In addition to the regional economic collapse in 1982, Parachute was essentially divided in two when Interstate 70 was extended through the Town in 1992.
“ On one side is the historical First Street and our downtown core,” Elliott said. But with most businesses now located across I-70,“ it’ s been a battle to connect our community and keep our businesses thriving.”
First Street is a section of state Highway 6 that runs through Parachute.“ Essentially it’ s a five-lane, empty highway, which is not conducive to the activity you’ d want to see in a thriving downtown,” Elliott said, explaining that this stretch of road is littered with vacant properties and empty buildings.
Existing condition
In 2023, the Parachute Town Council adopted the revitalization plan being further developed and engineered today.
“ The goal is to turn this First Street corridor into a safe and desirable place where people want to come and hang out,” Elliott said.“ We want to bring some vitality and a true sense of community back to the downtown core.”
A grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation will allow the Ayres team to take its initial design ideas for the reconstruction of First Street and convert them into construction-ready design documents.
Concept sketch
Slowing down traffic
A key goal of the Ayres team’ s design is to slow down traffic on First Street and make drivers more aware of their surroundings. This will be accomplished by including a design feature known as a chicane, which involves a series of alternating curb extensions or other
www. AyresAssociates. com 5