Foundation 3 - Fostering a Vital Economy and Activity Centers

The Cheyenne area has been successful in attracting jobs and industries and is a favorable business environment. Low corporate taxes, a high quality of life, solid education system, amenities such as parks, and shopping, make it attractive for businesses and workers.

This Plan aims to continue to support a solid economy built on family‐wage jobs and a vibrant business community. It promotes on‐going partnership efforts among the many economic development organizations (e.g., the Chamber, Cheyenne LEADS) and others (such as the city, county, and Laramie County Community College ‐LCCC) to selectively recruit and foster business and industrial development. In addition, one of the strengths of this Plan is its focus on providing new employment business parks, regional commercial activity centers, and mixed‐use commercial activity centers. These places will provide jobs and services and continue to keep the Cheyenne area and our neighborhoods vital, safe, and livable.

Principles and Policies


Principle 3.1: Our community will continue to promote a thriving and vital economy.

Policy 3.1.a: Existing Small Businesses
The community will support existing small businesses in the Cheyenne area, and allow and encourage them to grow by promoting opportunities for local entrepreneurs to expand existing businesses and establish new start‐up businesses.

Policy 3.1.b: New Employers Recruitment
The city and county will work with partners, such as the Chamber and LEADS, to continue to recruit larger employers that provide family‐wage jobs and that are predominantly clean, non‐polluting industries.

Policy 3.1.c: Business-Supportive Environment
The community will continue to support "quality of life" initiatives that attract employers and families, including support for education and training (e.g., LCCC programs and partnerships, cultural facilities, and parks and recreation).

Policy 3.1.d: Active Cheyenne Airport
The city will continue to work with the Cheyenne Airport to support an active airport with convenient connections to meet the growing needs of area employers. This Plan will avoid potential conflicts between land use and the airport.

Policy 3.1.e: Coordination with F.E. Warren Air Force Base
The city and county will continue to cooperate with F.E. Warren Air Force Base to monitor each other's plans and avoid potential conflicts between future development of the community and the base.

Policy 3.1.f: Minimized Conflicts between Development and Agriculture
This plan will minimize conflict between development and the farming and ranching industries to the south of the City. (See also Foundation 5: Celebrating our Character and Varied Heritages, which provides additional policies regarding farming and ranching lands.)


Principle 3.2: Downtown Cheyenne is our community's vital center.

Policy 3.2.a: Mix of Activities Downtown
This Plan promotes expanding the mix of uses and activities in downtown to promote it as the community's vital economic and social center. Downtown should focus on unique businesses, attractive gathering places, civic and cultural activities and offices, and housing.

Policy 3.2.b: Active Uses on the Street Level
Retail and other activity‐generating uses (such as restaurants) should be on the ground level of buildings Downtown. Housing and offices should be encouraged on upper floors of downtown buildings.

Policy 3.2.c: Pedestrian Environment and People Places
Downtown should have a pedestrian environment and public "people" places with year‐round activity.

Policy 3.2.d: Historic Context-Sensitive Design
Architecture and building massing of new buildings in the downtown should be compatible with the historic character and scale of buildings.

Policy 3.2.e: Auto-Oriented Uses Discouraged
Businesses that are automobile‐oriented should be discouraged in the downtown core (e.g., drive‐through banks or restaurants).

Policy 3.2.f: Compatible Parking Location and Design
New surface parking should be sited and designed in a manner that is compatible with the historic character of the downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. To the extent feasible, off‐street parking areas should be located to the side or rear of structures and should be screened with a low masonry wall and landscaping.


Principle 3.3: Our businesses and jobs will primarily be located in commercial, mixed-use, and employment "activity centers."

Policy 3.3.a: Designate Commercial Business Activity Centers
The Future Land Use Plan designates Community / Regional Activity Centers and Mixed‐Use Activity Centers, to ensure that these areas receive the appropriate amount of focus and attention. Neighborhood Business Centers are described in the Land Use Plan text. Particular emphasis will be placed on the design quality of business and industrial development to create vital and lasting centers and attractive places. (See also Chapter 3: Land Use Plan, for "activity centers" criteria and Principle 3.4 below.)

Policy 3.3.b: Employment Activity Centers
Major mixed‐use employment campuses are also designated on the Future Land Use Plan to ensure that these areas receive the appropriate amount of focus and attention, as described in Principle 3.4 below.


Principle 3.4: Our commercial and mixed-use activity centers will be pedestrian-oriented and well-designed with public spaces.

Policy 3.4.a: Center Characteristics
Activity centers in Cheyenne will be identified as Neighborhood, Community/Regional, or Mixed‐use, as defined by the markets they serve, their location, and other criteria. Specific locational and design criteria for each type of center are contained in the Land Use section of this Plan. (See Chapter 3: Land Use Plan.)

Policy 3.4.b: Activity Centers Circulation and Access
Clear, direct pedestrian connections should be provided through parking areas to building entrances and to surrounding neighborhoods or streets. Main entrances or driveways should be integrated with the surrounding street network to provide clear connections between uses for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles.

Policy 3.4.c: Parking Design and Location
Uninterrupted expanses of parking should be avoided. Parking areas should be broken into smaller blocks divided by landscaping and pedestrian walkways that are physically separated from vehicular drive isles. Parking areas should be distributed between the front and sides of buildings, or front and rear, rather than solely in front of buildings to the maximum extent feasible. Parking facilities should also promote safe pedestrian, bike, and public transit modes of transportation through appropriate placement of landscaped islands and facilities.

Policy 3.4.d: Architectural Character for "Big Box" Stores
While building design is important for all commercial development, it is particularly so for larger footprint retail buildings, or "bigbox" stores. Design of these stores should address such features such as:

• Façade and exterior wall plane projections or recesses;


• Arcades, display windows, entry areas, awnings, or other features along facades facing public streets;


• Location, distribution, and screening of parking;


• Building facades with a variety of detail features (materials, colors, and patterns, landscape near building);


• Location and screening of mechanical equipment;


• Lighting levels to protect "Dark Skies", and


• High quality building materials.