Have you heard?
There’s been talk around campus, that the commercial area where our beloved Bova’s Market and Cosmo’s Pizza call home is being knocked down to make room for a hotel. The first preliminary discussions were held by development groups back in 2015, but the possibility of a hotel in the heart of the Hill is becoming extremely probable. The construction of the hotel will be a part of efforts to revitalize the University Hill, which is considered an improvement district because of its current dilapidated state.
According to the Daily Camera, it has been confirmed that potential investors have approached the city about building a hotel right on 1300 Broadway. The projected plans include a boutique hotel that incorporates commercial businesses on the ground level with underground parking and a parking lot on Pleasant street. The hotel will act as the anchor for the commercial district that will attract future business owners.
From a business standpoint, this development is a great idea. A hotel will bring a unique experience for tourists, and the surrounding businesses would benefit from the cash flow these tourists bring. A new building will help update the rough exterior of the Hill and will help spark a movement of redevelopments that will counteract the area’s decay. However, as a student and a resident of the Hill, I am against this redevelopment. The construction will be unsightly and extensive, there will be severe traffic issues on a vital Boulder thoroughfare, and some of the Hill’s most crucial commercial businesses will be destroyed. Even with 30,000 square feet of planned ground retail with the redevelopment, there’s no promise that the old businesses could find tenancy in the new building.
This development is still in the preliminary planning and discussions, and the project could go before Boulder’s Planning Board in a year. So, enjoy those hefty slices of Cosmos while you can.