A concept design that is underway to update Miner Street between 14^th and 17^th avenues in Idaho Springs includes wider sidewalks, “curb-less” streets, new lighting and landscaping, and heated streets, according to the city administrator’s office.

The heated streets on the south side are designed to help eliminate heavy and thick ice build-up during the winter months, city planners said.

“I like the curb-less design and what it can do for walkability and people with all different types of abilities,” said Idaho Springs Mayor Chuck Harmon during a public meeting at Citizens Park on Aug. 9.

Additional stormwater drainage improvements are also included, according to planning documents.

“It’s just exciting to work in a historic downtown. Idaho Springs means a lot to me,” said Cheney Bostic, owner of Studio Seed.

Studio Seed is a Colorado-based company that advertises itself as an “urban design & planning” outfit.

It’s been hired as the lead designer to complete a concept design for downtown Idaho Springs over the next year, specifically on Miner Street.

The biggest part of planning and design is maintaining the historic feel of the downtown area, Bostic said.

CDOT plays a major role in obtaining grants

The city recently received $2.4 million in the form of a federal RAISE grant for initial design work.

The RAISE grant is administered by the US Department of Transportation and stands for “Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity”

It’s a unique use of federal money for a local project. Specifically in Idaho Springs, Harmon said.

Federal RAISE grants can provide funding directly to any public entity, including municipalities, counties or others in contrast to traditional Federal programs which provide funding to very specific groups of applicants, according to the USDOT.

Idaho Springs has a unique partner in obtaining these multi-million-dollar grants.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is familiar with applying for these types of awards, and according to Harmon, CDOT is “lending” its grant writers to assist.

“A lot of the credit goes to (CDOT's) help and prior experience successfully getting RAISE grants,” Harmon said.

Idaho Springs and CDOT are already working to complete another RAISE grant application for an additional $25 million to help construct the project, Harmon said, adding that these applications can be several inches thick.

Mixed feelings from downtown merchants

The design and engineering of the Miner Street project includes a parking structure and transit center south of Idaho Street between 13^th and 15^th Avenues.

It is separate, but related. The city has funding for the parking garage and is moving forward with it, but is also packaging these projects together as a “bundle” to make the grant application stronger, according to Studio Seed.

“Parking is everything,” said owner-operators Jason and Meghan Vicker of “Sit N Chill” ice cream shop at the corner of Miner and 15^th Avenue.

Buckling sideways and streets are also a concern, the Vickers said.

“We need to be able to save our town, which means some things are going to have to be fixed," Jason added.

However, the fix can become part of the problem, Jason said.

“There’re benefits. There’s going to be beauties and there’s going to be hardships,” Jason said.

Several downtown merchants expressed their apprehension at the idea of the construction phase on Miner.

Experience, Jason said, can be a cautionary tale.

“It’s going to get held up. It’s going to get stalled," Jason said.

The design and engineering portion of the project is already underway. City administrators say if the additional RAISE grant can be secured, construction is planned for 2025.