Boulder?s first-quarter sales off to slow start

BOULDER — By far the most disappointing first-quarter retail sales tax revenues in Boulder County come from the city of Boulder, where sales on the downtown Pearl Street Mall are down by more than 5 percent from a year ago, and Crossroads Mall sales tumbled 33 percent.

Overall, the county’s retail activity continues to accelerate, reaching $1.76 billion in the first quarter, 15 percent higher than the first quarter of 2000. Normally, there’s always a seasonal dip in the first quarter from the busy holiday shopping at the end of the year.

But other county cities, adding many more new retailers, are…