History of CCDD

In 1979, the Center for Community Development and Design (CCDD) was established at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In prior years, staff, faculty, and students from CCDD at CU-Denver had completed a number of projects in Colorado Springs and had occasionally involved local faculty and students. Recognizing the city's ongoing need for community development work and the potential for applied research, CU-Colorado Springs administrators and faculty and City staff helped establish a branch of CCDD on the Colorado Springs campus. The CCDD Cooperative Community Board was formed to oversee the Center as well as to create additional partnerships and to encourage the participation of local professionals in Center activities. Members of the Board have since represented both the campus and the community.

The CU President's office provided initial funding for the Center's Director. Professor Paul Grogger administered early CCDD activities until its first full-time director, Ellen Kotz, was hired in 1980. In 1984, campus administrators decided to hire a director with a Ph.D. in geography in order to facilitate the development of intra-campus partnerships. Bill Leon filled this position and continues as CCDD's director today. Over the years, the campus gradually assumed full responsibility for staffing the Center. Contracts with the City's Department of Community Development provided most of the initial funding for project expenses. In its first three years of full operation, CCDD carried out several studies and projects related to urban and rural planning, historic preservation, and neighborhood redevelopment. Many of these relied on faculty and students from CU-Denver, but the increasing participation of Colorado Springs faculty, students and professionals made inter-campus management less essential.

The Center extended its community development work into many different areas so that more faculty and students in many more departments and colleges at CU-The Springs could be involved. CCDD also greatly expanded its area of service by undertaking many projects in Southern and Southeast Colorado. This area later increased, and the Center has now worked in all 63 counties in the State. Most projects continue to focus on the Pikes Peak Region. CCDD partnerships have grown to include not only the City of Colorado Springs but also many neighborhoods, nonprofit organizations, quasi-governmental organizations (like the Pikes Peak Council of Governments), schools, school districts and agencies in local, county, state and federal government.

The Center's funding base also diversified and expanded. In 1983-84, CCDD's funding included $15,171 from the campus, an equal amount from Central Administration and $10,000 from the City of Colorado Springs, for a total of $40,342. In 1992-93, 88% of the Center's $280,505 funding came from program contracts and grants while the University provided $33,764 (plus in-kind support). In 1993, severe budget cutbacks stemming from the implementation of the recently passed TABOR Amendment were impacting the campus. When budgeting decisions were made for the following year, CCDD was asked to become fully self-supporting in the provision of all salaries, benefits and expenses. The campus agreed to continue to provide office space, utilities and in-kind staff support (from Personnel, Finance, etc). Currently, active contracts and grants administered by the Center total nearly $600,000. All staff salaries are included in grants and contracts as direct costs or as project management expenses. Through its efforts to expand programs and funding, CCDD has been able to maintain and even expand some operations without University funding.

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