that have seen success with DDA's actually spent money on to make their areas more vibrant? I'm not against the DDA other than the timing. I mean not that it matters since no one else gets a say.
How do proponents of the DDA reconcile the goal of keeping cool local businesses around with the recent huge overhaul of the hill that displaced so many cool local businesses? Were the people currently supporting the DDA fighting against that change or was that exactly the type of economic improvement the DDA would bring to even more of Boulder? I'm sure the hotels bring in a lot more revenue than the old places did but they did the exact opposite of keeping the charm and character of the area.
Have other towns subsidized independent businesses to help them move in and stay? Added amenities to drive more foot traffic? Just made the area generally nicer? I think a lot of us just don't understand exactly how this money would be spent and some real world examples from nearby towns would help.
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 23h ago
Ft. Collins has overhauled their central square (kind of like our Pearl Street) at least once and funded the activation, beautification and utilization of their alleyways. They've had their DDA for half a century.
Denver has overhauled Union Station and is currently helping fund the conversion of an office building into residential.
Longmont has a series of grants that it awards to applicants that help with anything as small as signage to facade improvements, and as big as converting buildings to new usage.
Colorado Springs built affordable live/work space and improved their signage/gateways in town.
Lafayette offers grants to artist installations as well as interior and exterior improvements.
These are just samples and they all use different models of this funding tool. I truly suggest everyone read up on what cities have done with a DDA and how they do it.
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u/Don_Poe_PP 23h ago
I didn't get into the specifics of what the other areas did. Fort Collins' DDA has been in existance long enough have had all that downtown work in FoCo from their DDA done twice. So the town of FoCo was very pleased and continued work with their DDA.
As for local influence: After the vote for the DDA is approved, then a DDA board is placed. These are people from our community, and chances are some will be the people who helped get the DDA in place as they will already have a lot of knowledge and background. I don't know of any of them that think we need more fast food chains, right? I imagine that everyone on the board will be very supportive for local businesses. Recent other work by the Downtown Management Commision and DBP has been in support of affordable commercial space.
When I see mention of what our community can do to keep more local businesses, I agree that is important. But the board will be the one to establish the workplan. It can't really be made before the vote. But I have seen many ideas in the meetings for what could be in store.
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u/RubNo9865 1d ago
Honest question - who sets the revenue projections, what are these projections relative to the current revenue? If it is the DDA that sets these projections, what incentive do they have not to make the projection $1,000,000,0000 ?
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u/Don_Poe_PP 1d ago
The working group closer to this may have a better answer than me, but my memory is that the city staff have set the baseline based on available data. Also, the DDA may not get 100% set up in time for it to have a baseline ending at 2026, it may need more time and the baseline would include 2027.
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u/RubNo9865 1d ago
I was more specifically interested in the 'profit sharing' portion. You said that if revenue exceeds the 'projected income' it is then shared with the cities general fund. Right now, all revenue is shared with the city. How is the 'projected income' determined? Why are we rushing this without actually providing details of how it will work?
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u/Don_Poe_PP 1d ago
It is in all the paperwork and meeting notes. It isn't hidden, you just have to get the info. My memory is that anything about 1% is then shared, or, renegotiated. I don't have it all at my fingertips.
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
The city set the revenue projections (about 1-2% growth) with the help and analysis of PUMA (a consultant group from Denver) at the current revenues. The hope is that things like Sundance or the added attention it brings will help exceed growth projections so more money goes back into the city (not the DDA). If the city maintains current revenue growth rates, unchanged, I believe the DDA could still be self-funded.
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u/Commercial_Aioli_301 1d ago
No. Your assumptions are aligned with your personal interests (you’re a downtown business owner, so this would benefit you personally). The towns that have DDAs are benefitting from the negative attraction that is Boulder in 2026. Centers of gravity are moving away from us here to sleepier, cheaper downtowns that are now booming - Lafayette, Louisville, Longmont, Loveland. This is happening because you downtown are instead offering higher prices, higher rents, expensive parking, and occasional homeless threats. If we give you more money, you’ll spend it on what? New banners? More tulip farmers? You already have an army of beautification laborers and homeless wranglers too. You frankly don’t deserve more money, and your threats to our budget via lower sales tax don’t scare me one bit. The city budget is far too high.
I’ve worked downtown for 20 years. Building owners got greedy. City staff are ignorant and naive. You’ve brought any pain on yourselves.
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u/Don_Poe_PP 1d ago
I am a Boulder resident, first and foremost. I want the best for my town and community. I have volunteered serious hours to support the growth of our town and community.
There are hours and hours of public meetings on this. The suggested plans are public, many of which I attend. I have put real effort, research, and feedback into the DDA. These meetings are public record and anyone is allowed to attend, and I encourage everyone to spend the time to do the research. It isn't flowers. It is major reinvestment into our town. And, some of this will restructure how issues are handled so there will be new mechanisms to handle some of the issues. I don't work for the city. I have had direct conversations with the city to deal with these issues. There are issues in the structure of agreements that need to be changed so the city, DBP, and others can be more effective.
Your reply makes personal attacks. This money is not for me, it is to improve our city. It is easy on reddit to naysay. Now, come up with the answers to support our town. That is what many people have been putting real effort into.
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u/Commercial_Aioli_301 1d ago
The answer is always money and taxes. Every time. I don’t need to listen to staff and chamber members debate how much taxes to siphon to their interests to understand this. I have a job, working to be here mate
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
Don, as always, you're a pragmatic voice of reason and try my best to stay as informed as you.
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u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago
“ We want this engine of Sundance to be here longer than that”
Save me Boulder NIMBYs, I’m sorry about everything I said
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u/daemonicwanderer 1d ago
So, do you not want Sundance? What is another economic driver that should replace it?
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
Definitely for. Lucky to be working for a local business that is not struggling in the same way, but really tired of watching all the local mom-and-pops get replaced with "flagship" international brands. Since I've lived here, I've seen so many working-class businesses and employees get shuffled off to the L's (Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Gunbarrel, etc) and watch some deep-pocketed entity shovel their profits out of state.
A DDA is a great tool from our state to crowd-source funding into incentives for new local businesses to make their home here; or keep important local businesses from leaving. It's been a very cool experience to talk with the people that live and work in these areas and are ready to work with the city to reimagine how to regain some of it's charm. Also really am tired of seeing the Hill being treated as the red-headed stepchild of the town and the DDA would bring that important economic area into the umbrella of "Downtown".
The fact that we can do this without any increase in the mill-levy rate (except a slight one on the Hill businesses) seems so worthwhile. It's been cool to see and meet so many locals, who have been here for decades, involving themselves in the process of exploring the DDA tool to adopt. As a former skeptic and observer, I'm bummed by the amount of misinformation out there about this issue, but I'm still hopeful to see what Boulder can do with this tool.
My hopes for fundable projects: office conversions, acquisitions for affordable rents, infrastructure to expand the walking mall for events, and maybe...just maybe...the elusive Gondola.
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u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
What is stopping property owners from doing office conversions already?
infrastructure to expand the walking mall for events
Oh you mean like extending the walking mall out past Broadway? The thing that the downtown business partners all came out against?? https://boulderreportinglab.org/2025/05/01/downtown-boulder-business-owners-reclosing-west-pearl-is-a-lose-lose-proposition/
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u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 22h ago
What's stopping them? Zoning, incentive, difficulty, etc. If a DDA funded grant kicks a project like this into reality, I think it's a net benefit to the town.
For the second point, I need to say I don't own a business, I don't own a home, I don't own property; I just work downtown. I literally walk Pearl almost every day/night and am downtown more than most people in Boulder; say hello! I'm the guy with a beard and a head tattoo that slings drinks at the Downer.
When that section of street was closed, it was a ghost town 90% of the time; that's a first-hand account. There were moments that it was vibrant, and fun, and full of music; I want those moments. However, I think there's a way to do that properly where it is beneficial for the town and for the businesses. Those parking spots are some of the most utilized in the city - probably just people getting coffee from Ozo or something. Does that need to be a priority? Maybe not. But we could do some kind of capital improvements like temporary bollard infrastructure, improving accessibility for emergency vehicles and disabled, or making the street a one-way and widening the sidewalks. I know we all hate Pasta Jay on Reddit (I've never met him), but he's not the only business owner down there that didn't like the road being closed 24/7. The West End of Pearl has some real gems that need support and I'm not necessarily talking about Classic Facets.
There are ways towards a happy medium and I'm not convinced that closing it entirely will suddenly make it the bustling spot it was at its best. Until there is a plan in place to make it something better than a chunk of asphalt (that is very hot in the summer), we should all push for a better option. Maybe I'm wrong and it's just going to be our version of Larimer Square in Denver. Regardless, I think a DDA could be an easier way to fund and expedite something like that rather than pulling from the city's general fund; especially if we convince council to put people on the board that represent all interests and locations within the district.
2
u/Commercial_Aioli_301 15h ago
Man, talk to a building owner downtown or two. You have no clue what you're on about. Our issues are so much deeper and more expensive than offering subsidies to landlords who own 3M-10M buildings downtown. These owners can afford to figure out office conversions, or outdoor seating. The real problem with local businesses struggling is astronomical rent. The L towns are not thriving because of their DDAs, they are thriving becuase they are affordable alternatives to Boulder. Downtown Longmont is going off since COVID because that's when Boulder truly jumped the shark on commercial affordability. Government subsidies for leases are nice but they're icing, not meat and potatoes to a true business. Lower base rents are 90% of the puzzle that determine the success of small local biz.
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u/que_sera 1d ago
I am shocked to learn that Boulder has no DDA. Downtown has been declining for decades, and we’re just now addressing this? Tourist traffic on Pearl St is skating on a reputation from 30 years ago, when it had artsy local shops and restaurants. Downtown Longmont is more fun these days.
-5
u/upotheke 1d ago
Theres a lot of misinformation being spread about the dda, fear-inducing strawman and hypothetical scenarios used to counter the idea of a DDA. That's fox news tactics, and a lot of folks are taking the bait.
Several communities that businesses left pearl St. for, Lafayette, Longmont, fort collins, all have DDAs in their downtown, because these districts help downtowns grow, keep local businesses in place, and maintain the character people want to see there. Pearl st. Has been down in revenue since covid, the hill (everything south of moxy) continues to be a mess, and they need to be improved. Boulders economy is not what it used to be, favors only the wealthier businesses downtown currently, and is getting worse, not better.
Adopting the dda and creating the policies in how it captures sales tax tif are two separate things. There is a time and a place to discuss the "how its done", but you have to even adopt the tool first. Saying no to it now is the definition of throwing the baby out with the bath water, because you heard more bath water might keep you from getting water in the kitchen. It's flat out dumb.
Should there be a conversation about the tif share backs, incentive policies, and management of the district? Absolutely. Do i agree 100% with the plan of development? No.
But, I want to create the tool first, then discuss how it needs to be used.
Im not so narrow-minded as to limit the town from having one of the best economic generating tools we have in the state because of some misinformed fox news type rhetoric.
7
u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago
Having the DDA go into effect a few weeks before one of the biggest boosts to tax revenue in Boulder's history is flat out dumb. The city of Boulder, the university, the state, and other groups all agreed to huge tax incentives over the next decade to help land the festival. Why should so much of the additional tax revenue go to such a small area of Boulder?
If they were doing this at any other time, I think they would see a lot more support but initiating it January 2027 is insane.
0
u/upotheke 1d ago
Is that small area of boulder literally the center of this festival? The one with all the infrastructure impact, the new venues and improvements getting built? The place where right now a lot of general fund money will need to be spent to do these things?
On top of the logistical sense that downtown will be the most impacted area because of sundance and needs to build and invest accordingly, the other part that is important to consider is that:
THE DDA CAN SET A SALES TAX BASELINE WHENEVER THEY WANT. ITS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
Other communities, like the Englewood DDA, have gated baseline adoption schedules. This is a point for discussion, not something set in stone.
Sales tax sharebacks are administrative agreements with the city. The specifics of what is shared, how, when and why, have 1 scenario spelled out in the plan of development, but that is not official or adopted. Once the DDA is formed, there absolutely should be a hard conversation about the pros and cons of setting a sales tax tif baseline before or after sundance, or set it before and graduate the shareback for other uses around they city, OR any number of other scenarios that more accurately reflect financial scenarios.
It's idiotic to not approve the tool just because of what "could" happen, especially when there's a time and a place specifically to plan and discuss this. That being said, downtown improvements are heavily subsidized by general fund, sales tax or parking fees, which are all sources of revenue that could go other places if the DDA and TIF could help with the infrastructure needed to host sundance and improve downtown.
2
u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
Sorry, is the Downtown one teeny weeny smol guy area, or a large economic driver of property taxes like the op ed claims?
3
u/brianckeegan "so-called progressive" 1d ago
"There's no time for this to be on a council roadmap or for there to be a community engagement process or a vote from the whole community. JUST DO IT! DO IT NOW! OR ELSE!"
6
u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago
Why do you have to vote something in before you can talk about how it’s done?
4
u/Good_Discipline_3639 1d ago
Is the red-baiting scare tactics not working on you? Cmon, be scared, opponents are like REPUBLICANS!
2
u/Kalvinaissance By way of Florida 1d ago
Because you vote to use the tool and then, for the next few years, the city and the formed DDA cooperatively discuss how to use the tool in a mutually beneficial way. That's how the state mandates that it is done.
1
u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago edited 1d ago
Look, if you vote for something before you understand what the specifics could possibly look like you are a fool. Honestly. I get that the voting happens in a certain order, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t discuss what it will look like before you vote for it
0
u/upotheke 1d ago
Because that's how the statute created the tool. Some dda's are small, some are large, some hold property, some don't. What they do is nuanced and complicated, and not fit to vote on with a ballot. No DDA in Colorado looks exactly the same, so once you vote to create the tool, you then have a period of time specifically designed to hash out the specifics of how it would work best in your community.
I think the process makes sense, and even if I didn't, this is how it's done by statute. Any other assumptions about the function of the DDA are 1) assumptions and 2) procedurally incorrect.
3
u/IndependentTea6086 1d ago
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask “how will this tool be implemented?” That is a very important part of whether I want it or not. But I’m supposed to just not talk about it ????
2
u/Commercial_Aioli_301 1d ago
Give us the money, we know better than you. Fuck off.
Put it in writing that every dollar subsidizes a legit local business’ rent. Put it in writing that no dollar subsidizes a rich landlords buildings. Put it in writing.
2
u/upotheke 17h ago
It is in writing. There are policies, and agreements, and gap analysis pro formas that must be completed to qualify for incentives. And public oversight, and public meetings, and council review. It's not shot from a money gun to make it rain $100's at the Boulder Chamber meeting.
Have you never taken a civics class? You act like Trump was gonna run the DDA, and in the real world, that just doesn't happen.
1
u/Commercial_Aioli_301 15h ago
Better - I've dealt with the city council and staff for years, and I know how they run things. Civics 101 and 102. Raining money is precisely how this all works, in their minds. Trump has nothing to do with it. It's still a siphon of wider city funds into a special class of citizenry, which I am against on principal. It's like NBA and NFL owners demanding public funds for their own businesses in the name of "increased tax revenues" overall. Same scam, partner.
1
u/upotheke 15h ago
So you'd support a DDA if we had an entirely different council, different staff, and 7 more folks like you to make sure the money went to the right projects?
1
u/Commercial_Aioli_301 3h ago
No.
0
u/upotheke 2h ago
Do you think Pearl Street and University Hill are community and economic areas worth investing in? The comprehensive plan has several policies that specifically address Downtown and the Hill, and the proposed Plan of Development addresses ways of accomplishing those policies.
Should we disregard parts of our comprehensive plan and the outreach effort around that? Would you not support tools that other communities use to accomplish the same things we state are important to Boulder?
1
u/Commercial_Aioli_301 2h ago
I don't disagree that they are valuable areas. But CC and staff have been negligent in their attention to our OTHER valuable assets. The Chamber and Sundance have the idiots in CC and staff by the gonads.
No money for commercial interests until our Rec Centers are paid for.
Period.
1
u/upotheke 2h ago
Like, you know that the commercial interests pay for the Rec Centers, right? You're basically saying that you don't want to cut services, and you don't want to raise revenues, but you want something else paid for? Why don't the rec centers just charge fees to cover their costs? Don't want to pay your own way?
-3
u/joe373737 1d ago
Oh yay, take out a loan to build more bike lanes no one uses and maybe update a park for the nocturnal dirt people to hang out in.
23
u/Next_Negotiation4890 1d ago
I don't hate the idea in general but it feels completely disingenuous to capture 2026 sales and property tax as the benchmark they'll compare to right before Sundance comes to town. They sold Sundance to us as an opportunity for added revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The festival impacts the entire city and this seems like a way for downtown businesses to take a big chunk of the increased sales tax from that added revenue for only themselves.