December 2023 | November 2023 | October 2023
December 2023
CSU ranked top college for veterans
The Military Times recently released "Best for Vets" college rankings and CSU came in at #16 out of 325 academic institutions. The university has dedicated Adult Learner and Veteran Services, which offer academic and social support to nontraditional students. The rankings were based on surveys sent to student veterans at two- and four-year schools. Culture, student support, academic policies, academic outcomes/quality, cost and financial aid were all taken into account. Click here to learn more.
Boulder tops Fodor's Travel 'Go List'
Fodor's Travel, a resource offering expert travel advice for over 80 years, recently released their 2024 Go List. Boulder was one of only two U.S. locations to make the list of 24 destinations around the world. The outlet shone a light on Boulder's 300 days of sunshine, abundance of opportunities for outdoor recreation and Pearl Street. Click here to view the complete Go List.
In-N-Out opens in Loveland
Loveland is now home to a popular, long-awaited In-N-Out Burger restaurant. The burger empire purchased the former Mimi's Cafe site in Centerra, now the nineth location in Colorado and sole location in Northern Colorado. The restaurant is so popular that City of Loveland traffic engineers collaborated with CDOT, Centerra Marketplace and In-N-Out to develop a traffic plan for the November grand opening. Click here for a list of all of the Colorado locations.
November 2023
Fort Collins #12 for car-free living
HVAC Gnome recently released their list of "2024's Best Cities for Car-Free Living" and Fort Collins ranked 12th out of the 200 biggest U.S. cities. In addition, Fort Collins ranked 3rd for share of residents who bike to work and 11th for the number of ride-sharing and hailing services. The study compared walkability, bikeability, transit ridership and pedestrian safety, among 23 total metrics. Click here for a deep dive into the data.
North I-25 construction on track for completion
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently announced that construction on I-25 between Mead and Fort Collins is on track to be completed by December 2023. This $250 million, multi-year project brings relief to the heavily traveled interstate through new express lanes, interchanges and more. Click here to learn more.
IRES 3rd Quarter Report
Information and Real Estate Services (IRES) recently released their Q3 2023 MarketWatch Report. In Larimer County, the median sales price was $599,000 for Q3-2023, a 1.5% increase year-over-year. The number of closed sales was down 25.6% dropping to 1,269. In Weld County, the median sales price was $509,400 for Q3-2023, a 2.9% increase year-over-year. The number of closed sales was down 24.3%, coming in at 1,270. In Boulder County, the median sales price was $829,000 for Q3-2023, a 2.3% year-over-year increase. The number of closed sales was down 15.5%, coming in at 871.
October 2023
NoCo Recovers: Fall Economic Update
As we move into the final quarter of the year, it's a perfect time to check in on the NoCo Recovers economic recovery tracker. The tracker provides a helpful dashboard of key indicators that represent real-time aspects of the Larimer and Weld County economies. The data shows that unemployment remains low even as more people are entering the labor force. The housing market is showing an upward trajectory despite higher interest rates, while commercial real estate has mixed performance. Retail and industrial vacancies remains low at under 5%, however, office vacancy is almost 5% in Larimer County and above 7% in Weld County. Click here to explore the tracker and view the latest data.
Ginger Graham named interim president and CEO of Walgreens
It didn't take long for Ginger and Baker to become one of the most popular destinations in Old Town Fort Collins. Just recently, headlines broke that Ginger Graham, founder and co-owner of Ginger and Baker Market & Bakery and The Cache restaurant, has been named interim president and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA). Graham has served on the Walgreens board since 2010 and last year was chosen as the board's lead independent director. Click here to read more.
NoCo Works Officially Launched
NoCo Works, a brand new collaborative workforce solutions system, officially launched at the end of September. This new program ties together 26 regional partners from Larimer and Weld County to provide a one-stop-shop for employment solutions. The program is led by a steering committee and six subcommittees that focus on regional talent and workforce development. Click here to follow NoCo Works on LinkedIn and to learn more.
