Manitou Springs east side improvements to be discussed Thursday night

A long-talked about plan to improve the eastern edge of Manitou Springs will be in the spotlight Thursday night.

The Manitou Springs Urban Renewal Authority will host a public meeting on changes at City Hall from 6-8 p.m. Those proposed changes include improvements to streets and trails.

Some business owners along Manitou Avenue said they welcome the change. Hart Navarro doesn’t believe an upgrade will take away from the appeal of Manitou Springs.

“It just has a big tourist section here that people just keep coming and they love it here and they continue coming,” said Navarro, a thrift store owner who moved to Manitou Springs one year ago.

Other shop owners who didn’t want to be identified said they’ve heard discussions of improvements for years and are skeptical that there will be significant change.

The city of Manitou Springs is asking for public input on the plan through March 14.