Downtown Colorado, Inc., a nonprofit that provides assistance to Colorado downtowns, commercial districts and town centers, announced on Monday the honorees for outstanding projects and people that demonstrated creativity and dedication to downtown initiatives.

“During the 2020 pandemic, the Governor’s Awards for Downtown Excellence provide a needed chance to remember the champions and innovators who are keeping our commercial districts and small businesses alive,” said Katherine Correll, the organization’s executive director. “The Governor’s Awards celebrate the amazing projects and people that are committed to economic and community revitalization in Colorado.”

The winners for this year are: 

• Best of partnership: Boulder’s Ready to Work Program and Durango’s Durango Renewal Partnership
• Partnership for events: Englewood’s Block Party and La Junta/Walsenburg/Trinidad’s 2019 SOCO Tourism Summit
• Best of place: Greeley’s Art Alley and Glenwood Springs’ 7th Street Enhancement Project
• Best of planning: Loveland’s Downtown Design Standards and Alamosa’s Downtown Design Plan
• Projects with adaptation: Fort Collins’ Poudre Garage and Windsor’s Windsor Mill

In addition, the Dowtowner of the Year Award went to the following invidivuals:

• Steve Art, economic development manager of Wheat Ridge
• Marian Hollingsworth of Lake City DIRT
• Rick Kron of Louisville, DCI board member
• Jo Ann Files of Montrose

Nominations for the 2021 individual and governor’s awards are open until Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.