Watertower Place

Watertower Place is providing unique and inspiring spaces designed to foster collaboration and promote ideas for efficient, forward-thinking innovation. Pueblo makes the things that enable Makers to make things. The story of Pueblo, whether it is steel production or meat packing, is about making processes to create great things that impact the world around us. This has been the core narrative for generations of Puebloans from the 'Town called Town that Could'.

At Watertower Place we are passionate about creating a home for Southern Colorado based makers, creatives and entrepreneurs to flourish. Our first collaborative platform is the Hans Peter Henschien Center for Creativity & Innovation which is named after the Norwegian architect who designed the original Nuckolls Packing Company and is known worldwide for his rational factory design. Here you will find Southern Colorado Innovation Link (SCIL) and the Steel City Maker Center (SCMC).

OUR MAKER CULTURE

PUEBLO MAKES

I grew up in a paper mill town in New Jersey and after I came to Pueblo 20 years ago, it took me a while to figure out why I felt at home so quickly. I realized that Pueblo has the same rich ethnic diversity, the same friendly but tough welcome, and the same hands-on, "we can do this" attitude of my home town. 

Both towns are maker towns. Pueblo makes steel, but we also roast coffee, we design and make jewelry, we customize hot rods, and we paint murals. We have great manufacturing companies that make carbon disk brakes for aircraft, towers for wind turbines, rail products, traction chains, custom kitchen cabinets, fruit handling equipment, high end GPS devices, bath and body products, and more. I sew. 

In the Engineering Department at CSU-Pueblo, engineering students build on theoretical foundations of calculus and physics to design and make products using equipment including our foundry and 3D printers. As an educator, I am proud that we help students achieve their dreams and that those engineering graduates help our local companies succeed. 

Jane M Fraser
Maker, Educator & Community Builder