Get your Architects and GC's on the ready there is almost 1,000 SF of Open Unfinished Basement to develop.

Lastly, my ultimate goal is to become an architect and developer.Where are we now?

You'll need a lawyer to represent you unless it's your personal residence and you'll need an architect to draw up plans, which you'll then submit to the city just so they can refuse them.

Kratt Commercial (Leasing), Thomas + Thomas (Planner & Landscape Architects), RTA Architects (Project Architects), Kiowa Engineering (Project Civil Engineers), Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, Bridgers & Paxton (Mechanical Engineers).

There is an online public-access interactive map that both an architect and someone at DOB showed me and I can't for the life of me remember how to access it.

You will need to check the current zoning and to add an additional unit, you will need a full set of plans, on top of potentially a new water service line (ouch that's expensive) from a licensed architect to get the city to certify the 3rd (new Unit). 

I know I need a surveyor, architect, etc.

I suggest calling a local architect to be your middleman. 

And I have a background as an Architect so building units larger than a 4-plex really won’t be much of an issue.

If it took that long to do the floor plans (architectural and structural engineering plan sets) that is likely on your architect and not the city process.