Sterling, Colorado

9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 for business owners to reintroduce apartments to the upper floors of historic buildings, adding another housing option to support growth in the city. To help regenerate and beautify this part of the community, the Sterling Urban Renewal Authority offers funding to downtown businesses for façade improvements, resulting in impressive changes. As Good describes, “One of the most interesting things that is happening, is that in the ‘60s and ‘70s, everybody put a new facade over the old buildings to modernize them. As of late, a lot of building owners have been taking those off so we can see the things that were there, bringing it back to the original. It has been really interesting to see what they uncover when they do that.” With 17 parks totalling 130 acres, Sterling has abundant options for anyone looking for outdoor recreational opportunities. Wade Gandee, Directory of Parks, Recreation & Library notes, “There are 11 different pavilions in our parks that are able to be rented by our citizens. We have 12 different playgrounds, providing activities for children from ages 2 to 12. We have a small amphitheater, 8 tennis courts, 2 pickleball courts, and 10 basketball courts. There is a three-field softball complex. We have several hard and soft walking and biking trails totaling 5.5 miles of trails in the parks themselves. The city owns 360 plus acres of open space, with several miles of soft trails along those open spaces, a five-acre fish pond, and 2 one-acre fish ponds.” There are also plans to increase the number of trails, creating a 14-mile loop through the community, as well as the intent to update or rebuild the city’s aging recreation center. The nine-year-old Sterling water treatment plant is a source of pride, and an excellent resource to meet the demands of future growth in the community. According to Good, “It’s a state-of- the-art reverse osmosis plant. I’m pleased to say all my operators that are here are A operators, which is the top level. They have all been with the system since it started. We are running 1.5