Project Aims to Enhance and Preserve Historic "Mid-Mod Mile"

The City of Littleton’s Community Development and Economic Development departments are preparing a Request for Proposal for the Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan.

The project would be a master plan for economic and housing development, historic preservation, and multimodal transportation along Littleton Boulevard. City staff presented an overview of the scope of the project to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) April 15, focusing on the historic preservation and multimodal connectivity aspects of the project.

Littleton Boulevard has been nicknamed the “Mid-Mod Mile” because of its collection of mid-century modern commercial and residential architecture. Under the plan, any development along the street would be mindful of the area’s historical significance, and efforts would be made to preserve and promote the existing architecture.

Members of the HPC hope to educate more people about the “Mid-Mod Mile.” They were especially excited about the prospect of improving the streetscape to be more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians. Members said if more people could take their time biking and walking down Littleton Boulevard rather than driving, they would have more opportunities to appreciate the street’s unique architecture.

The plan comes from the city’s new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which was adopted by city council in March. A key theme of the strategy is focusing on enhancing and maintaining community character, and while there were many recommendations included in the strategy, city council at its 2024 retreat decided to prioritize a subarea plan for the Littleton Boulevard corridor.

The project is anticipated to be a two-to-three-year initiative, with plan completion set for the second quarter of 2025. The budget for the plan may be appropriated when the contract is awarded following the Request for Proposal.