The Downtown Partnership's annual breakfast is a celebratory event that highlights the achievements of Colorado Springs' city center and the individuals, civic leaders, government officials, businesses and organizations who contribute to the area's progress.
On Friday, there was plenty to celebrate during the advocacy group's 25th annual breakfast.
Thousands of apartments have been built, are under construction or are on the drawing board after downtown supporters clamored for decades for more housing; new restaurants, hotels and entertainment concepts have flocked to the area; and high-profile venues such as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and Weidner Field are attracting thousands of people to downtown.
Even the location for Friday's breakfast reflected downtown's growth.
The event, attended by nearly 750 people, took place at Ed Robson Arena, the 3,400-seat indoor venue that opened a year ago on the campus of Colorado College on downtown's north edge. The arena, along with the Olympic & Paralympic Museum and Weidner Field, were City for Champions projects designed to boost Springs and state tourism.
"It's a time to reflect both on our recent past and all that has been accomplished downtown," Susan Edmondson, the Downtown Partnership's president and CEO, said of the group's annual breakfast.
But while there was plenty to celebrate Friday about what's been accomplished to date, downtown supporters also focus on additional projects and initiatives targeted for the area, Edmondson said.
"We always want to balance that (today's accomplishments) with what's next because the work of creating a great downtown is never done," she said.
In that regard, Friday's breakfast highlighted the COS Creek Plan, a vision for downtown's America the Beautiful Park and four sites along Monument and Fountain creeks that could transform the areas into community gathering places, among other upgrades.
Colorado Springs philanthropist Lyda Hill, whose Lyda Hill Philanthropies has awarded an $800,000 grant to Denver-based nonprofit The Greenway Foundation in support of the COS Creek Plan and who was the title sponsor of Friday's Downtown Partnership breakfast, told event attendees about the importance of the project and urged the entire community to be part of it.
"As we have accomplished the City for Champions initiatives, we need to keep looking at what are the next improvements to our community," Edmondson said.
In addition to COS Creek, another goal will be to enhance downtown connectivity — getting people around the area safely and conveniently as new apartments and other additions spread the area's footprint, she said.
"Through all manner — walking, biking, taking the great new Zeb shuttle (a free downtown shuttle bus)," Edmondson said. "We're really highlighting a lot of the importance of connecting all of these pieces and new developments downtown."
Breakfast attendees also heard from Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, who was recognized for his support of downtown. Friday's breakfast was the last for Suthers as mayor; he's term limited and will be out of office before next year's event.
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