City leaders get advice from Denver urban renewal director

As Kalispell city and business leaders begin tackling the redevelopment of Kalispell’s core, they got some good advice on Tuesday from an urban renewal director who has been entrenched in the revival of downtown Denver.

Tracy Huggins, executive director of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, met with Kalispell stakeholders — bankers, real estate agents, economic development specialists, business owners and local government leaders — during a small-group meeting to talk about downtown issues. Later she delivered the keynote address at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce monthly lunch meeting.

Kalispell Chamber President Joe Unterreiner said that while the scale of Denver is obviously much bigger, the issues are the same, whether it’s parking, affordable housing or commercial development.

Three decades ago Denver’s downtown was in a downward spiral. The oil boom of the late 1970s and early ’80s that brought multiple skyscrapers to Denver’s downtown skyline had gone bust. Retailers had left downtown Denver and no one lived there anymore.

The Denver Urban Renewal Authority had $60 million in the bank ready to apply to redevelopment projects, but couldn’t get any takers, Huggins recalled.

“Denver had to dig itself out of some pretty big holes,” she said.

Today downtown Denver offers a thriving environment with a mix of uses that includes both affordable and higher-end housing, new retail stores and amenities tourists want to visit. But it didn’t happen overnight, Huggins cautioned.

“It wasn’t quick, it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t cheap; it didn’t just happen,” she said. “And you’re never done, so don’t look for a quick fix. It takes continued long-term commitment from all stakeholders.”

Huggins said successful downtown redevelopment starts with a solid public-private partnership.

“Use public dollars to prime the pump and then step back,” she advised.

Denver’s initial project was the restoration and transformation of the historic Denver Dry Goods building in the city’s heart. That was turned into a mixed-income, mixed-use facility that set the stage for more redevelopment.

Historic preservation became a part of the Denver’s redevelopment vision.

“We had host of vacant historic buildings, so we were intentional in our RFPs (requests for proposals),” Huggins said.

Another key to Denver’s success was streamlining the approval process so developers have a “clear and straight-forward path,” she said. “Developers expect to pay fees, but they look for clarity and speed.

“We in the public sector are often our own worst enemy,” Huggins added.

Denver also has made good use of tax-increment financing to pay for redevelopment that has even included the construction of new schools.

And support from local financial institutions was paramount, Huggins said.

“One of the most important things we found was the value of local lenders,” she said. “I can’t emphasize how important they are … Let the market work when it can.”

An ongoing challenge for downtown Denver is one Kalispell also struggles with: how to draw skiers and winter-sport enthusiasts downtown.

“What can we do to have people linger?” she said, cautioning that amenities and attractions added to a downtown corridor “have to be genuine and organically fostered.”

Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson said the takeaway he got from Huggins’ presentation is that downtown development is a long process that likely will involve multiple mayoral administrations. As the city of Kalispell embarks on urban renewal based on the downtown plan, the city is starting with several key amenities already in place, Johnson said, namely the U.S. 93 bypass, Glacier Rail Park and a core area redevelopment plan that’s ready to go.

The Kalispell City Council on Monday approved a resolution of intent to adopt the downtown plan, and a public hearing will be scheduled.

“I want to invite everybody into the process,” Johnson added.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.