COLORADO SPRINGS – A bridge in North Gate that appears to lead to nowhere will open in a matter of weeks, ushering in a new wave of rapid development that will ultimately include a connection of Powers Boulevard to I-25.
Spectrum Loop, snaking its way through the Polaris Pointe retail development near North Gate Boulevard and Voyager Parkway, will open in two to three weeks, pending approval from the City of Colorado Springs, according to Gary Erickson, owner and developer of the development originally dubbed Copper Ridge. The bridge will provide the connection between the north and south portions of the development, each spanning 100 acres. The $6 million bridge and roadway project was funded by sales tax revenues generated by the businesses of Polaris Pointe.
The Spectrum Loop bridge spans what eventually will be Powers Boulevard, once it is extended to meet Interstate 25. Erickson says construction on an interchange with I-25 and a roughly three-quarter-mile section of Powers from the interstate to Voyager Parkway could begin within the next three to six months. “We’ve got to go through the easement process with the Air Force Academy,” Erickson said. “As soon as we get this section announced, we have several retailers ready to commit to the site, which will build our tax base to where we can run it all the way through to (State Highway) 83.”
Erickson expects rapid development of the southern 100-acre portion of Polaris Pointe, hinting that a major announcement is forthcoming in the next week or so. “We opened Bass Pro Shops five years ago, and since then we’ve opened over 70 new businesses, with all new builds, which is about one and a half a month,” Erickson said. “When Powers and I-25 intersect, it’s where all the retailers will want to be.”
“That’s certainly something that we’ve been hoping for for awhile now, so I think it should really help our business,” said Mike Warmouth, a co-owner of Brass Tap restaurant and bar. “We’re looking forward to all the development that will occur once the road is in place.”
