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Midtown Fort Collins
Thank you to those who took the Midtown Urban Design Plan survey. Take a look at the results of the survey.
For more information about individual survey responses, please contact Megan Bolin at (970) 221-6342.
The Fort Collins Midtown area is a vibrant, heavily populated core of our community. College Avenue, from Prospect south to Harmony, including the Foothills Mall area, and properties just west of College– including the Mason Corridor, make up Midtown.
As the City prepares for MAX Bus Rapid Transit service in 2014, it is putting in place several economic initiatives to drive private investment along the area and encourage connectivity to MAX stations and travel.
Right now City staff is working with property owners, business owners, neighbors, business associations, and soon, the general public on how best to move Midtown into this new phase.
Below, you’ll find project information for the current Midtown Plan efforts as well as historical information about the Midtown Urban Renewal Plan Area (part of the Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority) and the 2010 Midtown Commercial Corridor Study.
Learn more about the Mason Corridor and MAX BRT.
City Council recently reviewed draft concepts for the Midtown area.
- View the staff video describing the concepts
- Watch the City Council discussion
- Read the Agenda Item Summary, with supporting documentation
Midtown Plan
Project Overview
Midtown is a vital part of the City for a variety of businesses and neighborhoods. It is a focal point for economic development, and home to the Mason Corridor and future MAX Bus Rapid Transit system. Despite its significance, Midtown lacks a cohesive identity and design vision.
The Midtown Plan seeks to compliment current and forthcoming investment by developing a vision and associated land use tools to guide the design of future redevelopment, and identify opportunities to further enhance streetscapes and multi–modal connectivity.
Goals
- Enhance connectivity along and across College Avenue
- Integrate the Mason Trail and MAX (BRT) stops with other pedestrian connections
- Develop a parking strategy that supports desired densities
- Provide clear guidelines for site planning, architecture, and massing of buildings
- Identify and incentivize catalyst sites
- Develop way–finding and signage plan
The Midtown Plan Community Workshop was held November 14.
Thank you for your attendance and participation!
Read the article from the Fort Collins Coloradoan, "Designers for a day dream big in Midtown", November 15, 2012.
Missed the event? Here are some photos of citizens being planners for an evening!
Click on an image above to enlarge
Process
Extensive outreach to stakeholders will be taking place in summer and fall 2012 in order to acquire input and feedback regarding:
- Economics
- Building Design
- Automobile Circulation
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation
- Public Transit Access
- Streetscapes
- Parking
- Landscape Opportunities
- Parks and Open Space
- Public Art
- Way–finding and Signage
- Redevelopment Opportunities
Staff contact: Megan Bolin, Economic Health Analyst
(970) 221–6342
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Midtown Urban Renewal Plan Area
Read more »The Midtown Urban Renewal Plan Area was created in 2010 to help businesses in Midtown redevelop or build properties to eliminate blight, and increase property values of the area through tax increment financing assistance.
The Midtown Urban Renewal Area has one active Tax Increment Financing district—just south of Prospect and north of Spring Creek. The Commons student housing and mixed use development is under construction and will open in late 2013. Learn more about this project and how the Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority assists private investors with redevelopment costs that are value–added and have long term benefits for the whole community, www.renewfortcollins.com.
Midtown Commercial Corridor Study
Read more »One of the most common questions the City gets from community members is, “what’s happening to the mall”. The City doesn’t have any direct involvement with financing or administering shopping centers. However, an economic study of the Midtown Commercial Corridor, along College Avenue, from Prospect south to Harmony, including the Foothills Mall area to just south of Harmony, was conducted in 2010 and addresses aging shopping centers, connections to arterials and streetscapes, and suggests tools and tactics for moving the area forward.
The City is already acting on some of the recommendations of the study to encourage redevelopment in the Midtown Commercial Corridor. Read the Midtown Commercial Corridor Study. An existing conditions study was conducted shortly after the study was released resulting in the establishment of the Midtown Urban Renewal Plan Area; a public/private partnership is under review with the new owners of Foothills Mall; and the current Midtown Plan will address suggestions for updates in City Codes, public infrastructure, streetscape and public spaces.