On behalf of Downtown Boulder Partnership, I am compelled to respond to a May 1 Boulder Weekly article — the conclusion to the three-part series addressing office vacancy downtown. To answer the question asked in the incendiary headline in the online edition: “Are downtown Boulder’s best days behind it?” NO! Our best days are still ahead.
Having a 29% office vacancy rate is indeed a challenging economic indicator. But c’mon. This is a problem every downtown area is facing. Our neighbors in Denver have a much higher vacancy rate, and instead of abandoning their downtown, their city leaders are doubling down on investment and committing to a brighter future.
Here in Boulder, before the pandemic, we had one of the highest rates of remote workers in the country. We weren’t reacting to a trend; we were setting it. And our business community is full of creative problem solvers and future-forward thinkers.
Boulder has always led with creativity and resilience. We got this.
Stroll through downtown and you’ll find a compelling mix of locally-owned and prominent national retailers, a lively and culturally diverse restaurant community, children playing, musicians strumming and visitors marveling. It’s time to start being proud of our community and not tearing it down from the inside out.
Let’s talk data. According to location analytics company Placer.ai, downtown Boulder has consistently outperformed nearby shopping centers (e.g. Twenty Ninth Street and Flatiron Crossing) in terms of both visitation and dwell time, nearly every week of 2024, outside of the core holiday shopping season. Compared with similarly sized retail districts across Colorado and nationwide, our downtown ranks in the 98th percentile for visitor traffic.
Is Boulder still great? Absolutely. Could it be even better? Without a doubt. Downtown is a living work of art that requires care, collaboration and vision. With the city potentially moving forward to create a Downtown Development Authority and the arrival of the Sundance Film Festival, our future is full of promise.
The passionate, dedicated, hard-working community that built one of the most successful downtowns in the country is still here. Others see the potential — Sundance saw it. So why can’t we always see it ourselves? Too often, perception overshadows reality, especially when negative narratives dominate the conversation.
The Pearl Street Mall remains Boulder’s living room. It’s where laughter, connection and creativity continue to thrive, whether you live five blocks or 50 miles away. Affordability is a deep-rooted challenge, but community can still flourish when people feel welcome, included and seen. Let’s celebrate what is working, invest in what’s possible and write its next chapter together.
– Bettina Swigger, Boulder