Greeley commercial real estate market shows improvement
Permits are being pulled for commercial construction in Greeley, fueling much needed activity in the areas commercial real estate market. JBS, Leprino Foods and King Soopers are key players spurring the growth. JBS is remodeling their new building on 2nd avenue for their Carrier Division, and Leprino Foods has pulled two building permits coming in at almost $12 million dollars. King Soopers recently pulled a permit for a fueling station to accompany their new western store. Other recent activity in the area includes the construction of a $1 million dollar emissions testing facility, Hyundai of Greeley is constructing a $650,00 building on 29th street, and Schneider Oil & Gas Co. is constructing a building on 1st avenue coming in at $1.1 million dollars. All in all the collective activity points to an improving economy in Greeley.

Source: Greeley Tribune, Greeley begins to build toward brighter future, by Sharon Dunn, 8/22/10.

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Larimer County seeing fewer foreclosures
Ground was broken mid-February on a new PVHS (Poudre According to data released from the Department of Local Affairs Division of Housing, Larimer County had one of the largest drops in year-over-year foreclosure filings in the state. More specifically, Larimer County experienced a 32.8% drop in foreclosure filings from July 2009 to July 2010. In comparing 2009 versus 2010 foreclosure filings in a seven month spread from January to July, Larimer County saw a 20% decrease in foreclosure filings. Colorado as a state followed suit. July marked the fourth consecutive month in which year-over-year foreclosure filings in Colorado were down. In metropolitan counties foreclosure filings declined 29.5% from July 2009 to July 2010.

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Sizing up Old Town Fort Collins
Fort Collins recently received a distinctive national honor. It could be argued that the heart of Fort Collins lies in Old Town. Recently concerns have been raised by residents regarding the preservation of Old Towns character and architecture. As older homes are remodeled or rebuilt, square footage is frequently super-sized and style considerably altered. Fort Collins City Council is currently exploring options to regulate remodels and new construction in Old Towns eastside and westside neighborhoods. Some residents have expressed concern about the potential regulation, pointing out that it could deter buyers and/or comprise house values in the area. For more information and to get involved in the conversation, go to http://tinyurl.com/oldtowndesignstudy.

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U.S. Census Bureau: Weld County 7th fastest growth rate
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released rankings for county growth rates across the country, and Weld County came in with the seventh largest growth rate from 2000 to 2009. The county grew by 40%, bringing the total population to 254,759 in 2009. The data released from the census bureau aligns with projections made by American City Business Journals Inc. last December. The journal ranked Weld County as the 17th-fastest growing in the nation for the next 15 years. More specifically, they project that the Greeley metro area will grow 60.61% by 2025. That translates to an increase of 226,354 residents in 2005 to 363,539 in 2025.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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USA Today says Fort Collins is a city on the rebound
In the past year, Fort Collins has seen increased sales tax collections, a rise in residential and commercial construction, and new restaurants are hanging open signs. What is spurring on this economic recovery? That is what USA Today recently explored when they featured Fort Collins as one of five cities on the rebound. Two key factors were pinpointed: (1) the region is backed by Colorado State University (CSU) - a large, steady employer and (2) the city has embraced the new energy economy. The Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2) and CSUs Green Power Project are just two examples of these important factors of success at work. Check out how you can Be Local Northern Colorado at http:// www.belocalnc.org/ and continue to spur our regions economic growth!

Source: USA Today, A bumpy economic recovery, with hope in Midwest, South by Paul Davidson, 4/27/2010. 

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Fort Collins and Loveland Best Places to Live
Money Magazine selected Fort Collins and Loveland as two of their 2010 Best Places to Live. Of the top 100 selected, Fort Collins came in at #6 and Loveland at #33. Setting Fort Collins apart is the citys economic stability, recreation and biking trails, and successful local microbreweries. In 2006, Money Magazine named Fort Collins the #1 Best Place to Live and in 2008 the city took the #2 spot. In profiling Loveland, Money Magazine highlighted the citys abundant recreational opportunities, public art displays, golf courses and affordable homes. Loveland also received attention from U.S. News & World Report when named the #7 Best Place to Live in 2009.

Source: Money Magazine, Best Places to Live 2010, August 2010 Issue.  http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/index.html

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CNBC: Colorado #3 Top State for Business
CNBC ranked Colorado #3 in their list of 2010 Top States for Business. This is the second year in a row that Colorado took the #3 spot. Colorado ranked highest in the following categories: quality of life (#2), business friendliness (#4) and workforce (#10). The state also scored well in the category of technology and innovation (#12) and access to capital (#15).

Source: CNBC, America's Top states for Business 2010, pulled 8/1/2010.  http://www.cnbc.com/id/37516043/

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Greeley a Top 10 Place to Retire
Where to Retire magazine recently tapped Greeley as one of the top 10 places to retire in the country. In their July/August issue, the magazine selected the top 10 places to retire in un-ranked order. Their selections include: Greeley, Colorado; Portland, Maine; Sussex County, Delaware; Asheville, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Greenville, South Carolina; Reno, Nevada; Boise, Idaho; Spokane, Washington; and Kalispell, Montana. Greeley was selected based on several factors, including: the areas great location next to Rocky Mountain National Park, the thriving arts and music community, the University of Northern Colorado and the availability of affordable real estate.

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Colorado: the Definitive Cleantech Hub
Colorados natural resources combined with the states human resources are the key ingredients needed to build the new energy economy. Recognizing this, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) has launched a Cleantech hub campaign with accompanying website, www.CleanTechHub.org. Their mission is attract national and international companies in wind, solar, biofuels, smart grid, and natural gas to Colorado. Over the past two years 17 wind and solar companies have announced plans to relocate or expand in Colorado. Northern Colorado is already home to one of these companies, Vestas, which announced investments of nearly $1 billion in wind-turbine production plants in Colorado that will directly employ 2,500 people. BP Wind Energy also recently announced plans to construct a wind farm in Weld County.

Data source: PR Newswire, "Metro Denver: Colorado is North America's Cleantech Hub" by Metro Denver EDC, 5/24/2010.  http://www.metrodenver.org/news-center/metro-denver-news/metro-denver--colorado-is-north-america-s-cleantech-hub.html

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Economic indicators good for Windsor
Windsor residents received good news recently that two key economic indicators, sales tax collections and single-family home building permits, are both up. Sales tax collections for May 2010 are up 9.5% over May 2009 and collections for January-May 2010 are up 3.4% over the same time period a year ago. Likewise, more than twice as many single-family (SF) home building permits were issued in May 2010 than in May 2009. Also, 77% more SF permits were issued in January-May 2010 than for the same time period a year ago. These figures bode well for the Windsor community.

Source: Coloradoan, "Indicators point to healthier times ahead for town" by David Persons, 6/12.  http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100612/WINDSORBEACON03/6120315

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