Castle Pines looking to destination businesses to spur local shopping

The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce wants to bring destination businesses to the city of 10,000 as part of plan to boost the fledgling city’s merchants.

The businesses in the city are struggling, said Carla Kenny, vice president of the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce.

“They’re working hard, but they’re hanging on,” she said, citing successful businesses such the Bundt Shoppe and restaurant La Dolce Vita.

She said most businesses attract residents of Castle Pines but need to bring in more people off Interstate 25. Kenny said she thinks bringing in a destination business like Whole Foods would entice people to get off Exit 188 and come in to town.

To bolster efforts to help the local businesses, which could include a “shop local” campaign, the chamber is teaming up with the city government, but those discussions are still in the early stages, said Kim Newcomer, a spokesperson for the city.

“I think the city is focused on how do you encourage economic vitality as a whole, so that means supporting existing businesses already here and how do you help other businesses be successful?” Newcomer said.

Kenny said teaming up with the city is necessary to help bring in businesses.

“I think that we all play a role together and we have to collaborate to have incentives to bring people here,” Kenny said.

Bren Hendren, owner of Studio B Interiors, has been in Castle Pines since 2003 and is grateful for any help the chamber or the city can bring. She said too many Castle Pines residents go north to places like Park Meadows mall to do their shopping.

“I think people have a tendency to go north rather than south, because there’s so much more ,” Hendren said. ” I think we could use a Whole Foods or a Sprouts (Farmer’s Market) to really help the traffic.”

She said she has diversified her shop to include more home accessories and gifts.

The chamber started as a business association in 2007, two years before the city was incorporated, and opened as a chamber in 2008. It currently has 204 members although not all of those members are in Castle Pines or even Douglas County.

Kenny is optimistic, pointing to two new residential developments in the next few years: the Canyons, a 3,300-acre mixed-use development east of I-25 with 2,500 homes; and the Castle Pines Town Center development east of Lagae Road.

Still, she said, something must be done between now and then: “People just don’t make it. So I think they really do need to boost the local hype.”

Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@denverpost.com