Improvements Moving Forward
Construction of the Tejon Street Revitalization Project – to enhance outdoor dining space, sidewalk accessibility and public safety -- is well underway between Colorado Avenue and Pikes Peak Avenue.
All the businesses are open during their regular hours, and crews are providing access via new sidewalks in some places, along with a network of aluminum bridges and railings. Come down and see the progress!
What you can expect to see
The goal of the project is to widen and/or standardize patio spaces; widen sidewalks to provide accessibility for all; and enhance the beauty of Tejon Street with new, larger trees, new streetlights and other amenities.
Crews typically start a section of the block by removing patio railings, benches and lamp posts and demolishing sidewalks, curb and gutter. That process creates a blank canvas of sorts for the crews to add back the desired features, including three new concrete areas to serve different purposes:
- A 9.5-foot section closest to buildings features a windowpane pattern and serves as patios for restaurants and other establishments.
- The middle 10 feet of concrete serves as wide sidewalks to permit accessibility for pedestrians walking and using strollers, wheelchairs or mobility scooters. This section features a diamond-shaped pattern.
- The outer six feet of concrete closest to the street is known as the amenity zone. It features stamped, colored concrete and serves as home for the new trees, streetlights and benches.
Making a home for trees
To support optimum tree growth, crews are installing “structural soil cells,’’ to serve as a foundation for the sidewalk but still provide ample space underground for the tree roots to spread. The new trees coming later this year are expected to be 15 to 20 feet tall and reach up to 50 feet tall at maturity, as tall as some of the buildings.
For safety’s sake
At completion, Tejon Street will have a northbound and southbound lane, but the center tune lane will be removed to keep delivery trucks and their drivers out of traffic lanes. Commercial deliveries have moved to alleys and new loading zones on Colorado and Pikes Peak Avenues.
Traffic Impacts
For access and safety, these conditions continue until further notice:
- Closure of northbound Tejon Street on Block 1 (Colorado Avenue to Pikes Peak Avenue)
- Closure of street parking in Block 1 (Parking is $1/hour at our 3 city garages)
- Note that Block 2 (Pikes Peak Avenue to Kiowa Street) should retain its parking spaces and
north-south traffic until further notice. - Closures of lefthand and righthand turns from Colorado onto Tejon
- Preservation of southbound Tejon
- The ZEB route will continue with a northbound detour, and the northbound stop on Tejon will be moved south of Colorado Avenue in front of Plaza of the Rockies during work on Block 1.
Background
The Tejon Street Revitalization Project is a collaboration between the City of Colorado Springs and the Downtown Partnership’s Downtown Development Authority. The long-term vision for this project is to boost public safety, accessibility and business activity through targeted enhancement of the South Tejon streetscape, from Colorado Avenue to Pikes Peak Avenue.
Downtown Colorado Springs has experienced a $2.3 billion surge in investment in recent years. These investments mean new hotels, restaurants, retailers and 5,000 new dwelling units. The increased popularity of Historic Tejon Street brings a desire for more outdoor dining space, greater sidewalk accessibility, and enhanced safety measures.
Funding
The cost for project design and construction totals $8.6 million. The funding comes from a $1.6m Revitalizing Main Streets Grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation and the City’s Parking Enterprise. The Downtown Development Authority is also providing funding for the redesign and construction of aesthetic enhancements to “Historic Busy Corner" at the intersection of Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue.
Project Elements
The first phase, Colorado Avenue to Kiowa Street, has been designed with input from downtown businesses and the public through several processes, including the Experience Downtown Masterplan. Construction on the first phase, from Colorado Avenue to Kiowa Street, is expected to begin in late March. Plans include:
- Wider sidewalk space for pedestrians, including those using wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Recent data from VisitCOS reflects that 30% of visitors to our region have at least one person in their group with a mobility issue.
- Expanded and uniformly sized outdoor dining space for restaurants.
- Removal of the center lane (currently used by delivery trucks), improving safety by relocating deliveries to new zones on side streets.
- Preservation of diagonal on-street parking once construction is complete.
- Designating short-term parking areas for food-delivery and ride-hail vehicles.
- Planting larger trees and expanding landscape areas for increased aesthetics and to provide increased shade.
- Enhancing opportunities for extra pedestrian lighting, public art, and seating.
Parking Incentives
Learn about parking incentives to use when accessing South Tejon Street businesses during and after the project. As always, all City-owned garages are $1/hour and free on Sundays.
Newsletters
This section of the page will be updated with email newsletters and updates for the Tejon St. Revitalization Project.
Visual Resources
Public Involvement
The first phase of the project, Colorado Avenue to Kiowa Street, has been designed with input from downtown businesses and the public through several processes, including the Experience Downtown Masterplan. The City also hosted an open house for the project Feb. 25 that was attended by 25-30 members of the public.
A business/public outreach specialist with Public Works began collaborating with the Tejon Street businesses and other stakeholders in early 2024. Those efforts will continue throughout the project.
Other Related Plans:
Photos
May 22, 2025
