(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A planned project that would repurpose the Union Printers Home property near Memorial Park into a mixed-use and housing development has been unanimously approved by Colorado Springs City Council.
The Printers Hill project, aimed to rezone the land where the historic landmark stands on Union Boulevard, in order to develop the property into bars, restaurants, cafes, and retail spaces, with the possibility of hotels, apartments, and condos. The project passed its first hurdle after it was approved on May 8 by the Colorado Springs Planning Commission, before heading to City Council.
At a City Council meeting on June 25, the Union Printers Home site was officially designated as mixed-use, permitting a combination of residential, commercial, and retail spaces, among other uses.
“The Partners could not be more thrilled with both the Colorado Springs Planning Commission’s and City Council’s recent endorsement of the project and our mission to preserve, revitalize, and energize the Union Printers Home and its iconic campus,” said Susan Pattee, with Union Printers Home (UPH) Partners. “Our carefully crafted masterplan will enable us to steward a redevelopment strategy of the property into a destination for the City of Colorado Springs, the Front Range, and beyond. In partnership with the community and our citizens, we seek to assure an authentic Printers Hill mixed-use neighborhood that will be a source of inspiration and community pride.”
The UPH Partners would like feedback from the community on how the space can best be utilized. You can offer your suggestions and comments through the survey here.
What’s next for the Printers Hill Project?
Now that the development has been approved by the Planning Commission and City Council, organizers behind the project say there are several general steps that need to be taken, such as the formation of the Printers Hill Metropolitan District and Urban Renewal Authority designation, as well as starting on specific development plans for buildings, parking areas, utilities, roadways, etc.
There is no set timeline for construction, though the hope is that the project will get underway in 2026.
As for the nearly 130 years worth of history inside the Union Printers Home buildings, including documents, photographs, and artifacts, much of it has already been collected and sorted, to be used for archival and historical research purposes.
