Downtown Colorado Inc. pitches TIF, DDAs and the 'challenge' program to Mountain View council
July 11, 2026 | Mountain View, Jefferson County, Colorado
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Bill Schramm, director of operations for Downtown Colorado Inc., told Mountain View council in a Nov. 18 workshop that small towns have options beyond one-size-fits-all approaches for rejuvenating commercial areas.
Schramm explained three commercial-area life cycles — stagnation, growth and maturity — and said each requires different tools. "If you're not true to yourselves about where you're at, the rest of this process may not be very successful," he said, urging the town to match tools to local conditions.
He briefed the council on three commonly used district models: business improvement districts (BIDs), downtown development authorities (DDAs) and urban renewal authorities (URAs). He described tax-increment financing (TIF) as a way for DDAs and URAs to capture the difference between a baseline tax revenue and the higher revenue produced by new development, and to reinvest that difference in district improvements over time. "When you adopt a district ... you set a baseline," he said, adding that 100% of the incremental difference during the TIF term can be used for district projects.
Schramm gave local examples — Eagle, Longmont and Parker — to show how combinations of these tools have supported streetscaping, public art and other downtown amenities. He also promoted the Colorado Challenge accelerator, a six-month program that pairs communities with developers, financiers and facilitators to solve one selected ``challenge'' parcel; Schramm said the program includes webinars and an in-person conference in Greeley.
Councilmembers asked how the models would apply to a town Mountain View's size; Schramm said many features scale and stressed community engagement. He asked residents to complete a short local survey the organization provided to help identify local needs.
The presentation was intended as an introduction and the council and staff agreed to bring the organization back for further workshops if the council funds participation in the program.
Schramm explained three commercial-area life cycles — stagnation, growth and maturity — and said each requires different tools. "If you're not true to yourselves about where you're at, the rest of this process may not be very successful," he said, urging the town to match tools to local conditions.
He briefed the council on three commonly used district models: business improvement districts (BIDs), downtown development authorities (DDAs) and urban renewal authorities (URAs). He described tax-increment financing (TIF) as a way for DDAs and URAs to capture the difference between a baseline tax revenue and the higher revenue produced by new development, and to reinvest that difference in district improvements over time. "When you adopt a district ... you set a baseline," he said, adding that 100% of the incremental difference during the TIF term can be used for district projects.
Schramm gave local examples — Eagle, Longmont and Parker — to show how combinations of these tools have supported streetscaping, public art and other downtown amenities. He also promoted the Colorado Challenge accelerator, a six-month program that pairs communities with developers, financiers and facilitators to solve one selected ``challenge'' parcel; Schramm said the program includes webinars and an in-person conference in Greeley.
Councilmembers asked how the models would apply to a town Mountain View's size; Schramm said many features scale and stressed community engagement. He asked residents to complete a short local survey the organization provided to help identify local needs.
The presentation was intended as an introduction and the council and staff agreed to bring the organization back for further workshops if the council funds participation in the program.
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