Riverfront/Camino del Rio Corridor Focus Group

Cultural Site Amenities
Green-way Park Development
Urban Trails
Natural Resource Preservation

Geographically, Durango’s Central Business District (CBD) has been described as running “river, to river, to river,” to the alley east of Second Ave. That river – the Animas – runs directly through much of the city, but rims the central business district like a cupped hand holding it protectively in its palm.

Interestingly, however, the town has never capitalized on its river corridor. Once the shanty town and red light district of mining days, it grew up to became home to industrial businesses suited to Camino del Rio, the truck by-pass constructed originally to help maintain the tranquility of Main Ave.

“One of the things that has come out,” says Bryson of LEAD’s discussions with the city regarding sustaining downtown, “is acknowledgement of the complete under-utilization of the river. If you can imagine people easily walking down to the river and walking along it, and not risking their lives getting across Camino del Rio… How great is that?”

Such thinking, as well as the imminent morphing of the dilapidated riverside power plant into the Durango Discovery Museum, a science museum focusing on Durango’s role in “energy” history, prompted the organization of the Riverfront Cultural Coalition (RCC). RCC organizers are discussing a unified complex with the Discovery Museum, the new Durango Library and the Durango Arts Center, both to achieve economies of scale, but also kick-off the effort for downtown to “reclaim” its riverfront.

- Four Corners Business Journal - Indiana Reed

Meetings & Agendas

JUNE 30 - 3:00 WALK / 4:00-6:00 MEETING - DOUBLETREE BOARD ROOM
JULY 26 - 4:00 TO 6:00 - DOUBLETREE BOARD ROOM

Kickoff - Thursday, June 10, 4-6pm

Facilitator: JOANN SPINA
382-6211 SPINAJM@CO.LAPLATA.CO.US

Focus Group Members:

PAT BARRETT
DIANE BECKET
KAREN BELT
RICHARD BIEGEL
BILL BROWN
ART CHASE
JOE COLGAN
MARGY DUDLEY
TOM DUKE
BOB GEFFE
LISA GLENN
JAMES HOFFMAN
DENNIS JOHNSON
JIM KETTER
JAMA KOLOSICK
FRED KROEGER
JOEL KRUEGER
GARY MASNER
MANDI MOSELY
HEATHER MULLETT
DAN PATTERSON
DICK PEARSON
MICHELLE REOTT
ALICIA ROMERO
BRAD TAFOYA
JEFF VIERLING
LAURA WEBB

Join This Focus Group