Cheyenne Looks to Fill Vacant Buildings in Downtown Area

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is hoping to fill abandoned buildings and vacant spaces in the city's downtown area that are hurting property values.

There is currently 300,000 square feet of vacant space within the authority of the DDA, the equivalent of nearly 7 acres.

DDA Executive Director Amy Surdam says if the 26 properties with vacant space were to be developed to their furthest the development authority could see another $40 million in property values.

In hopes of filling that space, the authority is working to create an Abandoned Building Coalition to research other cities and find ways to fight the problem.