Site work and paving for a mixed-use development in Greeley, Colorado. Completed plans call for site work for a road / highway; for paving for a road / highway; sidewalk / parking lot; and sidewalk / parking lot.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/2026/08/01/greeley-project-budget-catalyst/ A variety of maintenance and facility upgrades for Greeley’s buildings and parks may be deferred yet again as city officials prioritize the Catalyst, Downtown Civic Campus and MERGE projects in next year’s budget. Deputy budget director Kalen Myers presented the 2027 Capital Improvement Plan to the city council on Tuesday, outlining the major projects the city will undertake. Unlike last year, when the council decided between 21 different projects, this year they were largely committed to the Catalyst, Downtown Civic Campus and MERGE projects. “Funding capacity is finite, and this year’s recommendation is heavily influenced by three significant capital commitments that are occurring simultaneously,” Myers said. “Those three things together are really taking up a lot of capacity in our most flexible funding sources, primarily food tax and quality of life, and that leaves a small remainder for other priorities.” The city is proposing to spend $204 million on capital projects in 2027, with $115.3 million going toward downtown restoration projects, such as the civic campus, related to water and sewer. The next-largest expense in the proposal is $60 million for transportation, specifically the MERGE project, for which the city withdrew debt in 2024. Myers said the city is including Catalyst to be financially conservative, since if the city cancels the project or cannot find a way to proceed in time for the budget to be submitted, it will need to make debt payments. Stopping or further delaying the project could cost the city up to $165 million in debt repayments on the certificates of participation that funded the project’s design work, a higher cost than if the city proceeds with the project. Councilman Johnny Olson was quick to remind staff that under the city’s original plan, the certificates of participation would have already been paid off by this time if not for the special election that delayed the project. In total, the city is budgeting for 146 capital projects in 2027, funded by 24 different funds, none of which are affected by the current $18.1 million deficit. The deficit is only in the city’s general fund, which isn’t used to finance city projects. Mayor Dale Hall, Councilman Craig Huddleston, and Olson all shared concerns about staff deferring maintenance on city properties once again. With up to $20 million in deferred maintenance, as estimated by Olson, he recommended that staff prioritize those expenses over capital projects, since the city doesn’t need to make payments on them next year. These small projects include hundreds of simple maintenance tasks across the city, such as replacing aging heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in city buildings like the Greeley Family FunPlex, or fixing and cleaning jungle gyms in city parks. Huddleston recommended that city staff at least order parts for some of these projects so the city has them on hand, even if they do not install them right away, a recommendation staff agreed to pursue. “Dale and I have really preached on getting our maintenance done, because if things aren’t working, that scares me,” Olson said. “Those are assets that should not be getting to a point where we’re kicking the can down the road so far that when it goes down, it’s an emergency and we don’t have funding.” Myers said the timing of both the Downtown Civic Campus and Catalyst repayments is up in the air, so the city may have to make those payments soon. But under the current plans for those projects, the city does not need to pay until 2028 at the earliest. The plan presented by Myers was not a final draft, and the city plans to go into greater detail on the individual projects at its Sept. 11 budget meeting. At that meeting, they will not only do a deep dive into the projects but also into the proposed budget cuts, with Councilwoman Deb DeBoutez telling staff that she has several major changes she wants to suggest, mostly regarding the Culture, Parks and Recreation budget. No budget cuts or proposals have been accepted at this time. State law does not require the city to approve the 2027 budget until Dec. 15. ------------------------------- Reference Number 0000429159 The proposed Mobility Enhancements for Regional Growth and Equity (MERGE) project is a public transit-oriented project that includes construction of a new regional mobility hub between two grade-separated interchanges at 35th Avenue and 47th Avenue. The mobility hub will improve regional and local connectivity, including safe pedestrian and micromobility access across US Highway 34 within the City of Greeley. Question Deadline 07/17/2026 at 11:00 AM MT Questions are submitted online : No. Notice of Award (tentative) August 26th, 2026 Inquiries regarding this RFQ (be sure to reference RFQ number) should be referred to: E-Mail: Purchasing@greeleygov.com