Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

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Located in Mid Gilpin County

Heartfelt thank you to

The passing of my husband, Jimmy Lewis, has left us all

heartbroken. Things are noticeably quiet without the music,

jokes and laughter that inevitably filled our home.

That said, the amazing outpouring of love and support from

the community has meant a tremendous amount to all of us

and provided some heartwarming moments during this difficult

time.

The Lewis family would like to thank the Weekly Register-

Call for reaching out to us, for covering Jimmy’s passing in a

first-class manner, and for inviting friends and family to share

their stories, memories and photos.

We are also forever indebted to the JKQ family, to his large

more.

years.

Letter to the Editor

Scenes from the fund

the musical tribute to

BBQ on April 11 and 12.

A Celebration of Life

for Jimmy will be held

this summer “when the

the beer is cold.

Central City leaders eye $150K

gameplan for future growth

Central City’s elected and

business leaders don’t own

a crystal ball and cannot predict

the future. However, most would agree that un-

less one or two new casinos and additional hous-

ing units are constructed within the next several

years, Central City’s future financial outlook

could seem quite bleak.

Many storefronts along Main Street in the

heart of Central’s Historic Downtown Gaming

District are vacant. Numerous city streets are

deteriorating. The municipally owned water sys-

tem needs significant upgrades. The Central City

Fire Department is having difficulty attracting

volunteer firefighters and seeks to relocate from

its outdated fire station on Lawrence Street.

Overall, the declining revenues at the city’s six

casinos over the past two years have resulted in

reduced tax income. If any of the gaming estab-

lishments were to close—or if the potential threat

of iGaming gains approval in Colorado—the city

might be compelled to further cut its services

and staff or request that residents approve an

increase in property taxes.

However, the elected officials and business

leaders are planning to take the high road when

considering the future – one that will lead to

renewed prosperity. Mayor Jeremy Fey has

repeatedly announced that he envisions Central

City transitioning into a world-class center for

music and the arts.

Several groups, including the city’s elected

mayor and aldermen, the Business Improvement

District, the two-year-old Central City Urban

Development Authority, and the relatively new

Central City Downtown Development Author-

ity, plan to contribute up to $150,000 to create a

new long-range Comprehensive Plan for the city

over the next 12 to 18 months.

Along with the elected officials and various

authorities contributing to the upcoming plan, it

may also receive input from the city’s Commu-

nity Development department and the Planning

Commission.

The plan aims to streamline certain city regu-

lations and simplify the process for developers

looking to build new housing projects or casinos.

During their April 1 meeting, the city council

authorized the Community Development Depart-

ment’s request to seek a $112,000 grant from

the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which

would assist the city in overhauling and updating

its Comprehensive Plan. The city, BID, URA, and

DDA will cover the remaining costs associated

with creating the new Comp Plan.

The city and its various affiliated boards

and authorities are expected to hire an outside

consultant specializing in developing plans that

could facilitate increased casino, commercial,

and residential growth in the city of nearly 700

residents.

Plan was a concept proposed

in February by Alexsandr

Sheykhet, president of

Architecture (OS Architec-

ture). Sheykhet, who also informally

suggested a Monarch-sized casino resort in the

Gregory Gulch area last year (see related story),

has developed previous comprehensive plans

that included preserving historic buildings, such

as those in Central City. His presentation to city

leaders two months ago covered the introduction

of new housing villages around the city, along

with revitalizing the mostly vacant storefronts

in the heart of the Historic Downtown Gaming

District.

OS Architecture was introduced to Central

City by William Porter, bondholder manager

for HWC Investors, which issued $45.2 million

in bonds to the Central City Business Improve-

ment District to finance the Central City Parkway

in 2003. In 2018, HWC released a report that

criticized the lack of development in Central’s

historic Downtown Gaming District.

In February, Porter expressed concern about

Central’s declining casino-gaming revenues,

which fund most of the city’s budget, and the

lack of work on preserving historic buildings and

infrastructure in the community. Porter, who

collaborates closely with the BID, stated that

HWC was willing to cover part of the cost for the

new Comprehensive Plan.

The BID has collaborated with city officials to

enhance the Main Street area. Last fall, it and

the Main Street Central City organization funded

the installation of temporary LED lighting in the

downtown area to brighten it at night. While the

experiment is set to conclude next month, the

two groups are exploring the possibility of in-

stalling new, permanent lights on buildings along

Main Street to make it more inviting for visitors.

Another key concern expressed by the BID has

been the need for increased parking near Main

Street, which is home to four of the city’s six ca-

sinos. In April 2023, BID Executive Director Joe

Behm presented to the then-city council, recom-

mending that they collaborate with groups to

convert the Sauer-McShane building on Spring

Street into a multi-story parking garage. At the

time, an architectural sketch indicated that the

building’s exterior would be preserved.

Behind it, a three-story parking garage would

be built for $16 and $20 million, accommodat-

ing 280 to 320 vehicles. Glass-enclosed overhead

walkways are included in the plans for garage

users to access Main Street or some of the nearby

casinos.

Although discussions about creating additional

parking for visitors have taken place, city lead-

ers have yet to take any action. When the city’s

Comprehensive Plan is conducted, it may include

a discussion on how Central can enhance Main

Street, along with parking and infrastructure

improvements that could help attract more hous-

ing, casinos, and commercial development.

Organizations and members who might work on future Central City Comprehensive Plan update

Urban Downtown Business

Redevelopment Development Improvement

Name Position(s) Authority Authority District

Jeremy Fey* Mayor Chair

Aldermen member member

Gilpin school board member

Gilpin Co. treasurer member

Central City mgr. Exec. Director Exec. Director

local businessman Chairman board member

local realtor member

Dana Laratta+ Century Casino mgmt. board member

Jeff Hentschel+ (A) GF Casino manager member board member

Travis Reese+ VP, RCI Hospitality board member

Tom Robb+ rep., RCI Hospitality board chair

Eric Langan (A) CEO, RCI Hospitality member

Joe Behm Exec. Director

Jeff Noffsinger city planning director

Planning Comm.(A) Six residents (appointed)

* – Regularly-elected local official, including local council, school board or county position.

+-Elected to a Special District board by a limited number of property owners and lease holders

within that taxing jurisdiction.

(A) – Appointed by city council to serve on an Authority or city commission.

Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

We print stu!!

Three Brothers Printing

Fast and competitive full-color printing

Located in Mid Gilpin County

Heartfelt thank you to

The passing of my husband, Jimmy Lewis, has left us all

Support authors and subscribe to content

Subscribe

Patrick Henry Sweeney

Related Posts

More eastbound closings are scheduled at Exit 6

Springtime in the Rockies, gondola-style

Rock blasting, scaling projects have returned

About Us

Quick Links

News Categories

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Retrieve your password

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