PRESS NEWS
For Further
Information:
Susan Fries
Executive Director
(719) 242-6652
Susan@PuebloArts.org
PUEBLO CREATIVE CORRIDOR
Why Locate To Pueblo
The Pueblo Creative Corridor—Art and Business Unite.
The recently developed and ever-evolving Creative Corridor is focused around the three historic city
centers of Pueblo: Downtown Main Street, Union Avenue Historic District and the Mesa Junction. Each
retains its uniqueness while collaborating for maximum effectiveness. The Creative Corridor attracts
artists, creative entrepreneurs and visitors as a strategy to infuse new energy and innovation and
enhance the economic and civic capital of the community.
The creative industry in Pueblo is booming. We offer many creative diversions: design, literary and
publishing, film and media, performing arts, visual arts and crafts and heritage. In fact, the number of
jobs in creative enterprises ranks it as the fifth largest cluster of the Colorado economy. Among all states
in the U.S., Colorado ranks fifth in concentration of creative occupations including architects, artists,
writers, designers, directors, performers and photographers.
Why Locate to the Pueblo Creative Corridor?
Because it is a hub of economic activity where creative industries enhance and produce an appealing
place to live, visit and conduct business. The visual arts are woven into the daily lives of Puebloans with
outdoor sculptures located Downtown, on the Riverwalk, at the library and at the Sangre de Cristo Arts
Center. The 177,000 square feet of artwork painted on the 65-foot-tall Arkansas River Levee is
considered the largest mural in the world and offers an artistic corridor for Pueblo’s world-class urban
kayak course. This iconic art is accessible, inviting and imaginative, while sending a visual reminder to
Puebloans and visitors alike that our community encourages and values the arts.
Pueblo is endowed with the musical talents of the Pueblo Symphony, Pueblo Municipal Band, Pueblo
Children’s Chorale, the world-renowned Veronika String Quartet and many “locally grown” musicians.
These local performance artists—the Steel City Theater Company, Impossible Players and Damon
Runyon Theatre, and folk arts organizations such as the Grupo Folklórico del Pueblo and the Okolitza
Tamburitzans—play to sell-out crowds year after year. Three generations of Pueblo students have
participated in the Summer Musical and the annual holiday Nutcracker production. The Pueblo Arts
Alliance actively organizes, promotes and coordinates events for the arts groups and administers the
Creative Corridor.
What Business Incentives Does Pueblo Provide?
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Pueblo Urban Renewal Loan Guarantee Program & Property Improvement Program
Small Business Development Center State Initiative Support for Creative Districts and Creative
Businesses
Creative Industry Loan Opportunities through CHFA, ACCION and SBDC Programs
Pueblo City Center Partnership Fast Track Program to help expedite business start-up permits
Networking Support from Members of the Pueblo Creative Corridor
A History Rich in Cultural Tapestry.
In 2012, the partnership of the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority (PURA), the City of Pueblo, PPAG and
more than 60 creative industry members launched the Pueblo Creative Corridor. The partners share a
common goal of enriching the quality of life for residents, improving the livability in the downtown area,
increasing private investment in retail and residential living and increasing the city’s tax revenue. This is
evident in Pueblo’s success in receiving the Governor’s Arts Award in 2013. The annual Governor’s Arts
Award recognizes a Colorado town or city for their collective efforts to enhance their community and
their economy through strategic use of the arts—Pueblo was commended for leveraging the arts to
revitalize its community.
For example, private galleries in the Main Street and Union Avenue Historic District alone are within
easy walking distance of the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center galleries and five other museums featuring
local, regional and state history. Recent multi-unit residential developments in the Creative Corridor
were designed to capitalize on the proximity of these cultural elements, which are vital to the continuing
redevelopment of the area.
Pueblo—Creative. Historic. Artistic.
Pueblo City and County government and agencies have an extended history of supporting arts and
culture in Pueblo. The Riverwalk and Arts Center are funded directly within the City and County Budgets.
Others like the Pueblo Symphony and El Pueblo History Museum programs are funded through grants by
the Community Services Advisory Commission. The Pueblo Library District is funded through a voterapproved property tax. The $10M Memorial Hall Theater renovation is funded by a voter-approved
bond issue.
PURA and the City Planning and Development Department established a united vision for urban design
standards in 1995 with unified aesthetic and arts centric elements evident in newly constructed
municipal buildings and private developments. In 2012, Pueblo City Council passed a resolution
supporting the formation of a Colorado Creative District.
As a community, we are united in our belief that Pueblo’s history and diverse cultural influences
combine to make our community culture unique. The arts are a focal point in the development of that
cohesive culture as well as a vital element in our continuing redevelopment efforts.
Come Work. Come Play. Come Invest. Come Explore Pueblo.
For more information about upcoming events or day-to-day activities in the Creative Corridor, visit
www.facebook.com/PuebloCreativeCorridor or call 855-543-2430.
For more information about relocating to Pueblo, please contact:
Pueblo Creative Corridor
c/o Legacy Bank, 101 N. Main Street, Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: 719-242-6652
Or Pueblo City Center Partnership
Phone: 719-583-8169