Downtown Casper, Wyoming, Is Looking Up
David Street Station and other investments are making Casper better than ever.
Sponsored by: Casper Downtown Development Authority
Downtowns are not always built on the corner of hustle and bustle. Take Casper, Wyoming, for instance, a city surrounded by magnificent natural beauty and filled with hard-working, friendly people. And in the middle of it all is a quaint and beautiful downtown, where the store owners are also your neighbors, and there is always time for a chat.
This is not a place where you just disappear into a background of beige while walking around downtown. No, downtown Casper, WY, is a vibrant, winding main street, with blooming flowers in the spring and a coating of snow during the winter. It is meeting a friend while walking along the sidewalk, followed by coffee and conversation.
Downtown Casper is community. It is Americana. It is a Norman Rockwell painting brought to life. It is thousands of people coming together with thousands of stories to tell.
The latest story in downtown Casper is emerging from David Street Station, a central gathering place that hosts a wide variety of events and activities throughout the year. It was created out of a vision by the Downtown Development Authority Board to bring businesses, jobs and economic stimulus to the entire city via downtown growth by providing free activities for the people of Casper.
Capital for the project was nearly evenly split between private contributions ($6 million) and public funding ($4 million). Donations poured in from businesses, organizations and residents, ranging from a $1 million endowment to individual contributions of as little as $5. It was all of Casper pulling together to create a place where all are welcome.
During the summer, visitors to David Street Station can enjoy the splash pad, farmers markets, concerts and festivals. The annual Fall Fest features train rides and a pumpkin patch. And when winter rolls around, the outdoor venue is transformed to feature an open-air ice-skating rink situated around the city’s 40-foot-tall community Christmas tree. A fire pit crackles with flames as friends huddle together, sipping coffee and telling stories.
All told, more than 100 free community events and activities are held each year in downtown Casper, with many taking place at David Street Station. And now that DSS is firmly established, the private sector is leading the charge for future development, with more than $140 million in investment in downtown over the past five years.
As a result, there are new businesses alongside establishments that have been operating in Casper for generations.
There is energy and enhancement and enthusiasm spreading throughout downtown Casper. Making an already great place to be even better for all.