Big choices to shape Weld’s largest city
GREELEY — What will Greeley’s future look like by the end of 2025? It will depend on big decisions yet to be made by city officials, by the Weld County commissioners, and probably by voters.
The City Council in May approved a financing plan for a $1.1 billion entertainment district on city-owned land near Weld County Road 17 and U.S. Highway 34 that would include an ice arena, hotel and water park and anchor Windsor-based developer Martin Lind’s proposed Cascadia mixed-use development.
However, a group called Greeley Deserves Better began collecting signatures to derail the city’s plan, which would authorize the city to mortgage 46 public buildings — including City Hall, the Police Department, City Center North, the Ice Haus and three fire stations — as collateral for the private development. The plan includes using $115 million worth of “certificates of participation” to lease those city facilities to Salt Lake City-based Zions Bancorp. to pay for the first phase of the core entertainment district dubbed “Catalyst.”
To add further intrigue, the city must figure out how to finance Catalyst and also fund a $126 million civic campus downtown. With those two projects looming, the city had to put several other projects on hold, including purchase of the JBS USA headquarters building in the Promontory business park.
And then there’s Weld County, which has to decide whether to join the city and Greeley-Evans School District 6 in the upgraded downtown civic campus or build on 100 acres of land it already owns on the north side of O Street on the city’s northern edge.
The City Council in May approved a financing plan for a $1.1 billion entertainment district on city-owned land near Weld County Road 17 and U.S. Highway 34 that would include an ice arena, hotel and water park and anchor Windsor-based developer Martin Lind’s proposed Cascadia mixed-use development.”
Only one thing is certain: The Weld County seat retains a steady growth and an economic health that continues to draw national recognition. Propelled by agriculture, energy, education and health care, Greeley’s population has surpassed that of Boulder and may pass that of Fort Collins as well.
One in three jobs in Greeley is still related to agriculture, contributing more than $1 billion to the local economy through companies such as Leprino Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Energy also remains a strong component, with Chevron retaining a crucial servicing hub for the Niobrara-DJ Basin.
Increasingly, however, the health-care sector has become a key driver to Greeley’s growth. Banner Health’s North Colorado Medical Center and UCHealth’s Greeley Medical Center serve area patients. The University of Northern Colorado is renowned for its programs to train nurses and will add an osteopathic medical school thanks to millions in grant money from the state and the Weld Trust. Aims Community College is adding an acute-care nurses’ aide certificate program as well as one for doulas. The Institute of Business & Medical Careers offers accelerated career training in business and medicine.
UNC’s Monfort College of Business continues to produce a new annual crop of young entrepreneurs, and Aims has been expanding its partnerships with data-analytics, automotive and energy companies. Aims also is building a $25.5 million Workforce Innovation Center and a $21.8 million aviation-technology center.
Mixed-use development continues to sprout along several downtown blocks, and the city and its
Downtown Development Authority are working on tax-increment financing to attract even more.
The Greeley Creative District is building the Creative Center of Greeley at 702 13th St., the former Allnutt Funeral Service Macy Chapel building. The $2 million first phase will include new offices, maker spaces, a rentable classroom and community seating. Phase 2 is to include a black box theater (a simple theater space without permanent seating) and rentable artist studios.
The Greeley Independence Stampede routinely draws more than a quarter million people, while downtown is building a vibrant live-music scene. Union Colony Civic Center regularly brings Broadway musicals, concerts, dance and comedy shows.
City and county officials are pushing forward with a 20-year vision plan for the Greeley-Weld County Airport, seeking to position the facility as an alternative to Denver International Airport.
