Vertical Urban Village

Colorado Tourism Challenges of 2020 Tackled by Governor, State and Federal Government

Watertower Place in the heart of the historic Grove neighborhood next to the Riverwalk and is positioned to become a major tourist destination in Pueblo with its unique history, architecture, public tours, CSU Pueblo Office, Storytelling Makerspace, Nonprofit Alley, restaurants, retail, office and more.

Watertower Place in the heart of the historic Grove neighborhood next to the Riverwalk and is positioned to become a major tourist destination in Pueblo with its unique history, architecture, public tours, CSU Pueblo Office, Storytelling Makerspace, Nonprofit Alley, restaurants, retail, office and more.

Colorado Tourism Challenges of 2020 Tackled by Governor, State and Federal Government

Urban areas hit especially hard by COVID-19 global pandemic due to loss of meetings and conventions market

DENVER (August 6, 2021) – The COVID-19 pandemic caused global economic hardship and the travel industry was not immune. The release of the 2020 Dean Runyan Travel Study and Longwoods Travel USA Visitor Profile shows U.S. travel spending declined an estimated 36% in 2020. The Colorado travel industry was similarly affected, experiencing an estimated decline of 36.3% in travel spending, from a record $24.2 billion in 2019 to $15.4 billion in 2020.

“We knew the pandemic was having a severe impact on the tourism industry and now we have a better understanding to what extent,” said Jill Corbin, Interim Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) Director. “Fortunately the Governor, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the CTO and the legislature began working immediately on efforts to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and continue to stand up recovery programs.”

Despite a strong start in 2020, Colorado tourism including ski resorts, indoor dining and events experienced hardship from the CDC’s protocols in response to the global pandemic that began in March. The state’s and the nation’s travel economy hit their lowest point in April 2020 when much of the country was under stay-at-home orders to protect public health. However, once restrictions were lifted, many parts of the state saw the return of domestic visitors.

 Colorado was one of the first states in the country to begin to safely re-open which is why for Colorado, recovery began as early as June 2020 as the state’s natural and wide open spaces were inviting to travelers looking for safe, socially distanced getaways. Most notably, Colorado residents themselves represented 24% of overnight trips. Some parts of Southwest Colorado experienced positive growth as people sought out socially distanced destinations.

 “As we began to responsibly welcome travelers back to Colorado, we focused on promoting and protecting our cultural, environmental and economic assets through both our ‘Do Colorado Right’ marketing campaign and expanding the Care for Colorado principles to include not only Colorado places, but also the people who call Colorado home,” said Corbin.

 Other notable impacts from both studies include:

  • Direct travel-generated employment experienced a loss of approximately 31,700 jobs across the state. This represents a 17.5% decline in jobs directly related to travel. The largest amount of job losses occurred within the accommodations and food services sector, which lost approximately 19,900 jobs.

  • In 2020, statewide travel-related earnings dropped to $6.7 billion, a 9.7% decrease from 2019 levels.

  • Decreased travel spending led to a decline in taxes directly related to travel from approximately $1.5 billion in 2019 to $1.0 billion in 2020, a decrease of 31.3%. This tax amount is composed of $439 million in state taxes and $588 billion in local taxes.

  • Overall, visitors (overnight and day trips) were down 14.7% from 2019. Overnight visits were the most affected by the pandemic, down 21% from 2019 while day trips – mostly by Colorado residents – were down only 9.4%. This reduced the economic impact of the tourism industry because day trips do not spend the same amount as overnight and out-of-state visitors.

  • Meetings & Events were especially impacted due to capacity constraints which had a negative effect on Colorado’s Front Range. Denver County, which accounts for approximately a quarter of all travel-related spending in the state of Colorado, showed a 56% loss in travel spending, significantly higher than the statewide average of 36.3%. El Paso, Arapahoe, Routt, and Larimer Counties also experienced high levels of absolute spending losses.

  • International travel was also greatly impacted. In 2019, Colorado welcomed 1.053 million international visitors, which decreased 73% in 2020. International visitors represent Colorado’s highest value tourist, spending up to five times more per person than a domestic tourist. U.S. borders remain largely closed to international visitors and recovery of international markets is not expected until 2024.

What the state is doing to build back STRONGER

While Colorado’s tourism industry began recovering in June 2020 primarily through in-state travel, the CTO worked with Governor Polis and legislators to further support and expand the recovery to include the higher dollar, out-of-state traveler. These efforts include:

  • The Colorado Tourism Office prioritized recovery initiatives from the start of the pandemic. A key highlight of this work included the receipt of a $2.4M CARES Act Recovery Assistance from the U.S. Economic Development Administration in January 2021. An initial focus of this grant includes the development of the Colorado Tourism Roadmap to Recovery, a new five-year strategic plan to drive near-term recovery and to foster long-term resilience for the Colorado tourism industry.

  • In July 2021, the Colorado Tourism Office approved 28 Colorado tourism destinations to participate in the Restart Destinations Program. Participants will receive an assessment of their destination’s recovery, a community visioning and action planning workshop, 75 hours of technical assistance to advance priority projects and direct marketing support from the Colorado Tourism Office.

  • In June 2021, the Department of Local Affairs’ Colorado Resiliency Office, in partnership with OEDIT’s Rural Opportunity Office, selected 16 regional teams representing 169 rural communities across Colorado to participate in the Roadmap to Recovery program. This program supports all aspects of the economy in rural Colorado, including tourism.

  • Legislators passed and the Governor signed HB21-1263 creating the Meeting & Event Incentive which provides $10M to incentivize meetings and events, one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic. This program provides a 10% cash rebate against eligible hard costs for hosting meetings and events in Colorado that take place on or after July 1, 2021 and on or before December 31, 2022. The minimum rebate is $3,500 and the maximum rebate is $100,000.

As of June, leisure and hospitality employment in Colorado is down only 11.5% from pre-pandemic levels according to the Colorado Bureau of Labor Statistics,” said Patrick Meyers, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the state’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer. “This is a good indicator that we are moving in the right direction and the quicker people get the COVID vaccine, the quicker our tourism economy will continue to recover.”

Colorado continues to look to the Economic Development Administration and other federal programs for additional funding sources to aid with the recovery as well as our long-standing programs such as the Marketing Matching Grants and Tourism Development Grants. Both of these programs have been enhanced in 2021 to offer bigger awards and require lower matching requirements. More information regarding these programs will be announced shortly.

The Colorado Tourism Office will continue to work with the CDC and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to monitor health trends and responsibly manage the rebuilding of our tourism industry.

For more details on the Longwoods and Dean Runyan tourism studies, visit oedit.colorado.gov/tourism.

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About the Colorado Tourism Office

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The CTO’s mission is to generate traveler spending through the promotion of Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and the development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2019, Colorado travelers directly spent $24.2 billion, generating $1.49 billion in local and state revenues. Replacing those revenues would have cost each Colorado household $707 in additional taxes last year. Tourism is the state’s second-largest employer, directly supporting 181,200 jobs in 2019. For more information, please visit oedit.colorado.gov/tourism.

Follow Colorado on TwitterFacebookInstagramPinterest, and YouTube.

Media are invited to visit the Colorado Media Room for story ideas, news releases, image gallery, and other resources.

About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works with partners to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of Governor Jared Polis, we strive to advance the State’s economy through financial and technical assistance that fosters local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado. OEDIT offers a host of programs and services tailored to support business development at every level including business retention services, business relocation services, and business funding and incentives. Our office includes the Global Business Development division; Colorado Tourism Office; Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office; Colorado Creative Industries; Business Financing & Incentives division; the Colorado Small Business Development Network; Colorado Office of Film, TV & Media; the Minority Business Office; Employee Ownership Office; and Rural Opportunity Office. Learn more at oedit.colorado.gov.

Building for the Future • Key Areas of Focus

The World of Hi Tech, Cyber-security & Privacy

A tech startup is a company whose purpose is to bring technology products or services to market. These companies deliver new technology products or services or deliver existing technology products or services in new ways. At Watertower Place we have extensive resources and partnerships from the traditional industrial sector to cyber security. We foster technological innovation and align our platforms with both private and public sector thought leaders in the field.

Food Entrepreneurship

Small cottage industries, food trucks, and caterers all have a need for low-cost kitchen space. This has led to the development of shared commercial kitchens that can be rented for hourly or daily rates. But finding a place to make specialty food products is only the first step. Entrepreneurs who want to make a profit have to successfully package, market, and sell their products, too. That's where food incubators come in. At Watertower Place we understand the issues surrounding food accessibility and want to make a difference in our community. Whether you want to open a restaurant or create a special line of desserts, we have the capacity to empower food entrepreneurs to achieve their goals.

Small Batch Manufacturing

Whether you’re a ‘maker’ who wants to start producing on a bigger scale, or an emerging designer trying to find a production partner within close proximity and low minimum order requirements, or a small business looking to work with lower units, small batch manufacturing in the United States is a viable option. Pueblo has a rich history of manufacturing and at Watertower Place we have established working relationships with key regional thought leaders who serve our entrepreneurial community by investing time, resources, and professional expertise to emerging makers and designers.

Media Center & Communications • The Launching Pad

Content creation is now a $200+ billion global industry with leaders like Disney and Netflix. At Watertower Place we realize that no matter how large or small the enterprise, authentic and genuine storytelling is necessary to reach targeted audiences and to develop brand loyalty. Our Media Center features green screen technologies for film production, podcasting studios, photography labs and a complete resource library and team of professionals to help tell your story. The Media Center is pleased to have Positive Content and the Pueblo Regional Film Commission as initial core tenants and communication partners.

Nonprofit Alley

Watertower Place is opening a unique co-working space called the Nonprofit Alley. We know that seemingly disparate organizations—an arts group and a entrepreneurial start-up group, for example—collaborate on projects in our building right now. When you’re working just feet away from a variety of people trying to make an impact, collaboration is bound to happen. Many of our members realize that they are ‘better together' and the ability to have inter-organizational interactions within your own office is incredibly advantageous. In our various work spaces advocacy evolves organically and networks are strengthened and expanded. Co-working is an essential and growing trend throughout the world and we find that members are happier and more productive.

Building for the Future • Core Values of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Colorado State University Pueblo Celebrates the Opening of the CSU-P Office at Watertower Place.

Colorado State University Pueblo Celebrates the Opening of the CSU-P Office at Watertower Place.

Our core values support our mission and vision to serve as a community‐based innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through a commitment to:

  • Being open and welcome to all: any person, any discipline, any field, and any idea

  • Respecting new ideas and new concepts, and the dialogue around these exchanges

  • Promoting the experience gained during the process of creativity, ideation, and problem solving as important as the end goal

  • Being a safe space to fail and allow failure to happen

  • Honoring the individual and their abilities, along with all of his/her/their dreams, ideas, processes, and approaches to problem solving and creativity

  • Experimenting, making, and exploring as a method for solving problems

  • Dreaming big, having fun, and getting work done

The Southern Colorado Innovation Link’s (SCIL) mission is to leverage a robust innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage the development and commercialization of intellectual property, to support IIECM, to promote the success and growth of commerce, and to foster sustained regional prosperity.

SCIL Redish Glow Logo.jpg

Partner Spotlight • Southern Colorado Innovation Link (SCIL)

A collaboration among more than twenty regional partners, SCIL seeks to make Southern Colorado a preferred destination to incubate and grow innovative ideas, products and business. SCIL aims to fulfill its mission through coordination of resources, hands-on technical assistance, mentorship, experienced leadership, and access to capital, all building on the existing innovation clusters in Advanced Manufacturing (AM) and Infrastructure Engineering (IE). SCIL will measure success by its effectiveness in helping inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, creatives, and makers (IIECM) develop, protect, and commercialize their intellectual property; assisting startups in creating viable businesses, and helping businesses to thrive and grow.

Building for the Future • Vision of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Pueblo Regional Film Commission was honored to host a group of Russian film industry professionals in conjunction with the US State Department and the World Affairs Council Colorado Springs. For over 80 years, the highly competitive International Visitor Leadership Program at the State Department has been ranked as the elite professional program for visitors coming to the USA from around the world. Our guests included film festival organizers, professors of film, public relations and marketing experts from Moscow to Vladivostok.

We are breaking down boundaries, encouraging serendipity, and building a community of individuals who ideate, create, make, sell, and scale together.
— Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

For over 100 years, the historic Grove neighborhood has been a center for innovation and creativity from Nuckolls to Alpha Beta. As a result, Watertower Place will retain its reputation as being one of the best community‐based innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in the region and serve as an model for new, innovative practices and behaviors. Practitioners of creativity, invention, and entrepreneurship from all organizations, disciplines, geographies, and walks of life will turn to Watertower Place for solutions and inspiration, turning their ideas into action at any and all levels of the ecosystem.

Welcome to the next level of excellence at Watertower Place, a world where our community is collaborating for the future.

Building for the Future • Mission of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

2019 Food & Ag Summit at Watertower Place (Mark Madic of SCIL, Mayor Gradisar, and food entrepreneur & pitch winner Cooper Watts)

2019 Food & Ag Summit at Watertower Place (Mark Madic of SCIL, Mayor Gradisar, and food entrepreneur & pitch winner Cooper Watts)

Watertower Place is a community-based innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that includes a makerspace for prototyping and fabrication as well as a full spectrum of resources for entrepreneurs. Its physical presence in the heart of the historic Grove neighborhood can be found in all aspects of Pueblo life, serving as an integral resource for members of the community. This space is free and open to the public to encourage members of the community to tinker and creatively invent in their work, research, entrepreneurial pursuits, and personal projects. Through a unique partnership between multiple schools, university offices and strategic partners, Watertower Place offers a complete menu of services and facilities to guide the creation and commercialization of intellectual property from high tech to food services.

As represented by its 5‐floor, 250,000 square foot structure, each floor of Watertower Place contributes to the center’s ecosystem where ideas turn into action Here is what is taking place all throughout our building:

Community: Provide a welcoming space for all ‐‐regardless of discipline or background ‐‐ to serendipitously meet and share ideas that may solve some of society’s most complex problems or that may just be problems that are exciting to solve

Collaboration: Provide an environment that allows creativity to flourish and ideas to move from brainstorm to actionable concepts and drafts

Prototyping: Offer digital equipment and software that brings ideas and concepts to life, bringing form and function to ideas through “making”

Fabrication: Facilitate further elaboration of creative concepts and solutions through access to traditional tools such as welding, machining, and wood‐working, helping consider the manufacturability of an idea when brought to scale

Project Space: Encourage further team building and collaboration around a creative solution and idea, with room and time to scale the idea and consider next steps

Entrepreneurship: Provide guidance and services to those creative ideas that meet a market need, allowing the teams to grow and develop a viable startup company

Incubation: Provide participants with a ‘home’ to incubate their business ideas

Pitch Competition at the 1st Annual Food & Ag Summit at Watertower Place.

Pitch Competition at the 1st Annual Food & Ag Summit at Watertower Place.

Our next article will focus on the Vision of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Building for the Future at Watertower Place • A New Campaign of Discovery

Building a community of individuals and enterprises who ideate, create, make, sell, and scale together.

Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Today we begin a month long storytelling campaign about 'Building for the Future.' This follows and builds upon our recent #ResilientPueblo platform which aimed to assist artists, creatives, makers, and entrepreneurs navigate the uncertainty in our new shared reality. COVID 19 has ushered in an opportunity for us to re-imagine our role and place in the community with our partners. The Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is a destination for ideas where collaboration and partnerships are front and center. We have identified and studied five core areas of focus which include Hi-Tech, Privacy & Security, Food Entrepreneurship, Small Batch Manufacturing, Content Creation & the new Media Center, and the Nonprofit Alley which shares resources among nonprofits in the Alley so that more funding can be targeted towards mission and public benefit instead of overhead.

Today we begin our campaign with an introduction to the importance of thoughtful adaptive reuse of historic properties and the history of innovation and creativity at the former meat packing plant .

Adaptive Reuse of the Historic Nuckolls Packing Plant

Watertower Place is a destination for innovation and entrepreneurship and bridges the gap between new ideas and real-world impact. Located in the heart of the historic Grove neighborhood, this iconic five-story former meat packing plant encompasses 250,000-square-feet and features an innovation hub and maker space for prototyping ideas as well as a full spectrum of resources for entrepreneurs to build and grow their business ventures and not-for-profit organizations. Watertower Place is free and open to the public and serves as a nexus for collaborations from science and engineering, business and law, art and design, by innovators from around the region.

Norwegian born architect Hans Peter Henschien started his own design and architectural practice in Chicago in 1915 and designed more than 300 meat packing and cold storage facilities around the world. The Pueblo plant was one of his first projects with his new firm which and communications with the Nuckolls Family began in 1915. From 1890 to about 1940, packing plants typically were multistory facilities in which work flowed downward using gravity as the main form of technology. Many of the plant buildings share common walls, although all buildings are structurally independent. They are, however, tied into one another to the extent that little or no design separation is obvious from the exterior. Interior operations were arranged so that the flow of work proceeded in a more-or-less orderly fashion from slaughter through processing and manufacturing to shipping, and the plant can therefore be divided into building clusters according to function or related functions.

Watertower Place in the historic Grove neighborhood of Pueblo is currently positioned to become a thought leader in how re-urbanism and thoughtful adaptive re-use of historic properties helps us better understand the 'future of the past'.

The History of Innovation and Creativity at Watertower Place

When Pueblo’s core steel industry was on the downturn and struggling to survive, related businesses like Johnny’s Metal Works & Boiler Shop found an opportunity to thrive and developed a revitalization strategy with the guidance of local entrepreneur and consultant Ryan McWilliams, who is also the owner and developer of Watertower Place. This initial move was the first in a series of strategic steps that not only served the immediate needs of the restoration and renovation of the former meat packing plant, but also fostered the understanding and jump-start of an introduction to prototyping and advanced manufacturing for our innovation center.

With over 250,000 sq ft of open work space now available in the former meat packing plant on four main floors plus an expansive basement, Watertower Place is evolving into a new vertical urban village where shared resources and a collaborative environment offer extraordinary opportunities for entrepreneurs and creatives to thrive. The development team at Watertower Place realized that when you consider the whole arc of ideation and the infrastructure of not only manufacturing, but invention and commercialization, you have an opportunity to forge new pathways of discovery that are robust and complementary to the entrepreneurial mindset. 

For over 150 years, Pueblo has been the quintessential maker city with a strong ‘can-do’ attitude nurtured by the town’s rich blue collar labor force working in everything from steel manufacturing to meat processing. Whether you are a young entrepreneur or a senior tinkering in your garage, Pueblo is never short on ideas. But when you have an idea, where do you go? For many this question is daunting and a challenge. For others it is just a matter of strategic networking and relationship building. Watertower Place is the new destination for ideas in Southern Colorado.

No longer is innovation an abstract concept, but rather a physical place to visit where your ideas are received and tested. From idea to innovation, Watertower Place illuminates the pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs and creatives to make real-world impact. This world-class innovation center is your key to accessing a complete ecosystem for venture creation including everything from design and ideation resources to prototyping and fabrication equipment, as well as the legal and business expertise needed to launch your startup in one of our incubators.

Our next article will focus on the Mission of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

This photograph captures the stairs in the Ice House which was built in 1926 on the southern side of the property in the historic Grove Neighborhood.

Get Your Tickets Now • Watertower Place Tours Resume on Saturday, March 21, 2020

I have lived in Pueblo my whole life and this tour was the most exciting thing I have done in 50 years! Thanks for sharing a uniquely Pueblo story. It has brought back so many memories from years past.
— Bill • Tour Participant • 85 years old

The best way to learn about Watertower Place is to experience it firsthand by taking a guided tour. We offer scheduled programs each month for those interested in a more indepth look at over 100 years of creativity and innovation in the Grove. Space is limited, so we encourage early reservations. Admission is free, but due to the high demand, we ask that if you should not be able to visit as scheduled, let us know immediately so that we can offer your space to those on the waitlist. Welcome to Watertower Place!

Eventbrite - Watertower Place Weekend Tour 2020

Watertower Place Launches the Illumination Project in the Heart of the Grove

Beginning Saturday, August 24, 2019, Watertower Place launched the illumination Project which highlights through illumination an architectural element of the historic meat packing plant. Keep an eye out at sunset and capture and share what you see when we announce a Saturday night illumination date.

On Saturday, August 24, 2019 the chimneys atop the meat smoking alleys were shining bright as part of our new Illumination Project. The north water tower is quietly peeking from the shadows in the distance.

Justin Fahmie captured this magical image of our Illumination Project. Thank you for sharing! Stay tuned for the Second Edition --- coming soon!

Check Out a Few Videos Featuring Watertower Place

Over the past several years we have been capturing the transformation of Watertower Place from an abandoned and forgotten industrial site to a new vertical urban village in the heart of the Grove in downtown Pueblo.

Here is just a sampling of three videos for your viewing pleasure. We are now curating a special Press & Media section for our new website, so if you have images or video to share, please drop us a note.

Welcome to Watertower Place in the heart of the Grove in historic downtown Pueblo, Colorado USA. Emmett Nuckolls and his son G. H. Nuckolls opened Nuckolls Packing Co. in 1891 near the Union stock yards, about one-half mile east of Bessemer Junction station.
 
The Watertower Place pilots are scheduling regular departures and today we blast out of the 4th level kill floor and fly over the historic Livestock Hotel, the Blo Back Gallery and the orange ART sign and then back to the top floor of the former meat packing plant.
 
Unforgettable venues. Unforgettable events. Gather, collaborate and inspire in a unique environment that reflects over 100 years of creativity and innovation in the heart of the Grove. Plan your next meeting at the only premier event destination which embraces Pueblo's unique history, culture and the arts.
 

If you have photos or videos of Watertower Place, let us know as we are curating new platforms including web, social and exhibitions at the former meat packing plant.

Contact: Gregory Howell | gregory@pueblowatertowerplace.com

Welcome to Watertower Place

Welcome to the official blog for Watertower Place. Here we plan to take you on a journey of the history, culture, arts and business of the former meat packing plant in the historic Grove neighborhood of Pueblo, Colorado.

This platform is dedicated to sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of over 120 years of creativity and innovation in the Grove. When we say ‘ugly’ we are referring to the messiness of life which is where all the humanity lies in our greatest storytelling.

This is Pueblo. We hope you enjoy the ride!

The Watertower Place Team