Some leaders in Aspen’s business community urged city officials Tuesday to think about the consequences produced by measures aimed at improving safety and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists who use the downtown core.
Financial and industry data for the first quarter of 2020 aren’t exactly a portrayal of a thriving local retail economy, but they also show that a recovery is in motion.
A report issued Monday by the city of Aspen’s finance department was a mixed bag. It showed the hardest hit retail sectors January-through-March were restaurants and accommodations, with their respective sales totals respectively down 27.1% and 27% from the same three months in 2020. On the brighter side, of the 12 other industries tracked by city, 10 saw sales increases in this year’s first quarter over January through March 2020, the report showed.
“While sales are pacing even with quarter 1 of 2020 in total, the city’s two largest industries accommodations and restaurants continue to lag behind, each down about 27% to date, and are being offset by the recoveries experienced in other industries,” wrote Anthony Lewin, who is the city of Aspen’s senior financial tax auditor, in the report.