Editing Black Hawk, Colorado (section)

===Gambling boom===
[[File:Ameristar Casino, Black Hawk.JPG|thumb|left|Ameristar Casino]]
Many historic buildings in the town have been restored following the opening of the casinos in 1991. The town has been in heated competition for gambling revenue with its neighbor Central City since casinos opened in both towns in 1991. Development of the area down Clear Creek from the historic Black Hawk townsite lining [[Colorado State Highway 119|State Highway 119]] has flourished. Gamblers from Denver pass the Blackhawk casinos before they arrive at Central City, and, as a result, Black Hawk has realized much more revenue from gambling than Central City. Gambling in Black Hawk also benefits from less restrictive [[zoning]] codes; while Central City until recently limited building heights to {{convert|53|ft}} to preserve the historic character of the town, Black Hawk has no such limits. In an attempt to close the competitive gap, Central City built the [[Central City Parkway]] from [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|Interstate 70]] near [[Idaho Springs, Colorado|Idaho Springs]] as an alternative route, leading guests first to Central City, and then to Black Hawk. The Central City Parkway opened November 19, 2004. However, Black Hawk continues to have three times the number of casinos and generates more than seven times the gambling revenue that Central City does.<ref>Andy Vuong, "Eased gambling, building rules give Central City second chance," ''Denver Post'', July 1, 2009, p.1A.</ref>

Although the 1990 statewide referendum allowing casino gambling in Black Hawk was promoted as a way to promote historic preservation in Black Hawk, critics have charged that it has had the opposite effect, and that the historic appearance of Black Hawk has been sacrificed to allow construction of the large casinos.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://achp.gov/casearchive/cases4-99CO.html| title=Colorado: Construction of KMM Parking Structure (Black Hawk)| work=Archive of Prominent Section 106 Cases: April 1999| publisher=Advisory Council on Historic Preservation| access-date=November 17, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229232552/http://www.achp.gov/casearchive/cases4-99CO.html| archive-date=December 29, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9F00EED61130F934A3575AC0A961958260| last1=Brooke| first1=James| title=Colorado Rethinks Bet on Historic Preservation| work=The New York Times| date=September 7, 1997| access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.westword.com/2006-04-13/news/a-house-divided/| last1=Calhoun| first1=Patricia| title=A House Divided| work=Westword| date=April 13, 2006| access-date=November 17, 2016| archive-date=February 3, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203041822/http://www.westword.com/2006-04-13/news/a-house-divided/| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.nationaltrust.org/11Most/list.asp?i=11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070215190859/http://www.nationaltrust.org/11Most/list.asp?i=11| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 15, 2007| title=11 Most Endangered Places (2006): Black Hawk & Central City| publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation| access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref>

Tax from the gambling revenue provides funding for the State Historical Fund, administered by the [[Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010505225832/http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/shf/shfindex.htm State Historical Fund], [[Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation|Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation]], [[Colorado Historical Society]], USA.</ref>