Major repairs coming to Pueblo’s blighted Lower Westside

The Lower Westside of Pueblo will go through major changes to fix the blighted conditions in the area.

Pueblo City Council voted unanimously Monday night on a plan to fix that part of the city.

The Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority and the city are teaming up to fix the area. Some of the plans include improving Wildhorse Creek, upgrading facilities and infrastructure along with attracting new businesses and developing jobs in the area.

Senior Planner Jerry Pacheco said there are nine conditions of blight in the Lower Westside. Some of the conditions are illegal dumping, deteriorating buildings and inadequate street layout.

Pacheco wants to fund the projects through grants and the property tax money people in the Lower Westside pay in the area.

People who live in the Lower Westside are excited for the changes.

“In the morning, we are going to get busy and start working together with the city and the other business owners down there. We’re going to get busy and get this project rolling,” resident Rudy Martinez said.

“I’m very excited about it, because it is a very blighted place and it needs to be improved for all of the west side,” resident Carl Fetty said.

The blight study on the Lower Westside went from December 2014 to March 2015.