I’m writing from the far west end of Pearl Street, where our arts nonprofit, The New Local (TNL), houses one of the last remaining galleries downtown. We love our leafy neighborhood, where we steward the iconic, butter-yellow Montgomery House, just next door to the butter-rich pastries of Spruce Confections. We’re so grateful to have received an “Affordable Commercial Pilot Program” grant for our Annex (a few doors further west) so that we may continue offering art classes and cultural events for the broader community. Our creative hub has served downtown for just over two years, working our mightiest to fill a void left by the beloved “Arts and Crafts Gallery” co-op; a heart-shaped void left in the heart of our downtown.

Every time I walk Pearl Street, from our HQ towards “the bricks,” (those four blocks of downtown that are closed to cars) I re-remember that foot traffic increases exponentially with every step closer to the pedestrian mall. Would more foot traffic help our gallery thrive? Definitely. Would a permanent closure of Pearl between 9th and 11th help us? Maybe? Would I sign a petition to get that proposal on the upcoming ballot? No way! Why? Because the business owners on the blocks in question voiced that it would damage their businesses. Boulder: Let’s listen to our small business owners.

Like each brick and mortar that it cradles, our walking mall exists through the visionary efforts of a few, supported by a wave of enthusiasm by the community. Let’s help celebrate Pearl Street’s 50th anniversary by bolstering those who keep it alive today. Instead of destroying the dreams of businesses that earn a livelihood on West Pearl, we can usher in a golden age downtown by engaging our creative workforce in new ways.

The New Local is organically fostering a downtown creative district on the west end of Pearl. We now host eight artist studios and showcase a rotating, juried collection of 90 local women creatives. We also offer ongoing classes and community events, many by donation/sliding scale. Other creatives are following suit, moving in across the street and next door. Instead of destroying parking spaces that support small businesses, let’s encourage pedestrians further west. For a fraction of the cost of a proposed “west end conversion” — some estimates put it at $10 million dollars! — we could erect an arched sign across Pearl at 9th and invest in permanent venues/incubator spaces for our creative industries downtown.

Please don’t pit our arts community against the business community by proposing “creative play spaces” that will consume parking spaces, thereby damaging restaurants and retailers. Instead, let’s work together! TNL partnered with multiple businesses on Feb. 27th for our inaugural “West End Art Walk.” As a direct result of this activation, Gemini restaurant’s average profit for Thursdays in Feb. increased by 69%! Collaborations like this benefit everyone, without destroying valuable infrastructure. .

The west end is already a gathering space for community engagement. Inspired by Spruce Confection’s “Sunday live music series,” TNL launched “Sundays on West Pearl” last year, hosting free art activities on our lawn every Sunday, all summer. Once a month, the “Coffee and Classics” vintage car club also rolls up to 8th Street by Lolita’s. At the intersection of 8th and Pearl, the public can catch live music, see classic cars and engage with the local arts community at no cost. We don’t need to destroy two blocks of parking. We just need to encourage people westward.

We also hosted our community friends, El Centro Amistad, for the city’s first Dia De Los Muertos processions from West Pearl to the historic courthouse. This was such an honor and a special event, buoyed by sponsorships from multiple downtown restaurants. This kind of reciprocal support is the oxygen of downtown; it’s a life breath, give-and-take ecosystem where visitors, locals, restaurants, retailers, creative culture … and parking spaces all play a role.

In five years, our grant will have run its course, and TNL’s rent will be 25% higher than it is today. We need capital investment in the creative economy on Pearl so that artists may continue contributing to the heart of our downtown.

Let’s redirect focus towards building up what we already have, instead of tearing down that which is working well.

Marie-Juliette Bird is a Boulder native and founder of THE NEW LOCAL nonprofit.