Capitol Street Is Being Rebuilt for the Quick Trip, From Town Hall to Eagle Ranch
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
What do you do with a restaurant built to serve 300 covers a night when it is serving about 150? Casey Glowacki answered that question for the corner of Capitol Street and Founders Avenue at the end of summer. He closed Capitol Public House and started turning the space into a small market. At the north end, the Town of Eagle spent the same season tearing out and rebuilding the downtown end of the same street. The new version has raised crossings, flashing beacons, and new sidewalks.
The two projects have different owners, budgets, and reasons. But they lead to the same outcome for the people who use Capitol Street. In fall 2026, both ends of the street are being set up for shorter, more frequent trips: a walk to Town Hall from a side street, or a stop for groceries and a beer on the patio on the way home. Here is how each piece fits, and the dates to know.
The Town's construction contract with 360 Civil covers Capitol Street from Grand Avenue to 5th Street, plus some work on 4th Street. The awarded amount was $2,927,866.25, and the Town authorized a separate 10 percent contingency of $292,786.62. In a March 2025 resolution, the Town planned $3.5 million for the project in 2026 and backed an application for a $1 million state grant through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. That document records an application, not an award.
Most of the cost of a project like this is buried, so the bid schedule is the best guide to what changed. Here is what it lists:
Raised crossings, beacons, ramps, and lighting are what make it easier to cross on foot. The bid schedule does not list a dedicated bike lane or a roundabout, and nothing in it says whether the number of parking spaces went up or down. The changes are curb-level and below ground, not a new layout for cars.
The Town's announcement points the same way. The ribbon cutting is Thursday, Oct. 8, from 3 to 5 p.m., with light refreshments while they last. There will also be a Touch-a-Truck with the contractors, the Public Works team, and local first responders. The Town is asking people to walk or bike to it if they can. Drivers should park on nearby side streets, along Broadway, or at Town Park. The street opens to public traffic on Friday, Oct. 9. The contract had set Sept. 18 as the completion date for the scope of work and allows final work and payment processing through mid-November.
The day after the reopening notice, the Town announced a second Capitol Street decision. The Eagle Town Council approved an agreement to buy the St. Mary's Church property at 215 Capitol Street, behind Town Hall and inside the stretch that was just rebuilt. The price is $3.15 million, which is below the value in the Town's independent appraisal. Closing is expected in December 2026.
Nothing changes on that block right away. The Town will lease the property back to St. Mary's for one dollar a month through January 2028, so the church and its preschool can keep operating while their new building is finished. The church will keep paying operating costs during that time. The Town is looking at financing options, including third-party lease-purchase financing, to limit the impact on its existing capital funds. Because the church is a nonprofit and pays no property tax, the purchase does not take anything off the local tax rolls.
The long-term use has not been decided. Town leaders mention operational needs, especially more room for the Police Department, whose current building the Town describes as increasingly cramped. A facility assessment is also looking at options that "could support increased vitality in downtown." Mayor Bryan Woods called a property of this size and location in downtown Eagle "extremely rare." He said the lease-back period gives the Town time to work with the community on how the site can best serve Eagle. The Town has now rebuilt the street downtown and is buying a large parcel on it, while the final use stays open for public input.
The south end of Capitol Street has its own history of trying to fit the right business into the right space. The corner of Capitol and Founders was once home to 7 Hermits Brewing Company, which moved there from 717 Sylvan Lake Road. Color Coffee Roasters took over the old Sylvan Lake Road spot. El Segundo was in the same corner space for about two years and closed in 2024. Its partner Cameron Douglas told the Vail Daily that in the year after El Segundo opened, five more restaurants opened around town and its sales fell 40 percent. By April 2025, Beyond Golf had opened there, with restaurant service and golf simulators, under owners Tom and Josh Galvin.
Capitol Public House is next door, and its story is different. On its last weekend of summer, the patio was full, pizzas were on almost every table, and kids were playing on the back lawn. Glowacki, who also sits on the Eagle Town Council, said the business "was actually good." The problem was the size of the room.
"The location's just so big. And it's really a restaurant designed to do, you know, 300 covers, and it's only doing 150 … It's built like a machine. It has a huge kitchen. It has a huge storeroom downstairs. It's oversized for the amount of people that come in."
He did not open another restaurant in its place. He is combining the space with Cut Meat and Seafood, which he also owns, to create Capitol Market. It is scheduled to open in November, with no exact date announced. The plan has three parts: a market with meat, produce, canned and dry goods, and grab-and-go food; a café serving soups, burgers, and pizza; and the bar and patio, which stay open. Shoppers can come and go, or buy food inside and eat it at the patio tables.
"For lack of a better word, it's a convenience store," Glowacki said. He pointed to the lack of basic grocery options in the Eagle Ranch commercial district. "I know I'm never going to put a ding in City Market sales. But, you know, if I could be that quick grab …" That is the same idea as the downtown project, built by a private owner on a smaller scale. The corner is being designed around frequent, easy visits instead of filling a big dining room.
Other Eagle Ranch businesses stay on the street around it. The Capitol Theatre has four screens showing first-run movies at 1140 Capitol Street. Color Coffee Roasters is at 717 Sylvan Lake Road. Beyond Golf and Wild Sage are still on EagleOutside's current Eagle restaurant directory. Wild Sage opened in 2023 at 1143 Capitol Street, the former Assembly space. In 2024, Glowacki told the Vail Daily he was "bullish on Eagle Ranch" and willing to wait for more growth. At the time he owned Capitol Public House, Cut, and Wild Sage. Capitol Market is how he is acting on that view with a smaller format.
Here are the dates on the calendar now, from the new downtown block to the village:
Two Capitol Street decisions are still open after this fall: the opening date for Capitol Market and the long-term use of the St. Mary's block. The Town has said the second one will include community input during the lease-back period.
If you own a home along Capitol Street or in Eagle Ranch and want to talk about what the rebuilt downtown or the St. Mary's process could mean for your plans over the next few years, Kevin Kuebert is happy to have a direct, no-pressure conversation. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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