ERIE, Colorado (April 20, 2023) — The long-dormant Boulder Valley Velodrome will be resurrected under an ambitious plan announced Thursday to restore the 250-meter cycling track as a training ground for competitive cyclists and a hub for family-friendly community events.
The iconic, red-walled Velodrome has been closed to the public for more than three years. It is now under contract to be purchased by BVV Holdings LLC and will be operated by the Team Colorado Cycling nonprofit.
“The list of needed repairs is long and expensive, but we are passionate about meeting the demand that exists for a cycling track of this caliber and its potential as a hub for family-friendly activities like ride-in movies, concerts, festivals and food trucks,” said Todd Stevenson of Team Colorado Cycling. “Our first step is to tap into community support to help pay for needed repairs with the goal of re-opening full-time with weekly racing and other events starting early this summer.”
Crews are already working to repair and restore the plywood track and operators hope to have fresh coats of Sherwin-Williams-supplied paint applied in time for the track’s re-opening.
Hindered by the historic Boulder County floods of 2013, a tornado-level wind event in 2015, and then the COVID-19 outbreak, the velodrome on the outskirts of Erie has been shuttered and closed to the public since October 2019.
“Natural disasters and the pandemic delivered a one-two punch that made it next-to-impossible for this facility to meet its potential as a magnet for cyclists and a hub for community activity, but we think the time is right to resurrect this as a world-class cycling track, ” said Cari Higgins, a member of the group that has agreed to purchase the Velodrome from its original owners.
Higgins, a former national champion track cyclist and Chair of the USA Cycling Board of Directors, has led efforts to save the Velodrome for years.
“We are confident that the cycling community will rally to the cause and that this venue can once again host recreational and elite cyclists — whether they entertain Olympic dreams or simply feel the need for speed,” Higgins said.
The Velodrome, which opened in 2015, was the brainchild of former owners Doug Emerson (owner of University Bikes in Boulder) and Frank Banta. The pair first put it on the market in 2017, hoping to find buyers whose passion for cycling and vision would take the facility to the next level.
In October 2019, the Velodrome was under contract with buyers who planned to demolish it. Higgins and other cycling enthusiasts worked out a last-minute deal to purchase the property and save the track, but it later fell through as a result of the worldwide lockdown and financial pinch from the coronavirus pandemic.
With new owners on board, Team Colorado Cycling has launched a gofundme campaign with the aim of raising at least $75,000 to help pay for needed repairs and improvements. Among them: Stripping chipped and faded paint from the track surface; board-by-board repair and replacement; raising sections of concrete that have settled; and repainting the structure inside and out. Additional improvements include landscaping work and general cleanup; repairing and tuning the facility’s bike fleet; and opening a new rider lounge, as well as a stretching and workout area. Contributions tare tax deductible.
The Boulder Valley Velodrome is a landmark on the west side of County Line Road at the southern end of the planned Erie Town Center.
“The Erie Town Center is envisioned as nearly 400 acres combining mixed-use development with parks and open space, and the reactivation of the Boulder Valley Velodrome will help us meet the vision for creating a unique and thriving community center,” said Erie Town Administrator Malcolm Fleming.
The Boulder Valley Velodrome is one of four, international-standard 250-meter tracks in the U.S. And it is one of just two wood tracks of that length in the U.S. The other, in Carson, Calif., will host track cycling events in the 2028 L.A. Summer Olympics. As such, the facility has long held promise as a high-altitude training ground for current and future stars of the sport.
“The passion for cycling in Colorado is among the best in the country, if not the world,” said Makala Jaramillo, an emerging star from Colorado on the junior cycling circuit with Team USA and Sonic Boom Racing. “By restoring the Boulder Valley Velodrome we can bring new people to the sport and develop the next generation of cycling legends from the United States.”
Operators have planned a public open house at the track from 2-5 pm on May 6th.
For additional information and to make a donation, visit: BoulderValleyVelodrome.org
