Downtown Development Authority

DDA Communities in Colorado

Election on November 4, 2025

In November, eligible voters within the proposed DDA boundaries will decide whether a Downtown Development Authority will be formed and granted use of tax-increment financing.  

There is a ballot drop box at the Armory Performing Arts Center, 300 Strong Street, Brighton CO 80601.  Office open: Monday 10/20; Tuesday 10/21; Thursday 10/23; Monday 10/27, Tuesday 10/28; Thursday 10/30; Monday 11/3; each day from 9am to 4pm. Tuesday November 4 (Election Day) 9am to 7pm 

  • Ballot Request Form: Use this form if an individual personally owns or rents property in the District (not under a business name).
  • Designation of Elector Form: Use this form if the property is owned or rented by a business entity and that entity needs to designate an individual to vote on its behalf.

View the proposed DDA Boundary Map.

What is a DDA?

Downtown Development Authorities (DDAs) are quasi-public agencies that provide organization and financing for downtown revitalization efforts and economic development that focus on a city's central economic development that focus on a city's central business district's vitality and attractiveness.  DDAs unite businesses, property owners, and other civic partners such as chambers of commerce and local government to create a self-sustaining organization designed to champion downtown for the long term.  Here is a link for a directory showing other DDAs in Colorado.  You may find this DDA 1-page document helpful!  Here is it in a Spanish-language translated version.

DDA Activities May Include:

  • Economic development, such as offering incentives and services to support small businesses, rehabilitating older buildings, and redeveloping surface parking lots and other infill sites.
  • Branding, marketing, promotions, and programming, including organizing special events and activations
  • Public space improvements, such as enhanced sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, bicycle facilities, lighting, benches, signage, public art, plazas, and parks.
  • Maintaining public space improvements
  • Public safety initiatives
  • Hiring staff, commissioning studies and market research

Value capture from Tax Increment FundingHow are DDAs Funded?

Downtown Development Authority operations and projects are typically funded through an operations tax of up to 5 mills within the district and/or Tax Increment Financing (TIF), both of which must be voted on by owners and tenants in the district as well as City Council. TIF allows a DDA to leverage future increases in sales and property taxes within the district to help finance public improvement projects. The chart to the right illustrates the value capture from TIF. In a DDA, a TIF lasts for an initial period of 30 years, followed by the option to extend in 20-year increments. Downtown Development Authorities have no taxing power beyond the optional 5 mills and no power of eminent domain.

Overall Project Objectives

The City of Brighton and the Brighton Urban Renewal Authority hired a consultant team, led by Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.), to explore the feasibility of creating a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Downtown Brighton. Over the next 15-months, this process seeks to:

  • Create and carry out a forward-thinking transition plan for Downtown Brighton,
  • Build cohesion and alignment to create the DDA between the City and affected stakeholders, including property owners, businesses, and residents, and
  • Engage City staff, business and civic leaders and other community stakeholders in a participatory process to create the DDA.

Why Now?

The existing Downtown Urban Renewal Area (URA) is winding down, which means that Downtown will no longer have a dedicated source of funding for improvements. In response, the City of Brighton and BURA launched this process to explore the feasibility of creating a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to replace the URA and finance the next era of downtown investments.

See the DDA Toolkit for more information regarding the upcoming election, and frequently asked questions.

See the Executive Summary of the Plan of Development. Questions? Contact us here.