Sen. John Hickenlooper visited Craig on Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Yampa Building.

Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet sponsored a $500,000 congressional grant that will fund upgrades to the building, including a new commercial kitchen and lift access to the second floor.

Hickenlooper spent the late afternoon at the Yampa Building. Prior to the groundbreaking, he was given a guided tour and then took part in a small business roundtable.

The groundbreaking ceremony itself represents a triumph more than two years in the making for the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber took over the Yampa Building in July 2020. Since that time, one of the main objectives for the building has been to create spaces beneficial to the community.

The Commercial Kitchen Small Business Incubator will be housed in the building’s revamped kitchen area and will be available for rental to all community members. Local cottage-food producers can utilize the commercial-grade kitchen to expand their offerings. Cooking classes can also be offered in the space.

Renters will be required to provide their own ingredients and specialized utensils and pay a nominal rental fee. The kitchen will have a separate entrance and offer extended hours.

Lift access to the second floor and ADA-compliant bathroom facilities are overdue and highly welcome upgrades for the building as well. Currently members of the public who would most benefit from an elevator face challenges accessing the second floor of the building, both during seasonal community events and daily business dealings.

Work on the projects is slated to begin toward the end of the year with local contracting company Jenison Custom Builders, with construction time estimated to be around six months.

Chamber of Commerce Assistant Director Brittany Jennings is enthusiastic about the upgrades to the building and what it means for the community. She emphasized that the Yampa Building is “a community building” and that philosophy will be central to any future upgrade projects.