Page 10B—
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
—
June 1-June 14, 2016
T
he City of Fort
Morgan is a home-rule
municipality located
75 miles northeast of Denver
along Interstate 76. Affectionately
known as the Capital of the Plains,
the City serves as a commercial,
industrial, and recreational hub
for the Northeast Colorado
region, with close proximity to
Denver International Airport
and ease of access to railway. The
county seat of Morgan County,
Fort Morgan houses over 11,000
residents, but serves as a focal
point for more than 28,000
citizens.
In comparison to cities of
similar size, Fort Morgan offers
a broad range of services. The
City manages nine public parks,
one of which incorporates miles
of trails in an open space the
size of New York City’s Central
Park and the first DiscGolfPark
in the United States. The City
also operates a local library and
museum complex, a community
swimming pool, a golf course, and
an airport. One of Fort Morgan’s
most unique assets is that all
utilities (i.e., electric, natural gas,
water, wastewater, and sanitation)
are municipally owned and
operated. This local ownership
assures residents and businesses
prompt and exceptional customer
service, as well as some of the
lowest utility rates in the state. In
fact, Fort Morgan was named one
of Colorado’s 10 most affordable
cities in 2015..
The City recently established
its own department dedicated
to local Economic Development
efforts. The department focuses
on promoting productive
partnerships, streamlining
public processes, and endorsing
responsible and critical
development in its efforts to
manage attraction, retention
and expansion of business and
industry in the local trade area.
A few of our local relationships
include:
• Fort Morgan Workforce
Center, a branch of Colorado’s
Department of Labor and
Employment, which offers job
training, employee recruitment,
applicant assessment, and even
temporary shared office space for
businesses under construction
• East Colorado Small Business
Development Center, a branch
of the statewide network, which is
dedicated to providing a range of
confidential consulting services to
help new and existing businesses
grow and prosper
• Morgan Community College
(MCC), which provides a variety of
innovative accreditation offerings
• Colorado’s Office of Economic
Development and International
Trade, which partners in statewide
initiatives, financial programs, and
technology platforms to create
a positive business climate and
encourage sustainable job growth
Fort Morgan has been assisting
community development for
years through the comprehensive
services of its Planning and
Zoning department; however,
the Economic Development
department has continued to
streamline these processes for
all new developments. The
office offers a one-stop-shop
approach to answering all
development questions, from
code requirements to utility
infrastructure and everything in
between.
Through its various strategic
partnerships the office has access
to information on workforce
statistics, local industry, and
commercial property listings.
For example, the labor force
numbers over 13,000 with a
continually increasing population
over the past several years.
The wide diversification of
local industries ranges from
transportation, manufacturing
and telecommunications to
healthcare, arts, entertainment
and more. Morgan County offers
the highest average annual wage
of the six northeastern Colorado
counties. With access to the state
of Colorado’s InSite platform, the
office can locate active property
listings and produce detailed,
descriptive reports on everything
from pricing terms to parking
availability.
The Economic Development
office’s partnerships also provide
access to an incredible wealth
of information on financial
programs that range from
revolving loans to incentive
tax credits and state initiatives.
For example, Fort Morgan is a
Colorado designated Enterprise
Zone (EZ), which means a
multitude of tax incentives are
offered by the state to encourage
businesses to locate and expand
in the area. Additionally, by
owning and managing all local
utilities, the City offers a unique
and inclusive perspective on
infrastructure to all development
projects. While numerous projects
are always in the works in the
Economic Development office,
Fort Morgan is most enthusiastic
about the design, engineering,
and development of a citywide
gigabit broadband system to
offer businesses and citizens
increasingly urban amenities in a
friendly, hometown atmosphere.
Fort Morgan aspires to be the
city of choice for ourselves and
future generations – beautiful,
clean, and safe. We seek to
provide services that meet the
collective needs of the citizens.
This includes actively identifying
and seizing all opportunities that
will improve the quality of life.
Our vision involves accessible
and efficient governance that
enhances the healthy economic
environment of the community.
Our diverse community and
innovative spirit makes the City
of Fort Morgan a top location
for new business and real estate
development interested in ease of
access to multiple transportation
options. We hope you join us
soon!
For more information,
contact Josh Miller, Director
of Community Services and
Economic Development, at
or
visit us at
.
com
Josh Miller
Director of Community Services
and Economic Development,
City of Fort Morgan
City of Fort Morgan
