Manitou Springs Revitalization Project Garners

Governor’s Award for Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative

October 11, 2007 (Manitou Springs) The Historic Manitou Avenue Downtown Revitalization Project was recently lauded for exceptional effort and results at the Governor's 2007 Colorado Tourism Conference, garnering the award for Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative. The award acknowledges an activity, event or project undertaken by a community or region to promote tourism in Colorado. The event, hosted by the Colorado Office of Tourism, was held in Grand Junction.

“Manitou Springs is a unique, authentic Colorado experience,” says Kitty Clemens, Director of the Economic Development Council, which spearheads the revitalization effort called Manitou Springs Ahead. “From its Native American heritage, its heyday as a wealthy Victorian vacation destination and playground for the “rich and famous” and through the present, it has enjoyed a reputation as a place of peace, health and healing. It is a diverse, creative community, and it’s an incredible validation when the Governor’s Office acknowledges the hard work and perseverance that has gone toward revitalizing Manitou Springs.” This is the second award that the revitalization project has collected; the first was a Governor’s Award for Downtown Excellence in Partnerships given by the Colorado Community Revitalization Association in 2006.

The annual Colorado Tourism Conference gathers people who work with chambers of commerce, convention and visitor bureaus, hotels and restaurants, attractions, museums and galleries, public lands agencies, city parks and recreation departments, city planners, travel agents, local and state officials, meeting and event planners and festival organizers for the purpose of networking, exchanging information and ideas and keeping abreast of legislation and best practice trends.

Manitou Springs Ahead is a citizen-driven volunteer effort to implement the Manitou Avenue Master Plan. Citizens from numerous community groups formed Manitou Springs Ahead to submit charitable grant requests, solicit individual legacy gifts and work with government agencies on final design and construction in historic downtown. Progress updates can be found at www.manitouspringsahead.com.