Colorado Springs’ downtown has more to offer than years past: more places to live, shop, eat, play and be entertained thanks to an influx of apartments, stores, restaurants, bars and attractions — such as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and the Weidner Field stadium.

Downtown supporters and visitors, however, want more.

Asked what downtown lacks, Austin Wilson-Bradley, the Downtown Partnership advocacy group’s economic development director, said for-sale housing remains a major need.

Sure, downtown Colorado Springs has added at least 2,000 apartments in the last several years, with more on the way.

But as in suburban areas, some downtown residents want to buy, not rent, Wilson-Bradley said. And aside from a smattering of lofts, there are few chances to purchase a residence downtown.

A lack of condominium construction is one reason that downtown lacks for-sale housing, he said. The General Assembly is expected this year to again tackle construction defect reform legislation, which supporters say would help pave the way for an increase in condominium building in the state.

“We desperately need additional ownership opportunities downtown and that’s something we’re certainly always advocating and lobbying for,” Wilson-Bradley said.

What else does downtown Colorado Springs need?

The Gazette posed the question on Facebook, Reddit and other social media platforms. Here’s a sampling of responses we received, which were edited for brevity and clarity:

•”A place that makes breakfast sandwiches all day long. Good ones. Fresh eggs (no frozen egg patties) croissants, bagels, sourdough. Maybe breakfast burritos, as well. Just a quality breakfast place that’s open all the time, I guess.”

• “A gas station and a grocery store. Seriously. They don’t exist there anymore and they’re establishments that everyone needs.”

• “I wish there were a Trader Joe’s or similar market I can walk to, a really good hibachi/teppanyaki restaurant would be awesome, a non-sucky pharmacy would be great, too. Affordable ones, too …”

• “A hot dog place or some quick eats spot that’s open late.”

• “A smallish concert theater. Seating that’s in between the clubs like Sunshine Studios/Black Sheep and Pikes Peak Center.”

• “I wish that the old Peak Theater on Pikes Peak (between Tejon and Nevada) were a functional live music venue. Such a gem of an old American theater that’s just slowly gonna be rotting away, it seems.”

• “A grocery store, movie theater, pharmacy, affordable beauty services, theater (remember Burns?), and affordable shopping (not tourist traps)! Similar to London, Oxford, Paris, NYC, Charleston, Alexandria, or Chicago downtowns. We used to be known as Little London and had a vibrant downtown. I hope that happens again!”

• “A baseball stadium. Having the soccer stadium downtown is so nice and a baseball stadium would be awesome.”

• “Hot dog carts. That was always my favorite part of working in downtown Denver back in the day. Cheap street food that I could grab and go find a bench to eat. Doesn’t even specifically need to be hot dogs, street food of any kind is what makes a city core hum.”

• “Has downtown improved its lighting? I’ve been disappointed in the past by how dark it gets after sunset. Compared to other major cities with vibrant, well-lit, and safe downtown areas, ours hasn’t offered much incentive to linger. The Rabbit Hole and Shuga’s were exceptions, but overall, the atmosphere hasn’t been appealing. In my experience, good lighting, a sense of safety, and a diverse selection of quality restaurants and bars are key ingredients for a successful and enjoyable downtown.”

• “I will echo many people here, but a quality food store of sorts. I know it may not fit the exact definition of a food desert, but I have argued it is one. Our public transportation doesn’t support our downtown residents well enough, and we should have something where people can get reasonably priced food. The nostalgic in me would say another quality dessert place like Michelle’s. However, I think people would just be happy it’s not a car wash or storage unit.”

• “Whole Foods.”

• “I would love to see some sort of yarn/fiber arts store.”

• “A soft-serve yogurt place.”

• “How about a conference center for all the corporate business revenue?? It’s what drives small businesses and hotels in the downtown market. I’ve never understood why we don’t have one.”

• “A movie theater. A vintage-looking movie theater.”

• “I live downtown, a grocery store and convenient stores such as Walgreens would be amazing!”

• “The City Aud [auditorium] hosting local events like Pikes Peak Roller Derby again.”

• “Grocery store for all the folks soon to be moving in! Downtown is a food desert, really could do with that improvement.”

• “I miss Kimball’s and the opportunity to see independent films.”

• “Safety, free parking, an arts district.”

• “A baseball field for a Rockies minor league team. This would be the best thing for this town. Oh, and free parking.”

• “If you really want to make downtown a livable neighborhood, you need to start adding some corner groceries, and not those price-gouging food desert places, real grocery stores.”

• “An indoor market with numerous vendors. Imagine meat, cheese, soaps, bakery, seafood, fresh flowers, coffee, spices, oils, etc., vendors in a building such as the downtown post office.”

• “There is a lovely grocery store downtown, Bread & Butter. But a grocery store centralized (near Rasta Pasta) would be great as well.”

• “Car-free pedestrian streets, density, more tall buildings, more activity, less parking, projects that prioritize humans over automobiles. General high-quality urbanism!!”

• “A streetcar, new downtown transit station, and make Tejon pedestrian only.”

• “Color! I don’t mean bright purples, neon orange or glowing yellows but downtown is drab! Basic earth tones would be an improvement over shades of concrete and beige.”