Downtown Grand Junction has received creative district designation, but what does that mean, and why should we care?

Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) this announced that downtown Grand Junction has become the 23rd creative district in the state.

CCI is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Its mission is to "support and encourage the innovators, creators, change-makers and dreamers who improve our quality of life and make Colorado creative."

The designation makes downtown Grand Junction eligible for financial support, assistance for marketing efforts, highway signage with CDOT for visitors to find the district, and other funding and leadership opportunities. It's potentially a big economic boost for the downtown area.

It's possible that a lot of people don't fully realize the magnitude of what downtown Grand Junction means to the community. There is a large presence of murals, art galleries, public pianos,  and regular events like the First Friday art walks, the Annual Art Festival, the renovated Avalon Theater, Las Colonias Park, and the long-standing Art on the Corner program, not to mention the summer farmers market, the downtown car show, Grand Junction Off-Road, and Tour de Rock.

There are a lot of good things happening in downtown Grand Junction and this new designation may create a nice payoff - not only for downtown but for the entire community. Marketing your assets is vital in attracting visitors and making people aware of what you have to offer. If they don't know about you, they can't come.

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