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Montrose, CO — The City of Montrose has been recognized by the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Colorado) with an Excellence in Planning award for its Year of Main Street initiative, which brought more than $9 million in infrastructure improvements to downtown Montrose during the 2025 construction season.
The award recognizes how thoughtful planning, strategic coordination, and collaboration across city departments can maximize public investment while minimizing long-term disruption to the community. Rather than spreading major infrastructure improvements across multiple construction seasons, the city strategically coordinated projects to address multiple needs along Main Street within a single year.
The work represented a significant investment in the future of downtown Montrose, supporting infrastructure reliability, accessibility, mobility, and the continued vitality of the city's historic commercial district.
(The Year of Main Street initiative, which brought more than $9 million in infrastructure improvements to downtown Montrose during the 2025 construction season, was recognized by the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Colorado) with an Excellence in Planning award.)
“The Year of Main Street was about looking at the bigger picture and making the most of every opportunity we had,” said City Engineer Scott Murphy. “When we know multiple infrastructure improvements are needed in the same area, we have to ask ourselves how we can stack those projects on top of one another, coordinate the timing, and get as much accomplished as possible in one construction season. It takes a tremendous amount of planning and coordination, but it helps us avoid coming back to disrupt the same streets and businesses year after year.”
While the infrastructure work was extensive, city administrators recognized that Main Street is more than a transportation corridor. Main Street is home to local businesses, gathering places, and the people who give downtown Montrose its distinctive character. Maintaining business access and keeping the community informed were important considerations throughout the construction season.
“Main Street businesses were incredibly supportive throughout this process, and that made a tremendous difference,” said Michelle Wingfield, the City of Montrose's Community Initiatives Manager. “We knew these improvements were necessary, but we also understood that construction could create real challenges for the people whose livelihoods depend on downtown foot traffic and customer access. Working directly with business owners, communicating what was happening, and helping them navigate the disruption were essential. Their patience, flexibility, and willingness to work with the city helped make this ambitious effort possible.”
The Year of Main Street reflects the City of Montrose’s broader commitment to connecting infrastructure investment with economic development and community vitality. By coordinating projects and working alongside downtown businesses, the city sought to complete necessary improvements efficiently while supporting the people and places that make Main Street a destination.
The APA Colorado award recognizes the role of planning in building stronger communities and highlights the value of coordinated, forward-looking approaches to local challenges. For Montrose, the Year of Main Street illustrates how planning extends beyond individual projects to encompass long-term infrastructure needs, public investment, economic vitality, and meaningful community partnerships.
The City of Montrose extends its appreciation to the contractors, project partners, downtown business owners, residents, and city staff whose collaboration helped bring the Year of Main Street to fruition.
For more information about city infrastructure projects, visit the Moving Montrose Forward webpage at MoveMo.CO. For information about business support, revitalization, and community engagement initiatives, visit the Development and Revitalization Team (DART) webpage at CityofMontrose.org/DART