PROJECT ARCHIVE
Town of Parachute Economic Development
Riverfront & Interstate Gateway
Parachute, Colorado | 2021
Connecting Riverfront Assets with Interstate Opportunity.
Developing an economic-development strategy connecting Parachute’s riverfront, recreation, local businesses, and Interstate 70 access to capture visitor activity, attract investment, and strengthen the community’s long-term economic base.
UC Studios and Local Business Assist prepared an economic-development strategy for the Town of Parachute focused on strengthening locally owned businesses, diversifying the local economy, and converting the community’s strategic location along Interstate 70 into sustained economic activity. The work evaluated community assets, infrastructure, development opportunities, local business needs, tourism potential, and the Town’s ability to capture a greater share of the substantial passenger and freight traffic passing the community.
The strategy considered a coordinated group of visitor- and community-serving uses, including restaurants, retail, a travel center or truck stop, an RV park, recreation facilities, river access, trails, parking, and improved highway visibility. It paired these physical-development opportunities with grassroots business assistance, placemaking, community identity, and implementation strategies. The resulting framework connected transportation access, tourism, local entrepreneurship, and infrastructure investment into a practical economic-development program.