Several of the region's communities have recently received substantial investments from state and local funding sources in the way of grants for a variety of projects to enhance the economic vitality of their communities. The stories below describe how they are using the funds to enhance tourism, creative arts, and housing.

The Economic Development Administration's Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program, funded through the American Rescue Plan, is designed to help accelerate the recovery of the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation industry and build back the communities that depend on the industry.

Grand County was successful in securing $400,000 through this funding program for the Grand County Tourism Revitalization Project to support the recovery and resilience of Grand County's tourism and outdoor recreation economy. The project will help the county extend the current summer and winter tourism seasons year-round and diversify the tourism sector by highlighting often overlooked tourist and outdoor reaction attractions in Colorado. By doing this, more stable, year-round jobs will be created, new business opportunities will arise to fill the gap of those that closed during the coronavirus pandemic, and struggling businesses will receive needed support and promotion to grow. Once completed, the project will help increase employment opportunities, spur private investment, and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. More information on EDA's funding programs can be found here.    

The Colorado Community Revitalization Grant provides gap funding for projects in creative districts, historic districts, main streets, or neighborhood commercial centers in support creative projects that combine creative industry workforce housing, commercial spaces, performance space, community gathering spaces, child care centers, and retail partnerships for the purpose of economic recovery and diversification by supporting creative sector entrepreneurs, artisans, and community non-profit organizations.

The City of Steamboat Springs received a grant for $710,000 for the Julie Harris Theater and Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp. This camp nestles into 74 acres within the mountains of Steamboat Springs and is the longest continually operating performing arts summer camp in the United States. The Julie Harris Theater at Perry-Mansfield was built in 1958 and is an iconic and significant component of the Perry-Mansfield National Historic District. The theater is the main classroom and performance space for Perry-Mansfield’s summer theater programs and hosts numerous community organizations in the non-camp season. The Theater adds important cultural value and heightens draw to the community, increasing the overall livability of Steamboat Springs as a vibrant economic and cultural hub.

The Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs Housing Opportunities grant program was created as part of HB21-1271 to promote innovative solutions for developing affordable housing across the state. It incentivizes municipalities and counties to remove land use and regulatory barriers in addition to funding affordable housing projects and programs that embody housing and land use best practices. Four of the region's communities received one of these grants:

Each year, the Colorado Tourism Office nominates tourism employees to be recognized as Top Frontline Tourism Workers in celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week. These nominees are people who do an outstanding job of welcoming visitors to our state and providing them with the best experiences possible. Congratulations to the two individuals from the NWCCOG Region who received this award: