Durango's Vibrant Downtown!

I'm very proud of Durango's historic downtown, which continues to be vibrant and teeming with activity. In fact, in my work as a Realtor, I can't count the number of times folks have told me that our "real" downtown is one of Durango's greatest attractions!

In these times of economic downtown, the community has embraced many efforts to keep the heart of Durango, our amazing downtown, alive and well.

For instance, the City of Durango has invested in the construction of an 8000 square foot transit center - the largest in the region - to serve as a hub for all forms of public transportation. The new Transit Center is nearing completion and sits on Eighth Street between Main and Camino del Rio.

Durango has also long been involved in making its downtown pedestrian and bike friendly and a new "streetscape" program, which will begin this fall, will allow for replacement of sidewalk segments and the redesign of intersections. Also, 36 new bike racks will be added to the 70 already in place. New trees will be planted and a new energy -efficient LED (light emitting diode) streetlight program, among the first in the state, will be implemented.

Also in the works, although still in the planning stages, is "Railroad Square" which will feature a Grand Central Hotel and Conference Center to be located near the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The 26,000 square foot conference center that will be a part of this project will accommodate sit down dinners for up to 600 and the hotel will feature some 200 guest rooms.

We also contintue to see exciting live-work projects whenever historic buildings are remodelled such as in the 700 block of Main Avenue where a fire in 2008 burned three historic buildings. These structures have been rebuilt with main street facades matching the old-time Durango heritage, but with sophisticated and technologically up-to-date interiors.

Downtown business owners are now, more than ever, commited to making shopping downtown a unique and pleasurable experience. A spirit of keeping local dollars in town seems to be pervading our Durango community.

In short, I'm proud to call Durango my home and proud of all of the community efforts to keep our Historic Durango Downtown the best it has ever been.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me, Don Ricedorff, at The Wells Group 970-375-7014, don@frontier.net, or at my website at durangorealproperty.com.



Don Ricedorff is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Colorado, with 16 years of experience, and he resides in Durango Colorado. He has numerous real estate designations, which have provided him with an unparalleled education to assist his clients. The designations include:



CRS, Certified Residential Specialist
CRB, Certified Residential Broker
CCIM, Certified Commercial Investment Member
CDPE, Certified Distressed Property Expert
ABR, Accredited Buyer Representation
GRI, Graduate of Realtor Institute
RSPS, Resort and Second Home Property Specialist
CIPS, Certified International Property Specialist
SRES,Senior Real Estate Specialist


He is also an active volunteer in the community and his church. His highest aspiration is spending time with his wife, Janet, and his three children Kelly, Katie, and Kyle. His other interests include playing tennis, fly fishing, hiking, boating, and water skiing.