How would you improve the Olde Town Arvada historic district? The city wants to know

The City of Arvada is looking for people's thoughts and opinions on the future of the Olde Town historic district. The area has been a favorite for eating, drinking, and shopping for many years, and now with several blocks closed off to traffic, its popularity has grown even more.  

On Wednesday, the city held a meeting to get feedback on potential improvements to the district. It was the final meeting for public feedback on designs for the 20-year Olde Town Arvada Strategic Reinvestment Plan.  

"It's going to be a great plan," said Ryan Stachelski, Director of Community and Economic Development for the city of Arvada. "It's going to be representative of what the community wants to see."  

With its trendy restaurants and small boutiques, Olde Town Arvada is evolving. It's a transformation Graham and Caitlin Dake have loved over the last five years. 

"It reminds us a lot of Pearl Street in Boulder, to be honest," Graham said.  

Of all the changes, the couple may love the pedestrian streets the most. Originally a pandemic pivot to help businesses in the area, the city has since made the road closures permanent.  

"I've really seen a lot of life being brought into this place," Graham said.  

"It has a nice downtown community feel," said Caitlin.  

Now, the city of Arvada is looking to build on that by creating a reinvestment plan for the next 20 years. The effort started last June and will include community feedback. 

"People really look at Olde Town Arvada as something they want to emulate in their communities," said Stachelski.  

According to Stachelski, early feedback has shown people want more closed streets and improved lighting. Parking, safety, and accessibility are all being discussed too. 

"We're going to take that feedback and then we're going to put it into the draft plan, and then from there we'll be able to take it to city council and get their final buy-in," he said.  

Moving forward, some of that feedback will come from the Bluegrass Coffee and Bourbon Lounge, where general manager Josh Schwartz wants the street outside the business closed, much like Olde Wadsworth.  

"We'd love to see it expanded onto Grandview as well," Schwartz said.  

For him, more access means more visitors, as well as a brighter future for Olde Town.  

"It's going to be exciting to see this small town become one of the biggest names in Denver, and steps like this help the future out," Schwartz said.  

If you missed the meeting, you can fill out the city's online survey about the reinvestment plan.  

Stachelski said city staff will use the feedback to make tweaks to the plan and then present it to the city council in May. They hope to have the plan fully approved this summer.