As we embark on a journey into the future of economic development, the Alliance is proud to present our strategic plan that reflects our commitment to adaptability, innovation, and community impact. Over the past three years, our organization has undergone significant transformations to address the evolving challenges in economic development.
Economists shed light on the economic landscape during the 32nd Annual Southwest Economic Outlook hosted by Fort Lewis College Katz School of Business and Bank of Colorado. Fort Lewis College economics associate professor Nate Peach highlighted concerns about rising living costs impacting economic sentiments, especially among the youth.
The Alliance, in partnership with Project Moxie, is offering a three-part educational webinar series on workforce housing development. Find out more about this exciting opportunity.
The Pine River Commons is not just a housing project; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration and community-driven initiatives. We invite you to read the full article by Christian Burney in the Durango Herald to learn more about LPEDA’s role in this transformative project.
Our community is taking on the challenge of addressing a housing crisis, and the Alliance has offered a presentation on the basic elements of housing — from subsidized solutions to workforce housing to market-rate developments. This virtual presentation was facilitated by the housing experts at Project Moxie and Cappelli Consulting.
Housing101Please find a pdf presentation provided by SEH Engineering delivered to the property owners meeting on June 10, 2020 on the La Posta Road Sewer Alignment Study.
[embeddoc url=’https://yeslpc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2nd-property-owners-meeting-6.10.2020.pdf’ download=”all”]
Southwest Colorado has been chosen for $50 million in additional funding for expanded forest health and wildfire mitigation efforts on public and private land.
The newly formed Rocky Mountain Restorative Initiative selected the forest project proposal, which encompasses nearly 750,000 acres along Colorado Highway 160, including portions of the San Juan National Forest and towns of Dove Creek, Cortez, Dolores and Durango.
[embeddoc url=”https://yeslpc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/La-Plata-Economic-Snapshot-Region-9-2019.pdf” download=”all”]
How is the economy right now in Durango and La Plata County?
Find out the latest on our employment, home construction, tourism, and other key measures of our local economic performance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can walk you through what the data means.
Economic conditions in La Plata County from Apr 2015 to Apr 2019.
| Summary | ||||
| Improved (+) | 5 | |||
| No Change (o) | 7 | |||
| Declined (-) | 7 | |||
| Improved (Declined) | (2) | |||
| Current | Last Month | Last Year | Change (vs Last Year) | |
| Workforce | ||||
| Labor Force | 32,189 | 31,494 | 32,039 | o |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.3 | – |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 56.6 | 55.4 | 57.1 | o |
| Job Openings | 1,183 | 715 | 924 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Construction & Housing | ||||
| New Permits (to Date) | 22 | 16 | 71 | – |
| Value of Permits ($,000) (to Date) | 129,829 | 125,008 | 31,095 | + |
| Home Sales | 71 | 56 | 209 | – |
| Average Home Price ($) | 499,750 | 496,764 | 486,673 | + |
| Earnings Needed* ($) | 87,000 | 85,800 | 85,000 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Travel & Tourism | ||||
| Enplanements | 13,480 | 15,766 | 13,734 | o |
| Lodgers Tax ($) | 55,452 | 43,493 | 61,323 | – |
| Train Visitors | 3,895 | 3,818 | 3,737 | + |
| 8 | ||||
| Gas & Oil | ||||
| New Permits (to date) | 0 | 0 | 52 | – |
| Production (mmcf) | 0 | 17,176 | 23,948 | – |
| 8 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| Sales Tax, Durango ($,000)** | 1,357 | 1,061 | 1,363 | o |
| Commercial Sales ($,000) (to date) | 3,414 | 1,389 | 12,153 | – |
| Foreclosures (to date) | 14 | 11 | 19 | – |
| Energy Use | ||||
| Commercial (mwh) | 57,500 | 55,262 | 52,775 | + |
| Commercial Accounts | 6,508 | 6,481 | 6,461 | o |
Notes:
*”Earnings needed” is the household income necessary to purchase an average-priced home in La Plata County.
**Sales tax for Durango includes Use Tax.
Sources: Employment: Colorado Department of Labor and US Census Construction & Housing: City of Durango, La Plata County, Mortgage-X.com, and the Wells Group Travel & Tourism: City of Durango, Durango Area Tourism Organization (DATO), and Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Gas & Oil: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Other: City of Durango (Sales tax and business permits), La Plata County Treasurers Office (Foreclosures), and LPEA (Energy Use) (LPEA data is unaudited)
