Greeley, Colorado has an image problem. One that it is trying to shake in an effort to drum up tourism.
Ask someone from Denver what they know about the city, and you鈥檙e likely to get answers like these:
Jeff Nikaido says, 鈥淓verybody always tells me about the smell when you go to Greeley.鈥�
Laura Rickhoff simply says, 鈥淐ows.鈥�
Cynthia Ord adds, 聽鈥淚 think there鈥檚 meat processing there if I鈥檓 not mistaken and bad smells.鈥�
Those comments point toward Greeley鈥檚 agrarian roots.
Although the odor had been a problem for decades, Greeley received its national reputation while the Denver Broncos held training camp here in the 80鈥檚 and early 90鈥檚. Media reports about the smell during practices spread like wildfire.
"I think Greeley has got the reputation that we have cattle yards, we have stock yards within the city limits,鈥� said John Pantaleo, spokesman with the city of Greeley. 鈥淎nd I think that came from the fact that that was true, but that was years ago. However that reputation, that part of our reputation, has really stuck.鈥�
According to the city's website, during the 1960's locals joked the smell was simply the '.' But Pantaleo says the city is more than just its agricultural roots.
He notes the city has a vibrant , is home to the , and the oldest in the state. 鈥淏ut agriculture being as large as it is in Northern Colorado, all the communities in Northern Colorado do have to endure and deal with the fact that there are agricultural odors in this area,鈥� said Pantaleo.
For Derek Boulton and his wife Stephanie, owners of the , once they saw the beautiful home for sale, they were intent on moving to Greeley.鈥淭he fact that we choose to live and work in Greeley is significant,鈥� says Derek Boulton.
The couple moved to Greeley three years ago.
Stephanie Boulton says as lifelong globetrotters, the pair of British expats fell in love with their home, and Greeley despite a Denver Realtor telling them they might not like the home.
鈥淎nd she paused, 鈥榦h, yes. That鈥檚 in Greeley.鈥� And she said 鈥榶ou don鈥檛 want to look at that place,鈥� and I said why not? She said, and I quote: 鈥業 don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e culturally compatible with Greeley,鈥欌€� said Boulton.
The city has taken steps to mitigate the smell such as creating an . The meat packing plant, located on the northeast side of the city, now has a .
The reputation and misperception still remains.
So how do you change that if you can鈥檛 stop the odor completely?
John Panteleo says by being unexpected.
鈥淲ell, 鈥樷€� is a really nice way to represent the community. In fact, it鈥檚 not what they thought or what they heard in the past,鈥� says Panteleo.
The city is taking an all-out assault on its old reputation. From posters on busses across the Front Range to signs at the Denver International Airport, the quarter of a million dollar campaign, paid for in part by a city lodging tax, is touting the many positives Greeley has to offer.
This isn鈥檛 the first time the city has attempted to re-brand itself. Nearly a decade ago the city tried 鈥楪reeley: Great from the Ground up.鈥�
Panteleo says he hopes Greeley: Unexpected sticks, but acknowledges it鈥檚 not going to be easy changing such deeply engrained perceptions.
鈥淲hen it takes decades to build a reputation, it鈥檚 going to take a long time to try to change that,鈥� Panteleo says. So, in four or five years does he expect people not to bring up the smell when they think of Greeley?
He pauses, and says, 鈥淲e鈥檒l find out.鈥�
