Cheyenne, Wyoming, a city of approximately 64,610 residents, is proactively addressing its urban development and housing challenges through strategic initiatives like the East 15th Street Corridor Revitalization project. Like many growing cities, Cheyenne faces issues such as housing shortages across various income levels, community concerns regarding new developments, and the risk of displacement for long-term residents due to increasing housing costs. These factors have contributed to rising home prices and rental rates, making affordable living increasingly difficult. Furthermore, economic headwinds, including rising interest rates and material costs, coupled with a lack of comparable market data, are deterring multifamily housing development. The city’s low-density urban sprawl further exacerbates these problems by encouraging development in areas poorly served by public transport and essential community services. Currently, the average commute time in Cheyenne is about 15.7 minutes by car, highlighting the reliance on personal vehicles.
To counter these trends and promote sustainable and equitable growth, Cheyenne is implementing smart growth strategies, particularly in under-resourced areas like the East 15th Street corridor. This approach aims to reshape infrastructure and community development to be more sustainable and equitable. By adopting smart growth principles, Cheyenne plans to develop zoning codes that encourage compact building designs and mixed-use neighborhoods. These pedestrian-friendly environments are expected to yield numerous benefits, including improved public health outcomes, reduced air pollution, enhanced social interaction, and the revitalization of local economic activity.
The East 15th Street Corridor has been designated as a Brownfield site, making it a priority area for equitable development planning. According to the US DOT Equitable Transportation Community Explorer, this area scores in the 99th percentile for Environmental Burden and the 79th percentile for Climate & Disaster Risk Burden. By integrating community-focused strategies and actively involving local residents, the revitalization project seeks to address significant environmental hazards and transform this Justice 40 area into a thriving, well-connected neighborhood. This eight-block corridor along East 15th Street, once home to industrial operations like concrete batch plants and rail lines, suffers from environmental contamination. Existing infrastructure in the East 15th Street area is also inadequate, with insufficient stormwater drainage and unreliable water and sewer services. The area lacks green spaces and safe, multimodal transportation options, presenting considerable economic obstacles to development.
Phase 1 Workshop Goals for East 15th Street Revitalization:
1. Fostering Development in the East 15th Street Corridor
Goal: To stimulate housing and mixed-use development within the East 15th Street corridor that benefits the Cheyenne community, meets the needs of current and future residents, and strengthens connections to Downtown and Holliday Park.
Potential Focus Topics:
- Affordable Housing Initiatives:
- Developing new affordable housing options, potentially on public land.
- Exploring the Existing Habitat concept for innovative housing solutions.
- Considering the establishment of a community land trust.
- Implementing housing rehabilitation programs.
- Community Amenities: Integrating essential amenities such as grocery stores, parks, and spaces attractive to young adults.
- Downtown Extension: Exploring opportunities to extend the vibrancy and reach of Downtown Cheyenne into the East 15th Street corridor.
- Community Character: Preserving and enhancing the unique character of the community, including historic resources.
- Zoning Adjustments: Updating zoning regulations to facilitate and support desired development changes along East 15th Street.
2. Addressing Environment and Infrastructure on East 15th Street
Goal: To resolve environmental and infrastructure limitations that are currently hindering development in the East 15th Street area.
Potential Focus Topics:
- Essential Infrastructure Upgrades:
- Modernizing water and sewer systems.
- Improving stormwater management infrastructure.
- Installing or upgrading electric and fiber optic networks.
- Brownfields Cleanup: Remediating contaminated sites to enable safe and productive redevelopment.
3. Enhancing Connections within and to the East 15th Street Area
Goal: To create new, high-quality transportation infrastructure that fosters community building along the East 15th Street corridor and improves connectivity to Downtown, Holliday Park, and the Reed Avenue corridor.
Potential Focus Topics:
- Greenway Expansion: Extending the greenway network through the East 15th Street corridor to promote active transportation.
- Walkability Improvements: Enhancing pedestrian infrastructure to encourage walking and create a more walkable neighborhood.
- New Transit Links: Establishing new public transit connections to and through the East 15th Street area.
4. Community Engagement for the Future of East 15th Street
Goal: To conduct inclusive and equitable community engagement to encourage greater public participation in planning the future of Cheyenne and specifically the East 15th Street corridor.
Potential Focus Topics:
- Neighborhood Planning: Developing a detailed neighborhood or small area plan specifically for the East 15th Street corridor.
- Inclusive Participation: Ensuring the involvement of under-represented community groups in the planning process.
- Communication and Relationship Building: Establishing effective communication channels and fostering strong relationships within the community.
- Engagement Strategies: Developing innovative strategies to increase community engagement and welcome new participants in the planning process, while preventing “engagement burnout.”
Location of the East 15th Street Corridor Project
715 East 15th St, 82001 View Map
41.1350835,-104.8066262
715 East 15th St , 82001
715 East 15th St , 82001
East 15th Street Corridor Revitalization
