Tale of 3 downtowns: Constant balancing act

Downtown business districts, unlike shopping malls, can’t necessarily pick their tenants; instead the marketplace is most likely to determine who comes, who stays and who thrives.

Northern Colorado’s three largest historic shopping districts – in Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley – all are experiencing the push and pull of the market as they develop.

In recent years Fort Collins, the most developed of three, has experienced a clash between retail and other types of businesses in its downtown district.

“Downtown is really an entertainment area, as well as a straight-up retail area,´ said Chip Steiner, executive director of the Fort Collins Downtown…