Fifty years ago, Colorado Mountain College was preparing to open its first two campuses in Leadville and in Glenwood Springs, thanks to a few visionary leaders who realized post-secondary education would only be available in hard-to-reach mountain towns with a manifest destiny approach. Since then, CMC has become one of the largest employers in both communities and their respective counties, and one of the largest higher-education providers in the state — now operating 11 campuses serving 12,000 square miles of the central Rockies.
This nimble, innovative and accessible door to advanced education exists in large part thanks to the financial generosity of Leadville and Lake County in the early 1960s.
Given the college’s unique position to partner with nearly every business, nonprofit organization and school in the area over the years, we have acquired a holistic understanding of this complex and ever-evolving gem situated at 10,200 feet above sea level.
Foremost, the trends and economic outlook are positive, whether resulting from the Leadville Race Series or a combination of factors. A few examples not evident in recent news coverage include:
• Colorado Mountain College’s Timberline campus in Leadville and Chaffee County currently has one-third more full-time equivalent students registered than one year ago; our Leadville residential hall occupancy is near record levels.
• The hospitality industry is growing to meet increasing demand. A new four-star hotel with 227 rooms is currently under construction. Three new restaurants and/or breweries will open over the next year.
• After the former Alco store closed its doors due to a nationwide bankruptcy, the Leadville Lake County Economic Development Corporation worked closely with the investor/owner to find a new tenant. Shopko Hometown, a department store, opened within a mere six months at the same location.
•Another often-overlooked local asset is the headwaters of the Arkansas River, the foundation for one of the state’s most successful rafting and recreational economies. This vital watershed also provides our students, faculty and other researchers an opportunity to scientifically study the river and the high-altitude ecosystem it supports, bringing more than $8 million of federal research funds into the region since 2001.
•Gov. John Hickenlooper recently recognized Leadville as a Colorado Main Street Candidate Community, a notable designation which encourages economic development and revitalization while preserving a community’s historical character.
Understandably, the success of the Leadville Race Series — an early pioneer in endurance suffer fests that now number in the hundreds nationwide — comes with unintended consequences, including a town that is adapting to heightened seasonal demand. Overall, however, this stroke of social and economic entrepreneurship 32 years ago has branded Leadville and its surrounding areas in ways other communities can only envy. That Summit and Chaffee counties also see upside is a testament to a broad-based regional impact — a rising tide raising many boats in Colorado’s central mountains.
Leadville understands, as do other historic mining communities, that growth and prosperity don’t always proceed in a straight line. Its dedicated local leaders have made it their responsibility to reinvent this town into a destination well beyond its rich historic roots for visitors from across the globe. Through diversifying and reinvesting in tourism, fitness and other industries of the future, Leadville is laying the groundwork for prosperity today and tomorrow.
When Colorado Mountain College was founded nearly 50 years ago, few other places in the state rivaled the wealth of Leadville. Economic times change, but one thing remains constant: the citizens of Colorado’s high country stick together, in good times and bad. Through its characteristic grit and purpose, Leadville will again serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for a new generation of pioneering Coloradans. In the meantime, all of us in the central Rockies stand with this special town — one full of ingenuity, courage and determination and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.
Carrie Besnette Hauser is president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College.
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