The City of Steamboat Springs was notified earlier this month that it has been awarded a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for $800,000 from the state’s Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund.
“The Butcherknife Creek project essentially completes the city’s $11-million-dollar, multi-year Downtown Improvement Project,” commented City Council President Pro Tem Kathi Meyer. “With the DOLA grant, we’re able to immediately address significant infrastructure issues, protect property and insulate communications systems for future generations.” 
The $800,000 grant will go toward construction of floodplain and pedestrian improvements along the popular Butcherknife Creek within the old town district. The new infrastructure enhancements, expected to last 30 to 50 years, focus on safety improvements in the area from Oak to Yampa between 6th & 7th Streets.
The project will replace a nearly 100-year-old and obsolete box culvert along Butcherknife Creek and ties into a culvert installed in 2009 under Highway 40. In addition, new sidewalks, stormwater enhancements and streetscape amenities featuring smart technology LED lighting and landscaping will be installed.
“Competition for these limited funds was intense and we had many more requests than we had funds available,” DOLA Executive Director Rick Garcia wrote in the award letter. Other city facility projects that have received Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance Funds include the Combined Law Enforcement Facility, Yampa Street, Community Center, Parks & Recreation Building, Public Works Shop Expansion and Centennial Hall.
As a part of this project, the city also received a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE) Water Quality Improvement Fund to install a mechanized stormwater treatment device at this site, which separates and filters pollutants before reaching the river. These two projects will be conducted simultaneously. While not a part of the DOLA grant award, the Butcherknife project will also construct a new, year-round, public restroom adjacent to Eagle Scout Park and the parking lot at the intersection of 7th Street and Yampa Street.
“Butcherknife Creek traverses through the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs and is a vital connection between the city’s residential and commercial core,” said City Engineer Ben Beall. “The creek is an essential waterway to the Yampa River and these improvements will improve safety and reduce the 100 year floodplain for the city.”
In addition to the DOLA grant, the $2.5M Butcherknife Creek Improvement Project is funded from $1.61M in matching city funds and the $90,000 CDPHE grant. The project, under the administration of city engineer Michael Beurskens, is anticipated to start in late summer with additional details regarding construction timing available after the project is bid and awarded.
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Contact
Winnie DelliQuadri, Assistant to the City Manager, 970.871.8257 or email
Ginger Scott, Grant Analyst, 970.871.8215 or email
Ben Beall, City Engineer, 970.871.8293 or email