Page 18B—
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
—
June 1-June 14, 2016
T
he City of Westminster
has articulated a clear
vision for the future:
“Westminster is the next Urban
Center of the Colorado Front Range.
It is a vibrant, inclusive, creative
and well-connected City. People
choose Westminster because it is a
dynamic community with distinct
neighborhoods, and a resilient local
economy that includes: a spectrum of
jobs; diverse, integrated housing; and
shopping, cultural, entertainment
and restaurant options. It embraces
the outdoors and is one of the most
sustainable cities in America.”
Bold words, but backed up
by just as equally bold initiatives
that will take Westminster into
the next decade as a world-class
urban center in the Denver
metropolitan area. With six main
goals as our focus, and a variety
of development opportunities,
Westminster is poised for
incredible growth.
Visionary leadership,
effective governance
and proactive regional
collaboration.
Collaboration
and transparent decision-
making allow Westminster to be
proactively engaged with our
partners, in order to advance
the common interests of the
region. The metro Denver
area is known for its ability to
collaborate, and Westminster
is no exception. Working with
state agencies, counties, school
districts, neighboring cities and
other governmental and non-
governmental entities enables
Westminster in furthering its
mission to be more inclusive in its
vision.
Vibrant, inclusive and
engaged community.
Westminster provides options for
an inclusive, demographically
diverse citizenry in unique
settings with community identity,
ownership and sense of place,
with easy access to amenities,
shopping, employment and
diverse integrated housing
options. Downtown Westminster
will bring these elements in a
setting we’ve never seen before.
An area of land – roughly the size
of LoDo – will be the new heart
and soul of our city. An Urban
Center that is fundamentally
different than any other mall
redevelopment in the metro
Denver area within the past
decade.
Beautiful, desirable, safe and
environmentally responsible
city.
Westminster thoughtfully
creates special places and settings.
The City is an active steward,
protecting and enhancing natural
resources and environmental
assets. Preserving open spaces
throughout the City has been
a priority in Westminster for
more than three decades.
Since 1985, when voters first
approved a sales tax specifically
earmarked to acquire and
maintain open space, the City
has bought approximately
3,090 acres in all parts of
Westminster. These vital open
space areas preserve essential view
corridors in the City, enhance
recreational opportunities for
residents through a series of
interconnected trails, and sustain
a rich variety of plants and
wildlife.
Dynamic, diverse economy.
Westminster fosters social,
economic and environmental
vitality, and cultivates and
strengthens a wide array of
economic opportunities. There
are over 4,000 businesses
located in Westminster. The
business community includes
small, family owned companies,
service companies and high-tech
manufacturers, as well as national
and international headquarters.
Westminster businesses draw on
the City’s resident technical and
professional workforce, and can
easily reach into nearby Denver
and Boulder employment pools
as well.
Financially sustainable
government, providing
excellence in City services.
The City promotes an
organizational culture of Service,
Pride, Integrity, Responsibility,
Innovation and Teamwork
(SPIRIT). Incorporated in
1911, Westminster’s council-
manager form of government
is consistently recognized for
excellence in management
and delivery of full services
to businesses and residents.
Westminster is located in both
Jefferson and Adams counties
and enjoys some of the highest
bond ratings in the state,
including AAA, with the leading
national rating agencies.
Ease of mobility.
The metro
Denver area is a region on the
move, and in order to keep up
with the pace, mobility must
come into play. Westminster
is pursuing multi-modal
transportation options to ensure
the community is convenient,
accessible and connected by
local and regional transportation
options through planning,
collaboration, advocacy and
execution.
Coupled with that is the
development occurring around
these transportation initiatives.
Westminster Station, slated to
open in August 2016, is the first
stop from Denver Union Station
for the RTD B-Line, which
eventually will go to Boulder.
Just 11 minutes from downtown
Denver, the station is located
west of Federal Boulevard near
69th Avenue, between Interstate
70 and Highway 36. Recently,
the Federal corridor was named
one of the four “demonstration
corridors” in the country ripe
for reinvention as a healthy
place with strong connections to
surrounding communities.
Westminster has a bold vision
for the future, and it is happening
now. Not just in the downtown
area or at the new train station,
but everywhere. Westminster is
a community in transition – and
not the sleepy suburb that people
expect. With the major influx
of new people to our state, to
the metro Denver area and to
our community, Westminster is
rapidly growing into something
different – a place that is not
Denver, is not Boulder, but
something new and exciting.
John L. Hall
Economic Development Director,
City of Westminster
City of Westminster
