Midtown Commercial Corridor Study

Interesting Facts

Study area: South College Avenue, between Prospect and Harmony, including the Arbor Shopping center (former Wal-Mart location).

The area was developed in stages and can be divided into three distinct districts:

• Prospect to Drake: Contains the oldest buildings in the corridor dating from the 1950s and 1960s with commercial development on the west side of South College and no secondary access along the Mason Corridor.
• Drake to Horsetooth including the Foothills Mall: The Mall is the largest use area in the district with a footprint approximately the same area as the commercial core in Downtown Fort Collins. The Foothills Mall area is comprised of roughly 70 acres. The Mall was first built in 1976. It received a modest remodel in the early 1990s. General Growth Properties purchased the mall in 2004. GGP has since fallen into bankruptcy and is restructuring their financial portfolio.
• Horsetooth to Harmony: Largely developed in the 1980s-1990s, this district is dominated by national retailers. Mason Avenue and JFK Parkway allow for secondary access.

The study area represents:

• 655,000 sq. ft. of vacant retail, 17% of the total corridor space.
• 83% of total vacant space in the city.
• 33% of Fort Collins's built retail environment.
• 52% of all retail sales.

Retailers along the corridor are successful in sales and customer loyalty. The study's options complement stores and businesses already located here.

Despite the age of the stores and developments, the location serves an important purpose because it is central and accessible to the community.