Local business news and updates provided by the City of Centennial Economic Development division  I    ED@centennialco.gov

Centennial News | July 2024

Centennial is Best of the Best

We are honored to announce that the City of Centennial has not only been named the Best Government Agency in the 2024 Colorado News Media "Best of the Best" list, but Centennial Center Park was recognized as the Best Park and Centennial YMCA Center of Generations was recognized as the Best Place to Meet People! These recognitions highlight our ongoing commitment to excellence and community service. Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us achieve these honors. Together, we continue to build a thriving and inclusive City. View the full list of “Best of the Best” winners. 

Apply Today for Centennial's Citizen Academy

Interested in learning more about your City? Apply to participate in Centennial 101, a free program to discover how Centennial works. Applications are available until July 31. In just six weeks, participants will understand how our City is unique, learn about how our tax dollars are used, experience different scenarios putting yourself in the shoes of Elected Officials and City Staff and find opportunities to get more involved in the community. Space is limited to 30 participants. 

SPARK Centennial Program Offers Office Hours Learning

SPARK Centennial has collaborated with James Lopez, founder of The Exposure Project, a production company that explores minimalistic immersive experiences through magic, storytelling, technology and sensorial experiences, to offer a recorded learning video and free, 30-minute office hours sessions to Centennial businesses. If you are a business owner or manager, and would like the opportunity to speak to and learn from James, we encourage you to sign-up starting Thursday, July 25. James will work directly with you to explore your needs and answer your questions. The free video learning and the link to sign-up for a session will be available starting July 25 on the SPARK website.

Cosmic Aerospace Announces Centennial Facility

Cosmic Aerospace announced they will open a new engineering and manufacturing facility in Centennial that will focus on the design, development, and testing of their next hardware prototypes. Cosmic’s mission is to accelerate the decarbonization of aviation by building highly energy efficient all-electric passenger aircraft.  

Snobahn Plans National Expansion

Snobahn has entered a partnership with Unrivaled Sports to expand the company to national markets, with the help from Olympic snowboader Shaun White. Snowbahn is an indoor training facility for action sports and opened its first location in 2016 in the Streets at Southglenn. 

Cherry Creek School District Building Purchase

To meet the growing demands for nutritious meals as a result of Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All, the Cherry Creek School District plans to relocate its food and nutrition services facility to Centennial. The larger location will allow the district to make updates to meet the needs of their district. 

Dove Valley Regional Park Opens with Updated Features

This week Dove Valley Regional Park reopened after completing an $18 million makeover. New updates include picnic shelters, upgraded athletic fields, new parking lot, walking trails and so much more. Be sure to check out these wonderful improvements which doubled the park’s size to over 90 acres! More exciting upgrades, like a bike park and pump track, are coming later this summer. Stay tuned for the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony once the bike park is complete.

City Business News

• Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation released the June 2024 monthly economic indicators, which is a comprehensive analysis of economic conditions in the seven-county Metro Denver area, or the region comprised of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. This report presents recent data and long-term trends for the seven-county region, MSAs, or counties, depending on availability. The analysis includes four main data sections: labor force and employment, the consumer sector, residential real estate, and commercial real estate. 
  
  
• Join Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Colorado Space Business Roundtable, City of Centennial, and The South Metro Denver Chamber as they step into the future of aerospace and aviation at Air N Space-A-Palooza on Saturday, August 3 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight. This will be an immersive day of discovery, where attendees will explore STEM opportunities shaping the skies above. Bring the family to this free event, where there will be interactive exhibits, captivating speakers, and the opportunity to fly the skies above Denver on a flight simulator. 
  
  
• Learn what Arapahoe/Douglas Works Business Services offers at their upcoming virtual webinar on Wednesday, July 17 from Noon – 1 p.m.  These webinars are held the third Wednesday of every month, topics covered include job postings, email blasts, screenings, hiring events and more. RSVP here.
  
  
• Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center is offering a free workshop titled "Fired Up: I Want to Start a Business" on Wednesday, August 7 from 6 - 8 p.m. 
  
  
• Denver South’s August Partnership Meeting will take place at Centennial Airport and Aviation on Thursday, August 1 from 7:30 – 9 a.m. Attendees will hear from three diverse companies located at Centennial Airport and learn about exciting industry innovations.
  
  
• The State of Colorado is offering a 50 percent tax credit to employers who provide sustainable commute benefits. 2024 is the last year to take advantage of this credit. For more information, visit Sustainable Commute Benefits.
  
  
• Effective January 1, 2024 and required by January 1, 2025, many companies in the U.S. must report information about their beneficial owners—the individuals who ultimately own or control the company—to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Filing is simple, secure, and free of charge. Beneficial ownership information reporting is not an annual requirement. Unless a company needs to update or correct information, a report only needs to be submitted once. Visit fincen.gov/boi for more info or view the BOI brochure that includes a link to the Small Entity Compliance Guide to determine whether your company qualifies for an exemption.
  
  

Grant Opportunities

• The Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant is accepting applications for the FY25-1 cycle. This program funds researchers at participating Colorado research institutions conducting pre-commercialization research and commercialization preparation in the advanced industries. Grants up to $150,000 will be awarded. Applications are now open and close August 29. 
  
  
• The Advanced Industries Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant is accepting applications for the FY25-1 cycle. This program funds Colorado early stage companies commercializing innovative and disruptive technologies in the advanced industries. Grants up to $250,000 will be awarded. Applications are now open and close August 29. 
   

City Announcements

• Centennial Public Works completed the Orchard Rd. widening project, where the south side of the street was widened from Ogden Ct. east to the Highline Canal. Additionally, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and an underground storm line were added, along with a new turn lane on Orchard Rd. The improvements will help traffic flow and improve safety of the street.
  
  
• Arapahoe County Fair is July 25 - July 28 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. 
  
  
• The Iron Sharp Community Foundation is hosting its annual Back to School Heart Reach event to serve nearly 2,000 students and family members in need across Cherry Creek Schools and Littleton Public Schools. This event will provide students and family members with backpacks, school supplies, community resources, and a fun experience. Donated school supplies may be dropped off at the following locations until August 4:
  - Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (13101 E. Broncos Pkwy., Centennial)
  - City of Centennial (13133 E. Arapahoe Rd., Centennial)
  - Encounter Church (6825 S. Galena St., Centennial)
  
  
• Celebrate with the City at the 18^th Annual Centennial Under the Stars event on Saturday, August 10 from 5 – 9 p.m. at Centennial Center Park. Live music featuring Pandas and People and Nothing But Nineties. Enjoy family activities, visit local vendors and grab dinner from a local food truck.

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