2 counties, diferent economies, yet share comon links in terms of history, demographics

the Gilpin Historical Society
and the Gilpin Arts Society
also bring new visitors.

several years on an “ongoing
renaissance” plan to diver-
sify Black Hawk into a resort
destination for visitors, even
if they don’t like gambling.

Continued from previous page

Central City and Black
Hawk faced complex financial
problems after most local
mines closed nearly a century
ago. It wasn’t until 1991 that
Colorado voters threw the
two a lifeline by permitting
limited-stakes gaming in the
struggling old mining com-
munities. In 1992, Central
City, called “The Richest
Square Mile on Earth,” and
Black Hawk, “The City of
Mills,” were given a chance to
bounce back from decades of
misfortune.

Presently, at least five new
potential casinos are being
eyed for some of the shut-
tered storefronts in the Main
Street business district in
Central City. Local leaders are
also discussing a new parking
garage to accommodate the
potential upswing in business.

Black Hawk is continuing
to develop its Gregory Street
area, which includes retail
shops and restaurants. Its
Gregory Plaza is home to a
volunteer firemen’s museum,
and the well-decorated main
plaza is used for the city’s
annual Founders’ Day each
June and a growing number
of local outdoor activities. At
least one new restaurant, the
Copper Kitchen Pizzeria, is
expected to open in the plaza
in 2025. Across the street, the
city plans to spend more than
a million dollars to open a
gold-mining tour for visitors.

Further north in Gilpin
County, small business own-
ers in Rollinsville (along
Highway 119) have opened
a distillery, pizza parlor and
coffee shop to attract younger
visitors who come to the area
to visit the national forests
nearby.

Today, the flashing lights
and noises of slot machines
in Black Hawk and Central
City attract more year-round
tourists to the two small cities
within Gilpin County. Both
cities are part of the national
historic district because of
their roots in the local gold
rush era when prospector
John Gregory discovered gold
in the ravine between the two
communities in 1859.

It is Black Hawk, however,
that primarily accounts for
the largest influx of visitors
to the county. The city boasts
15 casinos, several offering
high-rise towers filled with
guest rooms, restaurants,
swimming pools and spas.
Black Hawk generates more
than 75 percent of all gaming
revenues the state collects
annually and can attract as
many as 20,000 or more visi-
tors weekly, especially during
the warm-weather months.
Property taxes and other
revenues from Black Hawk
also is the primary source of
income for Gilpin County. The
city also donates some of its
sales taxes to help finance the
local school district.

Black Hawk also has devel-
oped a recreational area for
hikers and mountain bikers
just north of the downtown
gaming district. The Mary-
land Mountain/Quartz Valley
trail system typically results
in filled-to-capacity parking
lots during warm-weather
months. Within the next two
years, the city plans to extend
the trails to reach Gregory
Street – close to Gregory
Plaza – and extend them to
another developing area on
Gregory Hill (formerly Miners
Mesa). That section of the city
will feature several distilleries
and offer overnight lodging
in geodesic domes or luxury
Airstream trailers for those
who prefer to sleep in a scenic
hilltop area primarily sur-

Lyndsey Valdez president CCEDC, Central City Heritage West
Realty owner Roy Varela joins Central City Mayor Jeremy Fey
at the Idaho Springs Economic Mixer event.

Photo by Bob Sweeney

rounded by mountains and
forests.

did, the formerly sheltered-
in-place patrons helped Black
Hawk shatter any previous
economic performances.

Over the years, external
factors have impacted the
economies of Clear Creek
and Gilpin. Four years ago,
health-related COVID-19
pandemic restrictions forced
many business owners to
close their shops temporar-
ily. While some were able to
reopen later, others weren’t as
fortunate. In Gilpin County,
the state ordered casinos
closed for three months – es-
sentially crippling the gov-
ernment economies. It took
nearly a year before casino
patrons returned. When they

Central City’s historic
opera, the fifth oldest in the
country, and its variety of
Victorian-style homes and
historic storefronts in the
business district help attract
out-of-towners to the city.
Central and several of its
organizations also sponsor
various summer activities –
including the Madam Lou
Bunch bed races along Main
Street, the Great Central City
Beer Festival and Stills in the
Hills, to name a few. Attrac-
tions and events sponsored by

Local elected leaders and
business owners are trying
to figure out the best ways to
improve their economies and
attract new potential jobs to
their areas. As CCEDC Board
Chair Kelly Flenniken com-
mented, “A good quality life
depends on a good quality
job.”

With some creative local
planning and a little luck, the
futures for Gilpin and Clear
Creek counties could be head-
ing for better futures.

However, Black Hawk isn’t
solely interested in being
known as a casino town.
City leaders have worked for