Media Contact: Chynna Cowart
chynna.cowart@state.co.us | 303-656-7464
The Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) Colorado Main Street Program has designated the City of Ouray and the Town of Silverton as official Main Street communities. Ouray and Silverton join 23 other cities and towns in the Colorado Main Street Program, which offers support for community-led downtown revitalization and helps communities thrive by providing a customizable framework to focus efforts, energy, and resources to create a more vibrant community.
The City of Ouray touts itself as the “Outdoor Recreation Capitol of Colorado.” Centrally located in southwestern Colorado, Ouray is the perfect basecamp for explorations, offering a treasure trove of unique experiences all year long. Visitors come from all over the world to experience Ouray in its entirety. Whether that be soaking in the Ouray Hot Springs, hiking trails, learning about the history of the Ute Indians and a miner's life, shopping their unique Main Street, or seeing wildlife, wildflowers, and waterfalls.
The City of Ouray will host the local Main Street program, with the purpose of serving as the intersection of community organizations, working together to leverage their passion for their downtown to enhance economic vitality. They hope their efforts will establish a precedent for the Ouray way of life: locally owned, historic gateway, to endless adventure.
Nestled at 9,318 feet, Silverton resides in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, and is an ideal basecamp for all kinds of epic adventures. Silverton was once a mining boomtown and is now a National Historic Landmark District located within 15 miles of seven of Colorado’s most famous 14,000-foot peaks. With a variety of historic sites, outdoor activities, and incredible scenery, there is no shortage of things to do in Silverton.
The San Juan Development Association will host the local Main Street program, with the purpose of enhancing economic diversification in Silverton and San Juan County by promoting collaboration, partnership, and trust between businesses, nonprofits, and local governments through community priority projects. Their vision is to create a thriving, sustainable community that is inclusive of all members and businesses in Silverton and San Juan County.
The Colorado Main Street Program provides a framework for helping communities with the challenges they face in their downtowns. The Colorado Main Street Program assists all of the official Main Street cities and towns in building community engagement and support to attain their long-term visions for the future of their downtowns.