City of Boulder Business Bulletin

Welcome to the City of Boulder Business Bulletin
Supporting businesses with timely updates, resources and opportunities

The Business Bulletin keeps Boulder’s business community informed about city programs, funding opportunities, infrastructure projects and other initiatives that may impact local businesses. It’s designed to help businesses stay connected, informed and prepared for upcoming changes and opportunities.

Visit our newsletter archive to explore past editions and stay up to date on what’s happening across the city.

The City of Boulder is in the process of exploring the creation of a DDA, a long-term financing and investment tool that could help support redevelopment, economic vitality, public space improvements, and multimodal connectivity across Downtown Boulder, the Civic Area and University Hill. Over the past year, city staff and a community-based Planning Group have been refining potential district boundaries and developing a draft Plan of Development. The process is now entering a critical phase focused on legal formation steps and City Council review, with a potential voter decision expected this fall.

Downtown Boulder is hosting an upcoming community meeting to learn more about how a DDA could benefit your business or property, ask questions and share your perspective on the long-term vision for Boulder's core.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. (enter through the north building). Coffee, juice, and pastries provided. Free 90-minute parking available in the Canyon Lot (1000 Canyon Blvd.) via kiosk or ParkMobile app. Please RSVP.

The City of Boulder is beginning major improvements at the 11th & Spruce Garage, including structural repairs, storefront replacements, concrete and traffic coating updates, elevator and stairwell improvements, upgraded lighting and fresh paint. As one of downtown Boulder’s oldest and most heavily used parking facilities, the garage requires significant repairs to maintain safety, reliability and long-term functionality.

While the full closure will create temporary impacts, completing the work proactively allows construction to move more efficiently, improves safety for the public and crews, and helps prevent larger disruptions in the future.

Please note important project dates: 

 For regular garage maintenance updates, visit the city's construction impacts page.

The City of Boulder recently completed a Request for Information (RFI) process for the Civic Area East Bookend to gather ideas and assess market interest in the potential development of city-owned properties in this important Downtown Boulder location. Nine teams responded, representing a mix of development firms, design teams, cultural organizations and local partners. Responses highlighted opportunities to create a vibrant, year-round civic destination with a mix of cultural programming, community gathering spaces, commercial activity, hospitality uses and enhanced connections to the Civic Area, Boulder Creek and Pearl Street. The RFI was an exploratory process, and no development concepts or partnerships will be selected from the responses, instead, the responses inform next steps. 

Many respondents proposed public-private partnership models that would allow the city to leverage private investment to deliver public benefits such as cultural venues, open space improvements and expanded programming. City staff are now reviewing the responses to help shape next steps ahead of a future Request for Proposals (RFP), expected later this year. Visit the city’s website to learn more about the Civic Area East Bookend project and next steps.

The City of Boulder is continuing to gather community feedback as City Council considers whether to adjust the city’s tip offset, and workers and business owners are encouraged to share their input before the questionnaire closes on June 2, 2026.

The tip offset is the amount an employer may subtract from a tipped worker’s hourly wage because that worker also earns tips. In Boulder, it applies only to food and beverage establishments, and by law, tipped workers must still earn at least the full local minimum wage. The offset is currently set at $3.02 - the statewide amount - and will not change unless Council acts. The city is seeking feedback on a range of options, from no change to a moderate or more significant increase.

This is an important opportunity for eating and drinking establishments and the workers they employ to help inform Council’s decision-making process. Business owners and employees are especially encouraged to participate, as their perspectives will help Council better understand the potential real-world impacts of any changes under consideration.

Visit the project webpage to learn more, complete the questionnaire and explore the tip offset calculator, which helps tipped workers and business owners estimate how potential changes could affect them. The questionnaire is open through June 2, 2026, and responses may be submitted anonymously.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) serving Boulder County has several upcoming workshops designed to support the local business community:

See more information about upcoming workshops and register.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced a new certification initiative led by the Minority Business Office (MBO). Certify Colorado will break down barriers for small business owners across Colorado by helping cover the cost of obtaining nationally recognized certifications which can be key to acquiring government and corporate contracts.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) approved a total of $250,000 for Certify Colorado. The program will serve businesses on a first come first served basis by providing up to $2,000 toward certification fees per participating business.

Learn more about this initiative.

Follow the City of Boulder on social media!