Grand Junction is among the latest communities selected to implement initiatives under state economic development efforts.

Grand Junction and Grand Lake were selected for the creativity lab initiative under an effort billed as Colorado Blueprint 2.0.

Blueprint 2.0 leverages state partnerships and specialized resources to address the economic development goals of rural areas of Colorado. Launched in 2015, Blueprint 2.0 is a bottom-up effort to turn regional feedback on local economic needs into a statewide set of initiatives to advance the economies of rural communities.

The second round of Blueprint 2.0 offered six new initiatives based on participant feedback and economic opportunities. Each initiative includes services not previously provided by the state and leverages state resources and partnerships with organizations outside the state to provide technical assistance to regions that expressed an interest in pursuing the initiatives. A total of 17 communities across Colorado will be involved in initiatives that include branding, coworking, film production, outdoor recreation and tourism promotion.

Stephanie Copeland, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, announced the latest initiatives. “OEDIT is committed to building rural economies through a variety of innovative programs and initiatives,” Copeland said. “We are excited to announce the communities that will benefit from the second round of Blueprint 2.0 initiatives and look forward to working with communities across the state.”

Colorado Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne said the initiatives reflect efforts to meet the needs of rural regions. “We congratulate today’s recipients and look forward to seeing how these regions leverage the new services and resources to help strengthen their economies and communities.”

Meridith Marshal, a senior manager for regional development, said, “We are excited to be helping communities address everything from placemaking and branding to housing and economic development. We had great success with the first round of Blueprint 2.0, and we are looking forward to the second round of initiatives and how they will advance rural Colorado.”

In 2016, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade led 27 initiatives during the first round of the Blueprint 2.0 initiatives. The original blueprint was developed as an economic development strategy for Colorado.