A wide array of building upgrades and infrastructure work may be in the offing in, depending upon the fortunes of a proposed $400 million bond in the November election.
What is officially called the Recreation & Safety Bond is especially concerned with aging public facilities that, according to the proposal’s supporters, are long in need of upgrades.
According to the Boulder Reporting Lab newspaper, the average age of a public structures in Boulder is just under 50 years, resulting in a total deferred maintenance price tag of some $55 million.
The structures are often characterized by “deteriorating walls, failing mechanical systems, frequent closures, and inaccessible layouts.”
If approved, the bond would fund the building of a new public safety and 911 dispatch facility, as well as a municipal services center, and two recreation centers.
Additional project: a renovation of the city’s 74-year-old Penfield Tate II municipal building, located at 1777 Broadway
Earlier this summer members of the Boulder City Council voted to put the bond question on this fall’s ballot, even after a public opinion survey by the Probolsky Research firm showed that only 45% of respondents indicated support for it.
In a statement, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce has announced its opposition to the bond, asserting that the proposal does not “provide sufficient certainty, prioritization, fiscal safeguard, or accountability.”
Boulder city officials are hoping that a vigorous public information campaign in the weeks leading to the election may improve the proposal’s fortunes.
September 18, 2026
By Garry Boulard
