Downtown Partnership August Newsletter

The brand new Downtown Lanes are located at 25 North Tejon, on the third floor of the Cowboys building. Access is through the first floor hallway to the elevator, or through the Cowboys Club at the same address.

Sporting seven lanes (and one extra long one vying for a Guinness World Record), four pool tables, two electronic dart lanes, foosball, a dance floor, multiple TVs and a rooftop patio grill, Downtown Lanes is really "an upscale bowling night club," says owner Kathy Guadagnoli.

Art for Land Sake 1

The patio grill features burgers, hotdogs and sandwiches on the rooftop, with plenty of umbrellas for sunny days and two outdoor TVs. The bar can be accessed on either side (indoors and out) and a mini-garage door encloses it during inclement weather.

A big fan of Art on the Streets, Guadagnoli decided to bring some "typical" outdoor art inside. She hired airbrush artist Halo to spray paint the vivid interior art.

Mondays and Tuesdays, the entertainment venue is open from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. A game of bowling usually costs $5, although there are nightly specials which are detailed at www.downtownlanescs.com. Families and those under 21 are welcome until 8 p.m. most nights, except for Sundays, which are billed as Family Night. Monday and Tuesday evenings are College Nights. All prices include shoe rental.

Word of mouth (and no advertising) has already made Downtown Lanes a favorite new Downtown hotspot. Guadagnoli invites the public to come check it out, and enjoy a first game of bowling free!

Chime in

Vote for your favorite Art on the Streets piece

Of course, we're biased, but... we still happen to think this year's Art on the Streets exhibit is our best ever. When the annual exhibit opened in late June, our Star Juror selected three top prizewinners. We're not going to mention them here, though, because we want YOU to chime in on your favorite without our influence!

Thanks to the Gazette, the public can vote online for its favorite Art on the Streets piece. Go to

http://www.gazette.com/articles/art-59738-streets-.html.

To the right of the article you'll find a downloadable Word document to use as a guide. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page to find a printable map. After you've toured the district to view the pieces (or if you already know your favorite), go back to the same page, scroll down again, and cast your vote!

The Gazette will post final results near the end of August!

Save the date

Downtown's "Sunday on the Town" September 13

Fans of the popular annual "Sunday on the Town" who may be wondering what happened to it this year: fret not! The fun all-over-Downtown event has moved from Spring to Fall. This year's Sunday on the Town will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. on September 13.

Here's what it's all about. Ticket-holders enjoy prize drawings at shops and galleries, and free food samples at restaurants. Sprinkled Downtown between venues will be Colorado Springs Philharmonic and other local musicians as well as plein air artists from Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Twenty-three restaurants and 17 shops and galleries are participating.

For $25 in advance ($30 day of), participants receive a supersized button that identifies them at participating merchants. Buttons can be purchased after August 26 at:

� Downtown Partnership,

111 S. Tejon, Suite 309, 719-886-0088

� Colorado Springs Philharmonic,

111 S. Tejon, Ste 102, 719-575-9632

� Terra Verde, 208 N. Tejon St.

� Jack Quinn's, 21 S. Tejon St.

� McCabe's Tavern, 520 S. Tejon St.

Sunday on the Town proceeds benefit both the Downtown Partnership and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. For more information, contact Denise Schall at 719-886-0088 or deniseschall@downtowncs.com.

Darpino does it again

"A city that cares about art"

Anyone who's recently passed over the Bijou Street bridge heading into Downtown may have wondered: what's that new sculpture?

The larger-than-life depiction of a young cyclist, paused in the median (where Bijou diverts to Kiowa), as if she's considering which path to take, is aptly named "Trailblazer." Sculpted in bronze by renowned local artist Fred Darpino (www.freddarpino.com), the piece stands 7 feet tall by 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. Sited in close proximity to the Pikes Peak Greenway trail and at a primary entryway to Downtown, Trailblazer simultaneously conveys our city's spirit of outdoor recreation and demonstrates its commitment to public art.

The work was conceived of more than a decade ago, when Darpino was a contender for commissioned artwork to launch Downtown streetscape improvements. When funding wasn't achieved, the project was postponed.

In the spring of 2005, the estate of the late General Arthur G. Salisbury made a gift to Community Ventures Inc., which operates Art on the Streets and other Downtown art efforts. The gift was earmarked to fund a work of art to memorialize Salisbury and his wife, Nancy, who preceded him in death. Community Ventures revisited Darpino's earlier idea. Then, in 2007, Lucy O. Ross also made a donation to support Downtown art, which has funded Trailblazer to completion.

Trailblazer was installed earlier this month, thanks to the generosity of Murphy Constructors (www.murphyconstructors.com) and Colorado Springs Utilities (www.csu.org) volunteers.

Trailblazer will be dedicated and officially accepted into the City's permanent collection in a ceremony led by Mayor Rivera at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26. The public is invited and encouraged to walk or bike to the site.

Can you guess?

Downtown Puzzler

Surely you know this one! (We'll cut you some slack if you're a newcomer!) Think... education... information... great American philanthropist...

Spend it Downtown

Downtown Gift Card available September 18

Sure you could get a gift certificate for a single store, but how about a gift card that works at a hundred or so of them?

Gift cards are hugely popular and soon, those who like to shop Downtown (but may be stymied on just what to purchase where) will have the option of purchasing a gift card accepted at numerous downtown shops, restaurants and galleries.

Participating Downtown merchants will be leveraging the same kind of convenience as big box chains and malls.

The Downtown Gift Card will launch September 18, and can be purchased online at www.downtown80903.com or at the Downtown Partnership office, 111 South Tejon St., Ste. 309. Whether you give or receive a card, you'll be able to go online and find detailed information, including addresses and maps, about all participating merchants, too. How's that for strategic shopping?!

Downtown merchants who haven't yet signed on are encouraged to contact Denise Schall as soon as possible at 719-886-0088.

Donate a gift basket

Highlight your business at DCI Conference

The Downtown Partnership is very excited about their sponsorship of the Downtown Colorado, Inc. annual conference, Downtown Economic Vitality: Creative Solutions through Preservation & Management, in Colorado Springs (at the Antlers Hilton) on September 23-25, 2009.

Bringing 200 out of town visitors to Downtown with three days of sessions, mobile workshops, lunch dine-arounds, receptions, and networking opportunities, the conference is shaping up to be a leading forum for learning effective downtown revitalization efforts for economic development and recovery in Colorado.

The Downtown Partnership is looking for donations of Gift Baskets for the annual conference drawing. This is a great opportunity to highlight your business. Thank you to the Colorado Springs Conservation Corps for partnering with the Business Improvement District to stuff a recycled banner bag for the event. What a great idea! If you would like information about attending the conference, or would like to donate a gift basket, please call Jacque Stanley at 719-886-0088.

Come home to Downtown

Two. Eight. West. Check it out!

Thinking about expressing your inner urban resident? Downtown's newest housing option is sure to knock your socks off.

Two-eight West is in a class by itself. Located at - no surprise here-28 West Monument Street, this luxury five-story condominium structure will offer up to 16 homes. Up to, you ask? That's a reference to the fact that Two-Eight is fully "customizable" --- the complex has been built as a "shell" structure which can then be configured by buyers. For example, of the three units already reserved, one is slated for a 1900SF home; another will be 3600SF. If you prefer a larger home, you have the option of purchasing a double space.

All units are single story and full-through, east to west, with no interior corridors between. Each offers both west-facing and east-facing covered balconies; units on the south end incorporate a third outdoor space on that side. All have generous views of Pikes Peak and the close-in Front Range. The development overlooks Monument Valley Park and the Pikes Peak Greenway trail system, and is within walking distance of the Fine Arts Center (one block north), Colorado College, numerous shops, restaurants, the YMCA, Penrose Library, Pikes Peak Center and more.

A variety of private garages on the ground level will be available for purchase, too. Elevators will rise from there to welcome lobbies.

Once buyers have determined the amount of space they desire, they'll work hand-in-hand with Two-Eight's architect, Dave Barber, to design the home's space to their personal specifications. Owners will choose all their own interior finishes. Pricing for the shell space ranges from $212 to $346 per square foot, depending on which floor and unit are selected.

Developed by Bob Elliott and built by Gordon Construction, Two-Eight West will begin hosting "tours and tapas" nights sometime in September, with first owner move-ins slated for the end of the year. In the interim, prospective buyers can get a glimpse into all the possibilities at www.twoeightwest.com. There are ample architectural renderings, local maps, and "potential" floor plans; after all, yours will be uniquely yours!

For more information, contact either Bob or Karen Elliott at 719.331.0000.

We've got answers

We've got answers!

This gorgeous piece of local history is, of course, the south side of what's now known as the Carnegie Reading Room at Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade. The building, one of the nearly 1700 U.S. libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie between 1883 and 1929, was made possible with a $60,000 gift, and originally opened in 1905. Today it is simply a "wing" of the extended facility and houses a variety of special collections relative to regional history, genealogy, manuscripts and other special archives. If you haven't already, be sure to "check it out."

Help us help you!

Send us your news

But please send it early!

The Downtown Partnership e-newsletter is sent out on or near the 15^th of each month. If you have news or events to publicize, please keep that date in mind and submit your materials by the first of the month. If your event falls on a date during the first two weeks of a month, you'll want to contact us by the first of the preceding month. For example, a September 10^th event should be publicized in our August15^th newsletter... so we'd need to have your information by August 1. Questions? Contact Terri at 886-0088.