A special election in November paved the way for a new Downtown Development Authority (DDA) along East Colfax to help shape the future of that part of Aurora.

Business owners, residents, and property owners in the area between 14th and 16th Avenues and Yosemite and Oswego Streets voted in favor of creating the DDA to support economic growth.

The new governmental entity sets up a structure for tax-increment funding that allows future revenue growth from sales and property taxes to be reinvested in the neighborhood businesses.

The money won’t come quickly, as the Aurora mayor and city council need to agree on a board to oversee the DDA, including one city council member and four to ten members who are part of the community.

“It can be a really powerful kind of unifying voice from an entity that represents the small businesses, the residents, the property owners, and the stakeholders within an area,” said Naomi Grunditz Lacewell with Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA).

PUMA worked with the city and the community to determine what type of special district would work best for the people who live and work there, following responses to the Colfax Community Vision & Action Plan, a planning process focused on gathering priorities for the region.

“It’s really an incredible area with incredible people in it,” Grunditz Lacewell said, adding that the work ahead will be a group effort.

During the planning process, residents and business owners brought up common concerns, including cleanliness and safety along the corridor and the ability for businesses and community members to afford to stay in the neighborhood and feel supported.

One of those businesses is The People’s Building at 9995 East Colfax Ave. Aaron Vega, curator of the arts complex, said the area is a tricky one to organize with “such a disparate group of languages, cultures, and religions. Everything is shoved into such a small geographic space.”

Vega is hopeful the section of Aurora continues to attract new businesses. “More business means more sales tax, which means more money stays in the neighborhood,” he said.

Natasha Sztevanovity opened her business, Society 303 Wine, at 9600 East Colfax Ave. this year. Originally from New York City, she said, “There’s something about East Colfax that has always felt familiar—the grit, the character, the diversity, the sense of possibility. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of home, and that’s a big part of why I believe so deeply in its potential.”

She hopes Colfax continues to evolve into a “walkable, welcoming corridor” where independent businesses like her own can thrive, “residents feel a sense of pride and belonging, and visitors experience the character that makes this area so special.”

Sztevanovity sees potential for the DDA to help small businesses like hers have a better chance to succeed. She’s hopeful that investments in lighting and beautification can make a difference and that the DDA will help attract a diverse mix of businesses and bring more foot traffic to the sidewalks along Colfax.

Vega wants to make sure businesses don’t see the DDA as a blank check. He knows it will take some time for changes to happen, but he noted the changes he has already seen since The People’s Building opened seven years ago.

“We didn’t have many businesses. MLK Library was half empty. There were shuttered storefronts everywhere. The People’s Building wasn’t here. In seven years, this neighborhood has made huge leaps,” he said.

Business leaders say they hope the neighborhood and the DDA grow over time and that other businesses outside the current geographic district will be able to petition and join.