Business View Magazine November-December 2018

210 211 MONTROSE, CO is the Montrose Urban Renewal Authority (MURA) that we have formed along the Uncompahgre River on the northwestern edge of town,” says Chelsea Rosty, Director of Business Innovation. “What we’re attempting to do is create an out- door manufacturing park, and we’re hoping that the outdoor manufacturing businesses will be attracted to it.We have our first anchor tenant, Mayfly Outdoors there – they manufacture fly fishing reels under the brands Ross and Abel Reels, as well as other outdoor recreation prod- ucts. Their building should be completed by the end of 2019.” Rosty says the City’s efforts to attract more businesses to the area have become a primary focus moving forward.With infrastructure like high-speed broadband internet already in place, Montrose is able to provide digital services no other Western Colorado community can offer. “We’re going to have Gold Medal water fishing at the river. There’s also a lake where people can come and try out some of the outdoor products. We’ve got all the infrastructure in, and now we’re just working on filling it with businesses.We’re also hoping to bring in a large restaurant and ho- tel for the area, as well as housing along the river. So, we’re taking an underutilized asset that we’ve had in Montrose and turning it into something that locals and visitors, alike, can enjoy.” Rosty says the city is also working to satisfy the needs and desires of its approximately 20,000 residents. “We did a citizen survey in 2016, and at the top of the list, the citizens of Montrose said that they were interested in improvements to the roads, and that traffic was a major concern,” she reports. “So, we have put millions of dollars back into our local infrastructure, improving some of the roads, and we’re creating some more north- south thoroughfares for our residents to utilize as they travel back and forth.We have a thriving downtown with recent improvements to the infrastructure; we’ve done some traffic calming;