San Juan County has received a state grant for about $20,000 to help small businesses in Silverton.
The Blueprint 2.0 grant will be used to create a Certified Small Business Community in Silverton; specifically, the money will create shared, co-working office space in Silverton and a satellite office of the Small Business Development Center located in Durango.
“It’s nice to put some energy into new ideas and economic development rather than economic recovery after the summer we’ve had,” said Melanie Russek, economic development coordinator with the San Juan Economic Development Association.
There’s a shortage of office space in Silverton, and Russek said the co-working space can be used by seasonal events coming to Silverton.
It also can be used by businesses in Silverton for office functions such as business meetings and use as back office space for shops.
The satellite office of the Durango Small Business Development Center would be used for business education classes and for business counseling, she said.
The final contract for the grant has not been signed, but Russek estimated total funding would be for about $20,000. Most of that funding would go to establish the SBDC satellite, she said.
Colorado Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne announced 17 different Blueprint 2.0 grants last week in Logan County.
The grant comes from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. This is the third year Blueprint 2.0 grants have been awarded.
The program’s mission is to support rural economic development in Colorado.
“Blueprint 2.0 has become an integral part of rural Colorado’s economic resurgence,” Lynne said when she announced the grants.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
