Colorado

Colorado is known the world over for its ski resorts, which bring millions of visitors to the state every year.

Growing this business means attracting new skiers and, increasingly, getting them to spend more. Bringing upscale shopping, fine dining, lodging, and event spaces to towns that are by definition remote poses a unique challenge to the construction industry here. Work-from-anywhere policies have also caused an influx of new residents and pushed new developments to cater to both tourists and locals. This has, in turn, pushed housing costs up and created serious problems for the workers who keep the resorts running.

Affordable housing is a problem across Colorado. Many cities have begun to require a percentage of units in new developments to be set aside to be sold below market rate to qualifying families – something that is becoming increasingly common in major cities. In Denver, some of the largest projects are mixed-use redevelopments on downtown’s southwest side. This is one of the last parts of the urban core to be redeveloped in this way, and it will likely be the epicenter of development here in the coming decades.

* Other structures include religious buildings, amusement, government communications, and public recreation projects.