A 7,000 square foot addition to the Colorado Springs City Auditorium in downtown Colorado Springs is one of the initiatives being looked at by city officials to upgrade the historic building.
Located at 221 E. Kiowa Street, the auditorium was built in 1923 and for years has been regarded as an impressive example of Classical Revival design. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
City officials have long wanted to bring the structure up to date, with members of the Colorado Springs Downtown Review Board just recently giving its approval to that effort.
Spearheaded by a non-profit group called the Community Cultural Collective, renovation could expand the usual floor space in the building from its current 40,000 square feet to around 90,000 square feet.
A reconfigured basement will see the construction of an orchestra pit, with a two new floor levers replacing current arena seating.
It is thought that it will cost at least $53 million to begin work on the project, with a rough 2023 construction launch.
Although that funding has yet be secured by backers of the project, city officials have said they would like to see the upgrade completed by the fall of 2024.
By Garry Boulard
