Historic Communities in the I-70 / Clear Creek Expansion Corridor

Year Listed: 2005
County: Clear Creek County
Construction Date: Various
Threat When Listed: Highway Expansion
Status: IN PROGRESS
 
 

Numerous communities abutting, sometimes straddling I-70 in the Clear Creek Valley from Idaho Springs to Graymont attest to the 19th and early 20th century history of mineral, milling, timber and railroad industries in Colorado. Idaho Springs has been designated a National Register District and Georgetown/Silver Plume is a National Historic Landmark District. Hundreds of other structures and sites in the area are believed eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Continued monitoring, outreach and participation in Section 106 review are needed for I-70 projects. CPI is a consulting party for the highway planning process and will continue to support connections to historic attractions and fight road expansion. Recently, CPI has supported trail connections and the Argo Mill project in Idaho Springs. 

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Preservation for a Changing Colorado

Historic preservation has a direct economic benefit to communities and Colorado! Take a look at the 2017 study, which considered the ways adaption of historic places has a direct financial effect on the state.

This updated, most resent study, was the result of a partnership between Colorado Preservation, Inc and History Colorado, funded by a grant from History Colorado's State Historical Fund. Prepared by Clarion Associates, the new report document the economic benefits of rehabilitation projects, analyzes property values and neighborhood stability in local historic districts, and summarizes the increasing impact of heritage tourism, private preservation development and the success of Colorado’s Main Street program.

In a key finding, researchers determined that for every $1 million spent on historic preservation in Colorado it produced $1.03 million in additional spending, 14 new jobs, and $636,700 in increased household incomes across the state!

The 2017 report also considers the important role preservation plays in helping Coloradans provide new spaces for creative communities and co-working, create and sustain meaningful places, responds to the state’s changing demographics, and addresses climate concerns.

Click Here to see download and read the full report, "Preservation for a Changing Colorado".