Good afternoon and welcome to the Colorado Springs Historic Preservation Board meeting for September 8th, 2025.

The Historic Board Preservation Board is comprised of seven members appointed by City Council to administer the historic preservation code.

Good afternoon.

The historic preservation board members are community volunteers with expertise across a wide variety of disciplines.

Each member acts independently, carefully assessing all the evidence presented to make their decision.

With that, let's go ahead and do a roll call.

Do you do the roll call, please?

Chair Loenberg, present.

Board member music.

Board member Baumgartner.

Present.

Board member Fitzimmers.

Board member Potter.

Here.

Board member Bierbaum.

Here.

Board Member Heinz.

Here.

Thank you.

We have five members present.

Awesome.

Thank you very much.

I am not aware of any changes to the agenda or postponements.

Let's go to agenda item number three, communications, Mr.

Gray.

Okay.

All right.

So a couple communications from staff this afternoon.

So we will have Lindy Pluelli from State Historic Fund and October meeting.

And so a couple uh things that I was going to suggest that she talked to us about would be just survey work funding for some future projects.

Maybe possible HP commission training.

I know that's one of the things they do out of state historic fund, is they do offer uh uh commission training and then just kind of an overall what's going on uh with historic preservation at the state level.

So um the board have any other um subjects you might want to have Lindsay just talk about, um, just let me know.

Um we will have at that October meeting.

We do have one additional um uh item the Board of Acceptability Act application, and then the last thing I wanted to let the board know is we did receive a new application for a historic preservation over district, single property, united church 2927 West Peak Avenue.

It that um is in staff review at this time, and it's expected to be ready for the historic preservation board in November.

So you should be able to see that.

Those are all of the communications I have.

So I think next in the same item for board communications, Christine.

So if you or other board members have anything for today.

Um start.

I just had a couple of minor things.

I just wanted to share in the historic preservation community in the region, it's more regional than anything.

Um Judy may have something as well.

Um, hi Pat.

Sorry, Mike.

Oh, it's okay.

Um, so I just wanted to share.

It just happened on Friday, but um, a friend to the historic preservation community regionally um passed away, Miss Marcy Morrison.

She uh actually has lived in Manitou for a number of years, but she was um she's an advocate of of all things um municipal and regional planning, including historic preservation.

So just want to take a minute and just acknowledge all the contributions that Marcy's made that that has impacted all of us positively across the entire region.

Um then also wanted to share that.

Coincidentally, also Man Tee Springs, over there in the vault um is celebrating the as a building, it's 100 year anniversary.

So I think it's kind of neat to I want to try to do that every month if there are buildings in the area that are accessible publicly that are um historic, they're kind of neat to visit.

They're kind of needed.

Did you have anything you wanted to share as a board member?

You don't have to, it's no pressure.

Okay.

Okay.

Online.

Judy, did you have anything?

Um I know you and I were the big proponents of just having a moment as board members if we had anything that we do have in the community area in our going about.

Hear me?

Can you hear me?

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, okay.

No, uh, I don't have anything.

I I think that uh anybody who is really interested in Marcy's work can just Google her in and you'll be just blown away.

Well, that's all I can say.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

Um, anyone else on the board, Paul or Sarah?

Unfortunately, I didn't know where I read a great article about her in the newspaper.

So I definitely missed out, but I'm happy to hear about her through your guys' stories.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um with that, let's go ahead and go to probably the next agenda item.

That would be item four, approval of minutes.

And these were the minutes from the August 4th meeting.

Yes, and I just wanted to register my appreciation for the detailed record of the discussion because there was quite a bit of discussion, and I was glad to see that it had been recorded.

So my compliments too.

I just finished reading it.

This really did a great job.

Thank you.

With that, we'll be looking for a motion to approve.

I move reapproof the minutes.

Is there a second?

We'll call it Loenberg.

Aye.

Board member music.

Aye.

Board member Baumgartner.

Board member Baumgartner, how do you vote?

On the minutes.

We will come back.

Board member Potter.

Hi.

Board member Brubaum.

Aye.

And board member Heinz.

Hi.

Board member Baumgartner.

Can you hear us?

And how do you vote about the minutes?

That uh motion passes we'd five votes in favor.

Great.

Thank you.

With that, for we have on the consent calendar.

We actually don't have anything for the second calendar.

So we are going to move through five and six.

Um and move over to item seven, unfinished business.

This would be the Colorado Springs Historic Resource Survey Plan.

This was presented and discussed in depth last month, and everyone should have received the file, Mr.

Gray.

I just don't have much more say, but I will say that picking up what Christine left off.

You should have received the final draft of the historic resources.

Survey and context plan.

Those are edits that it's been edited to address comments that we received from the historic preservation board.

Also state historic fund.

They had reviewed how Ron had addressed those.

And I think at this point in time, we expect that once we provide that to them one more time, they will sign off on the plan as it is as it is drafted.

Staff is recommending, however, that we continue that.

I just wanted to at least me personally wanted to make sure that we address the board's edits to the way that you wanted those.

So we felt an additional month to get through that.

Would give you some time to make sure that actually happened.

And so our recommendation is to continue this to October 6th, where the board could take uh final action possibly.

So I guess everything is has been done.

But we think we uh we do think we really we have it.

We have it all together.

So we're looking for a motion then if we can do that.

We continue the discussion of the Colorado Springs Historic Resources Survey Plan to next month, second all second Sarah.

Yes, sir.

Hi Board Member Music.

Hi.

Board member Baumgarner.

Board Member Potter.

Hi.

Board member Bierbaum.

Hi.

Board Member Heinz.

Hi.

And we're coming back to board member Baumgartner.

How do you vote?

By any chance to keep anything in the chat.

We didn't I asked to.

The motion passes unanimously.

And board member Beerbaum asked to please bring to the attention of the board and observers that McAllister House Museum is holding its fall festival last Saturday in September.

Excellent reminder.

Thank you.

With that, new business.

This would be the satellite hotel national register nomination maybe.

All right.

So this is a um referral from the state of Colorado for the satellite.

Um and it's a referral for its national register nomination.

So all any um property in the state of Colorado, if you are a CLG, is required to be presented to the historic preservation board.

It's also required to be um uh sent to the highest elected officials office.

We also know that the mayor's office received this uh nomination as as well.

Um and one of the things that the CLG were required to look at that nomination, uh review and provide a recommendation to the Stock Colorado Historic Preservation Board.

So I have provided I tried to fit all of this on on one sheet, so it didn't access.

So I apologize.

But anyhow, um, and the board had all of this material sent to you ahead of time.

So I think you're all very familiar with it.

Um, but this property is located at uh 411 uh Lakewood uh circle.

So it's um South Academy and Airport Road.

The um satellite um historic and current function are pretty much the same when it was built as it is today.

So it was built as a mixed-use building and it functions today as a mixed-use buildings.

It's got hotels, condos, restaurants, retail, office.

Um it was kind of uh first of its kind here in um Colorado Springs.

The architectural type is definitely definitely modern.

Um the construction of this building um took place between 1967 and 1975.

As you can see, it's a it is a 14-story building.

Um there is a central tower in the middle of the building, and it has three very distinct uh building wings.

Um, the main floor of this building includes the lobby, check-in, um, other amenity spaces for the um for the residents uh and the commercial space.

The upper floor holds 76 hotel rooms, and there are total of 241 residential units.

Um the um the penthouse, which is the kind of triangular-shaped portion, the top of the tower, which makes this building 14 stories tall.

It originally held a lounge and restaurant, um, probably because of its views.

It now has it's been converted into office space um in that location.

Other structures on the the property that are um you know prominent related to this building are the of course, I think the satellite sign, uh, which is on that upper picture, and then the lower picture is just the uh the out it's a large cooling tower that's uh part of the uh uh uh part of the building.

Uh this building has gone through no major um changes since it was built or finished in the 19 uh 70s, so it really does retain um its original um character.

Um I think a couple other notable things about this.

This was the first indoor commercial center um and first residential condominium project in Colorado Springs.

So it's the first place where we put a mix of uses inside the same building before any mall in Colorado Springs.

So I think that's kind of a significant piece of its history.

And then architecturally, it is um it is one of the very first high-rise construction in Colorado Springs, and one of the tallest.

It wasn't necessarily the first high-rise construction, the high-rise construction occurred really in downtown uh first.

Um, but I think one of the things you you we could look at this, that this is probably the largest or still one of the largest buildings in Colorado Springs.

I mean, it totals 38 floors, but those 38 floors are spread out in the wings.

So um, so we may think about the 26 story building that was approved for the downtown.

This building, I think, in its in you know, in the the way the structure was designed, um, you know, you could consider this is this is a pretty significant building to be building to be built in this location um at its time.

And then um I think you know, architecturally, it definitely expresses what they call it that space age or guji design, which was the terms that were um I think the Guji dun is really from like the 30s, but it really is a um a clear example of mid-century modern uh you know architecture.

So um and I think uh and in the um nomination form, um they did identify that its eligible building really is based uh it meets criterion A for uh commerce um in terms of its use and function of the space and the property, and then criteria criterion C for um its architecture.

Um and I will say that the nomination form was uh was prepared by Ron Slodick of Tatonka Historical Associates in a lot of our public input for the historic resource survey plan.

Um this building was identified as uh many times as one of the more significant uh uh architectural examples of modern mid-century modern architecture.

So um uh it definitely definitely got um its attention through that process.

Um, you know, city staff did meet with the uh man at the management of this building to talk about um uh designations that could potentially um help fund restoration of you know the building's exterior, it's mechanical systems, elect electrical systems.

So um that's kind of how this ball all got started uh rolling and they did file their uh net door register application.

So um what the board's real purpose here on this one is um are we is just to provide a uh a motion or recommendation to the um the state historic preservation board on whether or not we that you feel that this building meets the criteria for being listed on the national register, and that's all that I have for the board.

Um and I'll just turn it turn it over to you for any comments or a motion.

I think I'll open it up first to push any public comment.

Is there anyone here that's representing you?

There is you should ask about if there's a resident of the satellite hotel here in the office.

Is there anyone here?

Hi, welcome.

Hello.

Um, first of all, thank you, citizen volunteers.

I know how these boards work, and I appreciate you serving into consideration.

Um what I consider an iconic piece of the southeast of Colorado Springs.

Um we've uh closed on July 18th, and I went in eyes wide open, um, knowing some of the challenges the historical building has and ready to be part of the solution when it comes to um honoring what I think is the Broadmoor of the East getting it back to its heyday.

Um a friend of mine had told me a story about moving out here for a job in Denver, and she got snowed in and had to stay at the satellite in like 1991 for three days, and it was amazing.

And I said I'm glad your experience was amazing.

I want to make it amazing again.

So yeah, thanks for doing the work that you do to keep our city beautiful and preserve Tracy Woods.

Tracy T R A C I E.

Yep.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks.

Thank you.

And maybe I mean actually, oh yeah, for sure.

Um, I remember one of our first conversations actually, she brought that up.

Um but I think it is important for those of us when possible to work, live, play in these historic buildings, you know, and that's what keeps them alive.

Well, if this gets approved, I will work in a historic building.

I work at Early Connections, which is the gingerbread house.

Um, yeah, the day nurses, and then I could potentially live in a historic building.

So I'm a two for potentially.

You know, we can make you a three for if you're interested in applying to the board at some point.

There is no quick pro quote for no matter how thank you very much.

No, not connected at all.

That's awesome.

Okay, but that will close the public comment.

And uh is there any discussion by the board.

I I think it's I think it's perfect application.

I think it's really a good candidate for nation.

Having grown up in Colorado Springs, I was aware when the Citadel was built.

I didn't know that this predated it.

This is good to get the word out.

Sure, keep speaking.

Umline.

It looks like Miss Gold has her hand raised.

Please go ahead.

I do.

Um, I hope everybody can hear me all right.

I just wanted to publicly thank Tracy for being such um uh an investor in the Southeast and a wonderful voice.

And um, I heard a few positive comments there.

So I'm really want to thank the board for their consideration of um this history in the Southeast.

Okay, that's what thank you.

Yeah, I I agree.

I think that I mean, during this time where Southeast Colorado is having the Rise Coalition and we're just getting an opportunity to really revamp that area and bring the satellite back to its original luster and bring that part of the city.

So I think um, you know, the questions that we would have about integrity or the remodeling of it and moving forward, I think I think it's great for us in Southeast Colorado Springs.

Agreed, thank you, Sarah.

Um anyone else online this is not really pertinent, but I think the sign is straight out of the Jeff's which gives it a cultural connection as well.

Yeah, good point.

Okay.

Um with that, I would look for a motion.

Is there a motion to approve this nomination for the satellite national register?

I'll make a motion to approve.

Are you able to see the screen?

Is there any way you could read the motion?

Yeah, I could read that.

Okay, thank you.

Um motion to approve the historic preservation board after its review of the national register nomination for the satellite hotel recommends that the proposed nomination meets criterion A and criterion C for listing the property in the National Register of Historic Places with the following condition.

One city staff submit on behalf of the Historic Preservation Board, the Colorado Certified Local Government National Registry nomination review form to the Colorado Historic Historic Preservation Board for the Satellite Hotel.

Thank you.

Is there a second to that motion?

I seconded it.

I second it.

We went for a three core.

Board member music.

Board member Baumgartner.

Board member Potter.

I do the board member Baumgartner.

Can you hear me?

Oh, we can hear you.

Ah, yay.

Technology, I tell you what.

Uh I vote aye.

Thank you.

Sorry, Bar member member Potter.

Hi.

Board member Breerbaum.

Aye.

Board member Hines.

Hi.

Thank you.

The motion passes unanimously.

Board member Baumgartner, if you wouldn't mind since uh we couldn't hear you on your last two votes for the minutes and the uh unfinished business item.

Could you clarify your vote on that?

Yeah, I vote aye for both.

For minutes forever to unmute on the I vote aye for the minute and I for the um the postponement of uh um plan.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Okay, with that.

Very exciting.

Oh, I would have one announcement.

If anyone wants the uh official review, this is on the agenda for the state historic preservation board on September, then it's day two, September 19th.

Um anyone wants the Zoom link to attend that day.

Um I just give you a thumbs up, I can send it to you.

Um you are able to make um they do have a uh comment period once the um once the nomination is presented, so um the local jurisdiction can make comments or anyone for that matter can make comments on the no whether or not um on the on the nomination.

So um yeah, if you want the link, just uh just let me know.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, I want to say that I think the satellite on the second, it's either the second or third item that morning.

So come up really quick.

Okay, thank you.

With that, our next agenda item is presentations, the city audit farming um updates.

Yeah, so um so at the board's request, um we uh uh invited uh king, who is the assistant director for parks recreation cultural services to give the board an update on the city auditory.

So um for everyone um who doesn't know this is um Kim King is our assistant director of parks, recreation and cultural services.

So welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you for asking me to come today and appreciate the opportunity and fill you in on what's happening with the city auditorium.

Uh the presentation is fairly brief.

Uh this was what we actually presented to our parks recreation and cultural services advisory board recently to update them as well on the status of the city auditorium.

Any questions you have along the way, happy to answer those.

And if Bill, if you don't mind doing the clicker, that would be great.

So next slide, please.

Uh this is just a little bit of history about the city auditorium, even though this board I sure may know more than most of our citizenry regarding the auditorium.

Uh it was completed in 1923.

We had three architects involved in that, and that was Thomas McLaren, Charles Thomas and Thomas Heatherton.

I think one of the interesting things is you know, the the cost of the auditorium was 424,000 at that time.

390,000 of it provided through a voter approved bot, which I thought was really fascinating for having that built and I love the the picture here of the construction that's ongoing at the time.

Approximately 40,000 square feet, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

We've had, and I've been, I've been with the parks department 25 years.

So this is something where we have dealt with a lot of RFPs or requests for proposals in looking at different management and operation strategies for it over the years.

But the reality is that over that time, uh, while many have acknowledged and studies have been done, going back to the compass study of like 2006, acknowledging the fact that it needed some significant improvements and renovations.

So we've gotten uh over the last several years more creative and more out of the box and trying to find a solution to it.

Uh, the most recent and kind of a large scale, if you will, was the Carasprings Community Cultural Collective with Linda Weiss, and we had made an agreement with her, she had a very grand vision for what the auditorium could be, but once kind of got into the process, the funding and level of funding required for that just could not be met.

And so uh she let us know that uh she was going to walk away from our memorandum of understanding we had with her, which realizing it wasn't going to happen, uh is better sooner versus later.

If we can go to the next slide, so that's where we've been vacant since uh 2023.

So after uh the cultural collective uh determined they weren't going to be able to meet the objectives, uh, an internal solutions team was developed.

Umor has been using kind of this strategy on a number of challenges and uh problems that we've had to address.

So we had 17 community leaders come together from all walks of of what you would consider um involvement with the city auditorium a lot that which gets from kind of the venue perspective, long-term community member, uh just a wide variety, as well as staff coming together what we could do.

So the goal was to consider what those opportunities would be.

In the end, what they determined were these final recommendations here, wanting to get the building reactivated for the community, wanting to have it basically used as it was originally intended, you know, for the community, providing that great venue of spaces for music and dance and art and theater and those kinds of things.

Um, also finding creative partnerships because again, the city, you know, one of the challenges has been the city has just not had funds available within all of the constraints of our budgets to be able to put a lot into that infrastructure.

So find somebody who had a solution to that, and then going through a uh request for proposal process.

So we did that.

Next, please.

And in the end, we ended up with AVA Presents, uh, which is a company formed in 1990.

Uh, the AVA is alternative venue alliance.

It's a privately held corporation, uh, has been in business again since 1990.

Their mission really is to partner with organizations with almost a focus on some of the more challenging venues that are out there, and how do you recognize them, be able to utilize them, stabilize them, um, but really having a nod to working with historic structures, which really appealed to us, having somebody that that kind of, if you will, has a clue about historic buildings.

Um, if we could go to the next slide.

And Jesse Morreale is uh is basically the gentleman behind ABA.

He's a Cairo Springs native, went to Palmer High School.

By the way, I went to Palmer as well, so we had a connection immediately.

Um he has worked throughout the US, has done a lot here in Colorado.

Uh, along with kind of that historic preservation and renovation of facilities, he also is works with the music industry, works with a variety of acts.

Um back in the 90s, he he actually booked acts at the city auditorium.

So he is well aware when he was uh putting forward his proposal of the auditorium, kind of the nuances of it, the the uniqueness of it, which was really great to have somebody that you know has been in there.

And again, accomplished developer developer of venues.

He actually, I have had calls with him back to 2016.

He has been interested in this facility.

It's been kind of finding that right time and place for it.

So I said, one of the things he is very interested in doing is really getting into the building, doing that analysis, you know, some of the work from the Carl Springs Cultural Collective, some of the basic studies that we have.

We were able to share that with him.

But a lot of it again, because he is not looking to do major renovations to the facility, especially the flat floor floor arena piece, the murals, uh, all of that he really wants to ensure stay in place.

So he needs some time to study the more from the the infrastructure side in terms of what makes a great venue from a customer experience, if you will.

And also from the acts themselves, a performers' experience.

Those are a little kind of his focus areas.

So we can go next slide, please.

So these are some of the projects he has worked on over the years.

Um, the Ogden, the Bluebird up in Denver, Gothic Theater in Denver.

Plus, again, he has done a lot out in Phoenix.

Um here, the Colorado Music Hall.

He's also done a concert series.

That's why he had the Denver Botanic Gardens listed, just large, large venues.

Uh next, please.

And then there's a couple of photos here that highlight those particular a couple of the theaters he's worked on, and then I think there's one more of those.

A different Royal Art Theater and then Denver Botanic Gardens.

Next, please.

So what we after we got through the proposal process, and and that in and of itself has taken uh quite a bit of time to work through because it we want to get it right.

Um, and this did go to city council as well.

So we were looking at a lease agreement, some of the key pieces to it.

Um basically is as he invests funds into the building, those can offset what the rent would be.

And so, you know, for us, the city is not looking at the moment to make money off the city auditorium.

Our primary goal is to invest into the facility, improve it, um, and kind of bring it to where it could be.

And that's really what Jesse's ultimate goal is too.

And that's going to take time, but as he starts doing that, um, and we offset those those rental amounts.

So we're looking at up to nine months where he would be kind of studying the building, if you will.

Um he may look at uh, and then as far as term goes, it's an initial five-year term with the option for an additional four or five-year term.

So 25 years total, which is what we're available to do with a lease with with this kind of uh a lease.

And then we continue to maintain ownership of it.

Um the city, while Jesse would love to have the city be able to help support going forward at this point.

We do not have a commitment of funding going towards it.

It's yeah, like I said, we just do not have those funds available at this point.

And if we could go one more on the slides.

And so again, council did uh we present this information to council through resolution, they approved it because it's considered a below fair market value lease just because of kind of the way we have it structured.

Um again, activation and utilization is huge for the building, the commitment to capital investment, and then also really fulfilling the mission of the auditorium that was really built to support our kind of the goals of it.

And how we envision it going forward is once we have the final signatures on the document.

Um again, that will kind of start that nine-month process for Jesse.

But we plan to, we the parks department, we're going to be serving as a primary contact for him.

We will have periodic meetings, and we're gonna be setting up a schedule for that.

So all of the big capital projects that he plans to do have to go through us first.

So we have a chance to review it.

We have a chance to have our construction and maintenance staff look at it as well.

Again, um, he really does, and from what you've seen in other projects he's worked with, he really does have a commitment to recognizing the historic elements and maintaining those.

If there were any question, I think this could be the board would be a great place as a resource that we could come back and ask.

I'm I'm really not too worried about that.

Um, but it is something that that definitely I hope we'd be able to do and and be able to bring back to you as well, and as well as our parks board too.

Um, but on kind of for the most part, they'll be coming back, but parks has to review and approve anything before it's done.

So it's not a case of we like hand the keys and you know, five years come talk to us.

We really want to make sure we we walk alongside this project, especially as it gets off the ground to understand what will be done.

I know initially some of the the pieces that Jesse has talked to me about just in general before having a chance to really get into the building.

Things like you know, we don't have air conditioning, that's kind of a critical need.

Uh the seating is on the mezzanine is you know, in the upper area is is to totally gone.

That is truly the 1923 seats.

People don't aren't the same size as they were back in 1923.

Um, a lot of the the pieces and parts are broken out of those.

So what that will look like could be something totally different, just to recognize again, ultimately though, he you know, he is looking to open it up, be able to use it to make some money.

So it's gonna be a balancing act.

A lot of it I think in terms of but it is, it's it's a lot of the infrastructure pieces and also a lot of the back room pieces.

Again, for performers, they expect to have a certain level of restroom facilities and just comfort facilities.

And right now we really don't have it.

I mean, the best, the best thing I have in the auditorium right now in terms of facilities is the restrooms we did in like 2014, um, in terms of updates.

So a lot of that is recognized that will uh will be a primary focus for Jesse going forward.

Um, I think that was probably, yeah.

And then any questions, a couple of of great shots of it.

I think the lawn cheney, Jesse's talked about potentially phasing operations, if you will.

The lawn cheney probably of everything could be opened and utilized sooner than anything else.

It's really in pretty good shape.

Um, definitely A V tech, lighting, sound, all of that needs to be addressed.

And and that's some of the things that Jesse will also be looking at from an operations perspective.

Uh, but he may look at uh bringing in smaller things first that could go there that would generate some revenue as he's looking to to make additional improvements elsewhere.

But that's kind of the overview of of how we're envisioning it going through.

I really do, like I said, been with the auditorium a long time.

I really think this is our best shot that we've had at finding somebody that really understands historic structures, understands operations from a uh uh performance venue management side of the house and really has a commitment again.

Yeah, he grew up here, he went to shows here, he's booked shows there over the years.

I think really has a passion, like a passion project almost for him.

Uh so we're very hopeful that this is gonna be successful partnership.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

Thank you.

I think it's great.

I think um I've been to concerts in every single one of the facilities he's been a part of in Denver.

And um by and large, it's it's going well.

Um, you know, and I there's one in particular where the floor the floor swoops, you know, kind of slopes a little bit.

And it's always kind of fun when people are in there for the first time, they're like, what?

Oh, it's historic, you know.

And so some of those character aspects of buildings, I think are really fun.

And I think our region is very supportive.

You know, folks who go to live music events um are very supportive of going to smaller venues and and everything from you know the the facilities he's done to like say the Globe or you know, any of those um people are really into it.

So I think that's a great opportunity.

And I think this could be a real it it does maybe fill a niche, especially with the flat floor, um, and recognizing, you know, he's already had the the handbell group has already reached out to him, roller derby reached out to him.

I mean, a lot of uh kind of our our mainstays have also reached out.

So I think there is a recognition of the community events, too that have been there over the years for so many years, and how to fit that into kind of that overall uh scale and and scope of of what he's trying to do.

So I think as we go forward, that'll be something else that we're looking at to see what that looks like and how we can maybe have those rentals occur, understanding, you know, can't necessarily do city rates, but trying to make it reasonable too, so some of those community events can be in there as well.

Yeah, I think that's really important because as you know, there is a plaque over the stage, which is in Latin, but the translation is something like for the use of the people and the glory of the city.

And I think that summarizes it all.

It really was funded by the people and it's a board of people, but it's something that should be a gem for the city.

So and I'll jump in here because I'm sure you know, but um the historic murals there were painted in 1934 under the first um New Deal art program.

And uh my father was the artist of one of the murals, and they are definitely of their time.

Yeah, but um in uh around the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the new deal, they were conserved by a professional conservator.

Who also for her, uh she was local, but we was set out for bids.

I was involved in getting this rolling, and um she's local, and it was for her passion project, yeah.

And she was you know, really doing it with a personal interest.

And I don't know when he went to Palmer, but I did also and uh he he went later than I didn't graduations there.

So yeah, there's a long there's a long history of being part of the community.

So this sounds great.

Yeah, um I'm curious reluctantly accepting of those historic seats have to come up.

Um do you know whether he might find a way to find homes for them or auction them off as historic artifacts that people might want to tag?

Well, and we've talked about, you know, are would we keep a maybe keep a section of them or the best ones to try like maybe at the back, if you're like you know, the opposite end of the auditorium back in there, and talked about that.

Um I think that's a possibility for that.

I know there's a lot of them though, they're just really really bad.

No, I was just thinking of things like even as a fundraiser.

Well, yeah, selling bricks with your name on them.

Buy a buy a seat, and you don't put your name on the seat.

You get the actual seat.

Yeah.

So I think that'll be something to look at.

I think that's gonna be one of the things that will be a change.

Um, just in determining what we can do within the structure itself, too, because it's you know, the the concrete and uh kind of sizing of the concrete, it'd be really hard to add new seats back in, or what those would look like.

So that's something he's gonna really focus on.

But no, I think that's a great idea.

Did you say the agreement ha hasn't been signed yet?

So the nine month period hasn't started, correct?

Yes, actually, I'm hoping tomorrow.

Oh, really?

Wow.

Because he had uh got the fine, you know, kind of the final tweaks, and then his attorney was out of country.

So we've been going back and forth on some of that.

So I'm hoping maybe tomorrow we can start that final signature process.

That'd be great.

So the launching is going to stay where it is.

Yeah, as far as I know, I have he's really talked about being able, I said of all of the spaces that one really um could potentially put into use quicker than the other areas.

So yeah, I've heard nothing about again.

There has been you know, that's why we're gonna continue to have meetings with him as things go on, but initially have not heard uh changing the flat floor space out, have not heard shuffling lawn cheney around.

Would love to look at getting additional restrooms because that is a big deal.

Um, I know one city was operating that was always a focus area.

If we could have a set of restrooms that were on the Loncheney side, you could split the building and have two functions if they sound wise, it worked uh going at the same time, but right now it's just the one say you've got to be able to cross over, you know, some of those kind of logistical things.

Uh, but a lot of his focus has been more on again, kind of those back areas and just the key infrastructure air lighting, electrical sound, those things.

I have a very important question.

Yes.

Going back 65 or 70 years, is it named after Lawn Cheney or Lone Cheney Junior?

It was the theater.

His father.

But his parents not the wolf man.

My understanding was it was the actor.

And now I know his parents lived here and were at the Deaf and Blind School.

Yes.

And worked at the Deaf.

That was my understanding.

Yeah, I think it was named for the actor who was the junior.

The junior.

Yeah.

The wolf man.

Yeah.

I gotta get that straight because I might grandson at me.

I really don't know.

But I think it was the wolf man.

Yeah, the actor.

So I was right.

Yes, but there was also that tie with his parents being here in town with the Deaf Blind School.

You know, that would be a great venue, don't you think?

Complete all those old 1940s 30s and 40s flicks of the father and the son.

And you know, I I know one thing is the organ is still there.

Is still there, and that's one thing Jesse and I haven't talked a lot about.

When we used to, there were times when we've done the organ was out and they would do silent movies with the work.

And I can remember doing those earlier for that.

So that'll be another piece, but it is still in place there currently.

Sounds good to me.

Do you anticipate um as a part of this if as he's going through doing the assessment?

Um that the city can contribute any in-kind services from maintenance crews or maintenance teams or anything like that.

You know, we've currently it is supported through city facilities and also parks department.

We have maintenance staff as well.

So we we've worked jointly on some things too.

Um at this point, uh, the the problem is, and again, you know, we're coming into a lesson great budget here uh for 2026, and and our staffs are so stretched as it is.

I don't know.

I really don't know if we can can commit any, even like I said, the in-kind just because our staffs are so stretched.

So and you know, in order to, if you will, save funds, uh, doing it in-house with our staff is great, but we've got we have lots of old broken down buildings ourselves.

So sorry.

But you know, it's it's a reality.

We have for the Pioneers Museum.

No, pioneers museum, I know.

Yeah, it is in great shape.

If we could have that kind of commitment, we do do kind of the things we do with the museum.

And so it, you know, it's possible, it's just it takes time.

But I think immediately, and especially I think so much time is going to be spent kind of in the study mode, if you will, to really figure out what needs to be done.

Then we can look at it and and see, and by then we'll be further along.

And hopefully, you know, 27 is a kinder, gentler year than 26 looks to be.

Um, then maybe there is that possibility.

So we'll just have to wait and see.

But um at the immediate time, no, we aren't committing anything.

What can we as a board do to support this process?

We've been, and I'll I'll just footnote that with over the last um several years.

We've been watching with hands ringing the process as it's been going and um and hope and hoping and looking for opportunities to support whatever that may be.

And so, you know, I'd like to take this opportunity to to formally ask you that, you know, we as members, what what can we do to support, whether as a board or um any other individuals in the community who are of a historic preservation and entertain that slant, what can we do?

I think like said, I I think as we kind of go through the process and really dial in on what the plants are going to be.

Again, if there's any question, being able to utilize you as a resource, I think it's huge for us.

I I am not an expert in historic preservation.

Uh, and I don't have that skill set it, but I know there are people who do, or people have that experience.

So I think that'll be one thing.

Um, as we go forward, and depending on how Jesse starts uh laying out whether or not there are those opportunities for fundraising or grants.

You know, we do have a one thing we do have a grant writer on staff uh with the parks department.

So that may be one in kind opportunity that we can work with him on as we go forward, seeing that it's staying, you know, the city is maintaining ownership that uh gives us an opportunity to support maybe grants going forward once we have kind of a plan, what we're looking at.

Uh so support there, I think would be huge.

If you run across any opportunities for uh grants that might pertain to something like this, um please if you make us make me aware, that would be great.

I can pass that along to our grant writer and work with Jesse in that.

Register makes it makes grants available.

Yeah, and definitely help.

You know, we've got this grant money.

We want people to apply for it.

Yeah, I think that's definitely a place we can support, and just within our team, I mean many of us have either been involved in or what and um municipal renovation of historic buildings, um, either in a variety of ways, as well as NPS, um Department of Interior, like our depth of knowledge is pretty great in that area.

And so um, you know, we I think for all of us, this this is a this is a passion, and we we don't want to like you know, squeeze the whole process to death, but but help, but we know and I appreciate and I hope my comment about broken down buildings is not taken the wrong way.

It's there there's uh there's some reality on some of that, but in something again, I uh just you know, say it one more time.

I think this is the best shot we've got to to really do something with this.

And I still think it's gonna take time.

And I just again, because it's a passion project for Jesse.

I think he understands and will commit to that time that it's going to take.

Um sometimes, you know, from an adaptive reuse perspective, mirroring as closely as possible what the structure is rather than trying to go wildly different and down a different path will lead you to a path, you know, lead you to greater success.

And so, you know, I think for some of us when we saw this out in the media, this was happening when we go makes a lot of sense.

You know, that from an adaptive reuse perspective, that's that gives you so much more flexibility and keeps the cost up.

Yeah, definitely.

Definitely.

This is a question about something that might be further down the road, you know, after he's done a lot of work already.

But do you know whether he has uh or would be open to eventually community group involvement, you know, whether that's Boy Scouts or people at the little kids that take care, you know, people in the community who could get a feeling of being part of it.

So again, it we have another generational passion project.

Um whether it's you know, scrubbing floors or you know, just doing doing grunt work, but as a community building activity, this is our building sort of thing.

I think he would be very amenable to that, and that's definitely at least that I can kind of give him a briefing on our conversation today.

So I could definitely bring that up too when the like when the time is right and kind of get to that point where there are those opportunities.

Yeah, there's no doubt that when you can truly you know be a part of it and feel that ownership because you've contributed in some way or done something to kind of help move it forward, that makes a difference versus just you know reading about it.

Yeah, we a couple of us have attended quite a few sessions at the state district preservation conference.

And I was thinking of some of the presentations we saw that involved a lot of community participation.

Um so that that becomes buy-in as well.

Exactly.

One more thing.

We gotta do everything we can to save those murals that are ADUs because I think we hitting back to the work progress administration kind of the WPA and BWE.

As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be here if my uncles hadn't had jobs on the WPA for a dollar a day work.

That's always been something, you know, the murals are always.

Because a hundred years from now, those murals might be worth more than the building itself.

That's what we get to look forward to.

I would be grand jury go to say, hey, who did this?

And why?

Yeah, what exactly it was a work, it was a work activity.

Was uh it was uh a program to put people to work to keep people from starving.

Yeah, we'll and I don't know about you guys.

I think we should save those murals so we can point to them and say, this is the way it was a hundred years ago.

That building is gonna be there for these two hundred years.

That's a bed building is built.

It is very and it was designed by three great architects.

It'll be there when all these other buildings almost said this one.

Excuse me.

Just a quick online.

Um any board members, Sarah, Paul, um, Judy, do any of you?

I see Sarah's unmuted herself.

Have any any comments or wish to contribute?

Yeah, I said my questions in the chat.

Let's go with um, let's see.

Judy, you put a comment in the chat and let's read that first and then Sarah.

So she says, how do we get the list of names of the mayor's team and how are we how are they chosen?

Was anyone from HPB on or city planning represented?

The solutions team.

The solutions team.

Yeah.

I can go back through.

I can't list all of them off the top of my head, but I can definitely get that to Bill, and then Bill could send it out to the group.

I'd be happy to do that.

Awesome.

Okay.

Sarah.

Yeah, I uh uh I have been lucky enough to spend about five years with a historic theater that was renovated and grant writing um back at home in the theater was built in 1930.

Um a lot of community involvement and events and grant like so.

I would just absolutely love to yeah, help and support in any way that I can.

Um, just that experience was um lots of lessons learned.

So um, yeah, it just sounds really exciting.

So I just wanted to put that out there.

Great, awesome.

Thank you, Sarah.

Okay.

Okay, with that, I thank you very much.

We thank you.

Not just I thank you, we thank you.

This is um this is great, and we want to support and help the city in this process you know so much.

Yeah, so definitely, and I'm happy to provide either update, you know, periodically once we actually start doing something uh and have some kind of milestones established or reached, definitely provide you all an update through Bill, or I can you know come back sometime and chat some more or try and have Jesse here too.

He currently lives in Denver.

Um, so but he's planning on being here one one or two days.

Happy to be a resource on New Deal stuff.

Oh, that's the art for you.

That would be a good theme.

The New Deal theater.

I gotta do that.

I gotta do all right with that.

35 cents admission.

Thank you.

Okay, with that, I think that brings us to the conclusion of the meeting.

Thank you, Lynn.

Thank you.