Image courtesy of Axel Learn
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Nestled at the edge of Pikes Peak, one of the highest summits of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs is proudly stepping out of Denver’s shadow and is poised to overtake Colorado’s capital as the most populous city in the state by 2050, according to state projections.
Named one of the top 10 places to live in the United States in 2022-23 by U.S. News & World Report and one of the “best-performing” large U.S. cities for its job growth and economic stability by the Milken Institute, Colorado Springs is ready to spring into prominence.
This exponential growth for a city with an estimated population of 506,646 has spurred economic development, highlighted by more than $2 billion in downtown investments, an 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, and a citywide fiber-optic network.
Home to five military bases, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and a number of nonprofits, Colorado Springs’ identity is as varied as its residents. Looking to tie it all together to create a unified sense of community and pride, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC began play in 2015.
Image courtesy of Isaiah Downing
“There wasn’t a lot of local culture, local pride or identity in the community because people are from all over the place,” Switchbacks President Nick Ragain said. “… We wanted to step in and say, ‘Hey, we want to help develop this part of the identity to drive pride in the community.’” Not only were the Switchbacks born to help unify Colorado Springs, but the United Soccer League (USL) expansion franchise plays an integral part in the city’s ambitious downtown redevelopment strategy dubbed “City for Champions.”
Including the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Ed Robson Arena, William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center, and Air Force Academy Visitor Center, the initiative officially began in 2013 utilizing state tax dollars from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority is forecasting the project will boost the region’s $1.35 billion tourism industry by attracting approximately 1.2 million visitors annually which will increase retail sales by $140 million each year and add $4.4 million in new sales tax revenue for the city annually.
Home to the Switchbacks, the $50 million Weidner Field (opened on April 24, 2021) is in downtown Colorado Springs, a mere three blocks from the 60,000-square-foot U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.
According to Ragain, during its inaugural season, Weidner Field and the Switchbacks employed 1,130 people, accounted for approximately 25,000 out-of-state tourists, and generated a $4 million positive tax impact.
Image courtesy of Isaiah Downing
“Weidner Field has had an incredible impact on downtown and the city—measured both directly and indirectly,” said Susan Edmondson, president and CEO of Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs. “It’s at the forefront of a revitalization of south downtown, attracting hundreds of thousands of people of all ages to what had been a rather blighted area. There’s a certain energy to a game day downtown that we’ve never had before with families and groups of fans converging from all directions to Weidner Field. Often, they’ve met beforehand for a bite to eat, or they may grab a beer after the match, which helps keep our small businesses thriving.
“The greatest indirect benefit of Weidner Field is that, as part of the City for Champions initiative, it set forth a bold vision for our city and proved we could think big and accomplish big things. It’s impossible to fully quantify the value of that kind of determination and confidence. Weidner Field was a significant part of the storytelling around our downtown renaissance that captured the excitement of developers, investors, and new businesses. It’s definitely one of the reasons we’ve seen over $2 billion in new development in our city center in recent years.”
Serving as a source of energy, optimism, growth, and pride for Colorado Springs, Weidner Field has a gravitational pull positively impacting surrounding bars, restaurants, hotels, and real estate, resulting in waves of economic growth emanating out from the facility, which hosts hundreds of events annually ranging from soccer to concerts, weddings, conferences, and banquets.
Image courtesy of Isaiah Downing
Not only does Weidner Apartment Homes’ Founder Dean Weidner have a stake in the club and naming rights to the stadium, but the 15th-largest apartment owner in the U.S. is also building a seven-floor, 1,200-unit multifamily complex adjacent to the stadium.
Because of the positive impact the Switchbacks and Weidner Field have made on their local community, both are optimal use cases for the USL when presenting opportunities for expansion and redevelopment throughout the U.S.
Currently working on 50 projects around the country, the largest professional soccer organization in North America has found its niche in mid-size markets rather than trying to compete with Major League Soccer—or NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL franchises—in major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
The USL helps bring professional sports to more communities and leverages stadium-anchored developments to revitalize underserved and underdeveloped areas. This is done through overseeing three men’s leagues (USL Championship, USL League One, USL League Two), two women’s leagues (USL Super League, USL W League), one elite player development platform (USL Academy), and a national youth platform (USL Super Y League).
“What we look for is a great community partner,” said Justin Papadakis, USL deputy CEO, COO, and chief real estate officer. “We also really like transformational developments. Our preference has been to find an area that’s been underutilized for a variety of reasons and create a transformational project anchored by a stadium.”
Image courtesy of Isaiah Downing
“Once we have those two pieces—a great community partner and some underutilized real estate with potential—we work with our city partners to do the rest.” Whether in Spokane, Washington, Texoma, Texas, Fort Myers, Florida, or Antelope Valley, California, the USL is leveraging soccer to fuel mid-size market redevelopment and economic impact.
With templates for downtown developments, repurposing underutilized facilities, or partnering with local colleges and universities, the USL can bring pro sports to the masses, which not only gives residents live entertainment and quality field access for youth but also buoys local economies and neglected areas.
“(Colorado Springs) is a great case study in what would be a smaller market that pro sports would look at,” Papadakis said. “It’s performing so well and driving hundreds of millions of economic benefits. They’re succeeding on the field, off the field, and outside the stadium and that’s how we measure success.”
Having qualified for the USL Championship postseason for the third consecutive year, the excitement for the Switchbacks on the field is certainly there, but the club’s impact on the burgeoning Colorado city is causing as much enthusiasm if not more.
“Sports is about wins and losses, but there’s also so much it creates, and it creates community,” Ragain said. “…There’s this story and lifestyle that Colorado Springs wants to tell. It just needs some energy behind it. At the end of the day, what the Switchbacks and Weidner Field bring to downtown is energy.”
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