BENNETT, Colo. — Behind the town of Bennett's quaint small-town facade lies a booming community that has nearly doubled in population, creating a wave of new economic possibilities.
Bennett's mayor and Adams County economic development leaders are working to attract healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace industries to the fast-growing town.
Matthew Azulay, a beertender at Launch Pad Brewery, has watched Bennett change firsthand.
"The first time I drove out here, I thought I was lost. There wasn't much around."
Now, he said, the landscape looks different.
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"We got the hotel, more restaurants."
Jenni Hall, director of Community and Economic Development for Adams County, said Bennett's wide-open land along Interstate 70 is one of its greatest assets.
"Bennett, of course, has got a lot of land around it, right? That's one of the greatest advantages when you're trying to locate sort of larger industrial major employment centers, and so we have particular target industries that we aim to bring in."
Those target industries include healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and aviation and aerospace. Hall's team is also working to leverage Bennett's proximity to the Colorado Air and Space Port, an Adams County facility.
"One of the neighbors for the town of Bennett is the Colorado Air and Space Port, which is an Adams County facility, and we've been working really hard to promote development opportunities that feature the resources at CASP."
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Long-term planning is a key part of managing that growth. Hall said her team is reaching out to municipalities across the region to come up with the best long-term strategy.
"We're reaching out to all of our municipalities to start doing some more long-term planning around infrastructure, land use to support their goals as they grow."
Bennett Mayor Whitney Oakley said the town's growth is creating new possibilities for residents.
"Residents can come in and feel like they can start a small business."
And for Azulay, the transformation speaks for itself.
"This is the place to be."
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