The gateway to Ridgway at Highways 550 and 62 is undergoing a transformation that is planned to take several years to complete. This year, Heritage Park on the southwest corner of the intersection has been landscaped and the Ridgway Visitor Center at the west end of the park has been remodeled.
The business community is invited to view the current changes and learn about future plans at the Ridgway Business After Hours at the Ridgway Visitor Center and Heritage Park at 150 Racecourse Rd. Hosted by the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce (RACC) Board and the Town of Ridgway, the event on Tuesday, September 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. is also an opportunity for networking and celebrating the efforts of the Visitor Center volunteer staff who provided information to visitors all summer.
“The RACC Board continues to oversee projects and programs that benefit local businesses, but most of our work is done behind the scenes, developing and displaying online and print promotion to encourage and inform visitors and locals about our great community. This event is a chance for us to gather with business and nonprofit owners, managers and employees. We hope to celebrate our volunteers and our progress at the Visitor Center and Heritage Park, as well as share ideas and information about the future,” said Board President Tim Patterson.
Ridgway guitarist David Nunn will be performing music, and appetizers and drinks will be provided. The event is free and organized as a casual open house, so guests are welcome to come and go at any time during the three hours.
The town and chamber produced the Ridgway Visitor Center and Heritage Park Master Plan with community input in 2019. While the plan includes replacing the current Visitor Center building with new buildings and the addition of more amenities in the park, those projects will happen as funding is developed.
A meeting room has been created in the Visitor Center, where the Ridgway Railroad Museum’s indoor displays had been housed before it moved. RACC members will be able to use the renovated meeting space free of charge after the center closes to visitors at the end of September. Non-members will also be able to reserve the space for a nominal fee to help cover cleaning costs.
The Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce (RACC) is organized to promote business and community growth and development in the Town of Ridgway and the surrounding area. RACC manages the ridgwaycolorado.com website, the number-one Google search result for Ridgway. Other chamber programs include the annual Visitors Guide, winter shop local campaigns, member of the month promotions, and marketing through social media and traditional print and digital media. RACC manages the Ridgway Visitor Center, under agreement with the Town of Ridgway. The Strategic Master Plan for the Visitor Center and Heritage Park can be viewed and downloaded from https://ridgwaycolorado.com/images/news/Ridgway-Gateway-Strategic-Plan_June2019.pdf
