April 9, 2025 Update
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. Work began March 24 with demolition and replacement of the sidewalk in front of the Unites States Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters at the northeast corner of Tejon Street and Colorado Avenue.
Similar removal and expansion of dining space and sidewalk continues northward in front of Red Gravy, Jack Quinn’s and Chipotle/Hibbard Building. Pedestrians are skillfully traversing between the temporary walkways and the newly installed sidewalks.
The project team plans to cross the western outlet of AdAmAn Alley by late April and begin removal of patio railings and sidewalks, with replacement of the concrete surface to follow shortly after. Work is expected to cross to the western side of Tejon in early May, depending on weather and other factors.
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.