WHAT IS THE COLORADO CHALLENGE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM?
The Colorado Challenge Accelerator Program is a unique technical assistance program with a proven track record over seven years to transform community challenges into opportunities. We are excited to provide extended resources for redevelopment of opportunity sites and brownfields in your downtown.
DCI's Colorado Challenge Accelerator Program will help
- Transform the community’s challenge into an opportunity
- Establish a project toolkit
- Identify a peer network of downtown champions to support and expand downtown ideals
- Build momentum for a catalyst site in the community
If you have a building or site within your community that you would like to focus on, we encourage you to get involved this year! If you’re interested in hearing and learning more about the Colorado Challenge Program, reach out to [email protected]. We also ask you to fill out this Community Capacity Assessment to get started.
DOWNTOWN COLORADO, INC.'S DEVELOPMENT READINESS
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
We are so pleased to share with you the Development Readiness Learning Management System (LMS). This program will guide you through 8 Modules containing many tools created to get you more development ready. This is the full CO Challenge Program Experience! Here's what to expect:
- Educational content to help shape your redevelopment to be partner friendly and consider community needs
- A cohesive structure to introduce tools in a sequence aligned with education
- Access to tools for redevelopment and remediation
- A process and dashboard to quantify progress over time
Anyone is welcome to join, you just need to create a login or login to your individual DCI account.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE CO CHALLENGE PROGRAM
HOW DOES THE COLORADO CHALLENGE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM WORK?
The program aims to help Colorado communities establish a plan for community-wide initiatives to foster sustainable community and economic development. This involves public, private, and non-profit partners moving forward to establish their community as development-friendly. The Statewide Challenge Accelerator Program includes:
- Redevelopment Educational Webinars. A series of 8 expert-led webinars covering key topics in community redevelopment, urban planning, and sustainable development.
- Community Capacity Assessment Dashboard. An interactive tool to assess and visualize a community’s strengths and development needs for effective resource allocation.
- Communication Toolkit. A resource with templates and best practices to support clear, transparent communication in community redevelopment projects.
- Community Profile. A detailed overview of a community’s demographics, assets, and challenges, providing key insights for development planning.
- Property Pitch Sheet. A concise document showcasing a property’s key attributes to attract potential investors, developers, and local buy in.
- Feasibility Review. An analysis of a redevelopment project’s viability, covering market demand, financial feasibility, and community impact.
- Example RFQs and Proforma. Sample Request for Qualifications (RFQs) and financial proforma templates to guide the procurement and evaluation process.
- Participation in the Annual Challenge Workshop. An interactive workshop where stakeholders collaborate to solve specific community redevelopment challenges.
If you want to be considered for the Colorado Challenge Program, click below!
HOW CAN OUR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATE IN THE CHALLENGE PROGRAM?
DCI's Colorado Challenge Program is open to DCI members. If you're not a member, check our membership options here!
If you are interested in participating, apply here!
DCI MEMBER TESTIMONIALS
"If you want to gain tools, insight and critical knowledge on how make your biggest community and economic development projects come to life, then participate in the DCI Challenge. It's a great environment to learn what the first steps are to implement your community vision."
"Participating in the DCI Challenge Program was an incredible experience. The workshops and sessions provided practical insights into urban development and economic revitalization, directly applicable to our community's needs. Collaborating with experts and other community members not only expanded my professional skills but also equipped us to evaluate ways to implement real and lasting changes. I am grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend the program to anyone looking to make a significant impact in their community."
COLORADO CHALLENGE COMMUNITIES PITCH SHOWCASE
DCI's Challenge Communities have worked to create compelling Pitch Presentations following the Challenge Workshops at IN THE GAME. These presentations are meant to showcase the work these challenge communities have done, their challenge, and where they are going.
See the showcase of the Challenge Community pitches here.
In 2024, Challenge Communities also develop Community Profiles and Property Pitch Sheets. Here are some examples of those:
