City still must provide more detail for plans
“Colorado Springs’ application for state funding of four projects under the provisions of the Colorado Regional Tourism Act was duly filed this week with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, finally going public with details that had been kept secret for months.
Officials thought to be involved in the process had repeatedly claimed that confidentiality was of paramount importance to avoid tipping off other applicants. In fact, there were no other applicants. Cañon City officials had attended a preliminary briefing, but decided not to apply after the recent wildfire that damaged the Royal Gorge Bridge.
Colorado Springs’ 80-page application is replete with soaring visions, fanciful architectural renditions, unlikely hypotheses, and hopeful projections. It paints a picture of a revitalized and recreated downtown, a mecca for hundreds of thousands of out-of-state visitors. It describes a UCCS Sports Medicine and Performance Center that might eventually rival the Mayo Clinic as a destination for medical tourists.”
Hazlehurst, John. Colorado Spring Business Journal 12 July 2013.