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Heartfelt thank you to
The passing of my husband, Jimmy Lewis, has left us all
heartbroken. Things are noticeably quiet without the music,
jokes and laughter that inevitably filled our home.
That said, the amazing outpouring of love and support from
the community has meant a tremendous amount to all of us
and provided some heartwarming moments during this difficult
time.
The Lewis family would like to thank the Weekly Register-
Call for reaching out to us, for covering Jimmy’s passing in a
first-class manner, and for inviting friends and family to share
their stories, memories and photos.
We are also forever indebted to the JKQ family, to his large
more.
years.
Letter to the Editor
Scenes from the fund
the musical tribute to
BBQ on April 11 and 12.
A Celebration of Life
for Jimmy will be held
this summer “when the
the beer is cold.
Central City leaders eye $150K
gameplan for future growth
Central City’s elected and
business leaders don’t own
a crystal ball and cannot predict
the future. However, most would agree that un-
less one or two new casinos and additional hous-
ing units are constructed within the next several
years, Central City’s future financial outlook
could seem quite bleak.
Many storefronts along Main Street in the
heart of Central’s Historic Downtown Gaming
District are vacant. Numerous city streets are
deteriorating. The municipally owned water sys-
tem needs significant upgrades. The Central City
Fire Department is having difficulty attracting
volunteer firefighters and seeks to relocate from
its outdated fire station on Lawrence Street.
Overall, the declining revenues at the city’s six
casinos over the past two years have resulted in
reduced tax income. If any of the gaming estab-
lishments were to close—or if the potential threat
of iGaming gains approval in Colorado—the city
might be compelled to further cut its services
and staff or request that residents approve an
increase in property taxes.
However, the elected officials and business
leaders are planning to take the high road when
considering the future – one that will lead to
renewed prosperity. Mayor Jeremy Fey has
repeatedly announced that he envisions Central
City transitioning into a world-class center for
music and the arts.
Several groups, including the city’s elected
mayor and aldermen, the Business Improvement
District, the two-year-old Central City Urban
Development Authority, and the relatively new
Central City Downtown Development Author-
ity, plan to contribute up to $150,000 to create a
new long-range Comprehensive Plan for the city
over the next 12 to 18 months.
Along with the elected officials and various
authorities contributing to the upcoming plan, it
may also receive input from the city’s Commu-
nity Development department and the Planning
Commission.
The plan aims to streamline certain city regu-
lations and simplify the process for developers
looking to build new housing projects or casinos.
During their April 1 meeting, the city council
authorized the Community Development Depart-
ment’s request to seek a $112,000 grant from
the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which
would assist the city in overhauling and updating
its Comprehensive Plan. The city, BID, URA, and
DDA will cover the remaining costs associated
with creating the new Comp Plan.
The city and its various affiliated boards
and authorities are expected to hire an outside
consultant specializing in developing plans that
could facilitate increased casino, commercial,
and residential growth in the city of nearly 700
residents.
Plan was a concept proposed
in February by Alexsandr
Sheykhet, president of
Architecture (OS Architec-
ture). Sheykhet, who also informally
suggested a Monarch-sized casino resort in the
Gregory Gulch area last year (see related story),
has developed previous comprehensive plans
that included preserving historic buildings, such
as those in Central City. His presentation to city
leaders two months ago covered the introduction
of new housing villages around the city, along
with revitalizing the mostly vacant storefronts
in the heart of the Historic Downtown Gaming
District.
OS Architecture was introduced to Central
City by William Porter, bondholder manager
for HWC Investors, which issued $45.2 million
in bonds to the Central City Business Improve-
ment District to finance the Central City Parkway
in 2003. In 2018, HWC released a report that
criticized the lack of development in Central’s
historic Downtown Gaming District.
In February, Porter expressed concern about
Central’s declining casino-gaming revenues,
which fund most of the city’s budget, and the
lack of work on preserving historic buildings and
infrastructure in the community. Porter, who
collaborates closely with the BID, stated that
HWC was willing to cover part of the cost for the
new Comprehensive Plan.
The BID has collaborated with city officials to
enhance the Main Street area. Last fall, it and
the Main Street Central City organization funded
the installation of temporary LED lighting in the
downtown area to brighten it at night. While the
experiment is set to conclude next month, the
two groups are exploring the possibility of in-
stalling new, permanent lights on buildings along
Main Street to make it more inviting for visitors.
Another key concern expressed by the BID has
been the need for increased parking near Main
Street, which is home to four of the city’s six ca-
sinos. In April 2023, BID Executive Director Joe
Behm presented to the then-city council, recom-
mending that they collaborate with groups to
convert the Sauer-McShane building on Spring
Street into a multi-story parking garage. At the
time, an architectural sketch indicated that the
building’s exterior would be preserved.
Behind it, a three-story parking garage would
be built for $16 and $20 million, accommodat-
ing 280 to 320 vehicles. Glass-enclosed overhead
walkways are included in the plans for garage
users to access Main Street or some of the nearby
casinos.
Although discussions about creating additional
parking for visitors have taken place, city lead-
ers have yet to take any action. When the city’s
Comprehensive Plan is conducted, it may include
a discussion on how Central can enhance Main
Street, along with parking and infrastructure
improvements that could help attract more hous-
ing, casinos, and commercial development.
Organizations and members who might work on future Central City Comprehensive Plan update
Urban Downtown Business
Redevelopment Development Improvement
Name Position(s) Authority Authority District
Jeremy Fey* Mayor Chair
Aldermen member member
Gilpin school board member
Gilpin Co. treasurer member
Central City mgr. Exec. Director Exec. Director
local businessman Chairman board member
local realtor member
Dana Laratta+ Century Casino mgmt. board member
Jeff Hentschel+ (A) GF Casino manager member board member
Travis Reese+ VP, RCI Hospitality board member
Tom Robb+ rep., RCI Hospitality board chair
Eric Langan (A) CEO, RCI Hospitality member
Joe Behm Exec. Director
Jeff Noffsinger city planning director
Planning Comm.(A) Six residents (appointed)
* – Regularly-elected local official, including local council, school board or county position.
+-Elected to a Special District board by a limited number of property owners and lease holders
within that taxing jurisdiction.
(A) – Appointed by city council to serve on an Authority or city commission.