The Advisory Committee participated in the selection process that resulted in the hiring of MIG, Inc and worked with MIG, Inc. throughout the year-long planning process. The Downtown Design Plan summarizes the process that was utilized including the significant amount of public outreach.

The Downtown on the Rio Design Plan provides a framework for the redevelopment of Downtown Alamosa with a necessary emphasis on how the spaces throughout downtown can be woven together to create vibrant new public destinations, new spaces for public art, great streets, festival sites and opportunities for developing exciting new businesses, shops and restaurants.  The Design Plan builds upon Alamosa’s previous planning studies, and reference successful projects from comparable small towns and tourist destination across Colorado and the intermountain west.

The Design Plan also responded to the community’s desire for enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections, transit and parking.  Most importantly, the plans for revitalization of the downtown will be uniquely Alamosa- reflecting our cultural heritage, connection to the Rio Grande, railroad history and our unique location as a gateway community to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

In November of 2020, the City received a Governor’s Award for Downtown Excellence in recognition of its creation of a comprehensive, downtown- centric, and revitalization/renewal focused plan for the local community.

The City also received an Honorable Mention for the Plan from the Congress for the New Urbanism, Colorado Chapter in its 2020 Charter Awards.