Art, history and the housing authority topped the Breckenridge Town Council's
list of possible uses for the extra rooms and offices designated as community
space in the future library planned for the old CMC building.
“This is
very exciting,” Councilman Ben Brewer said. “It's shaping up to be an amazing
center. Hopefully, there will be synergy there among the organizations.”
Town officials said they want to dedicate extra space in the century-old
school building to tenants that will serve the community, fit with the
building's historic character and draw people to the library and community
center.
Of eight local entities who expressed interest in the space, the
Breckenridge Heritage Alliance's proposal for an archive that would include
meeting spaces and display cases featuring Summit County artifacts won the most
support from the council.
“It's a natural fit,” Councilman Mark Burke
said.
Town officials also talked about providing wall space throughout
the building for the Breckenridge Art Commission to host rotating art exhibits,
as well as possibly offering office and educational space to the Summit Combined
Housing Authority.
The housing authority, which currently operates out
of a smaller location in downtown Breckenridge, requested 2,000 square feet in
the new library to be used for offices, file storage and a community room where
buyer classes would be hosted.
“The majority of our work is done in the
Upper Blue (River Basin),” director Jennifer Kermode said. “Our preference would
be to stay in the Upper Blue to actually better serve more of the people.”
Breckenridge officials said they were interested in providing the
housing authority space, but likely not the full amount requested.
Council members nixed requests for a yoga studio, storage and office
space for the Backstage Theatre and exam rooms for the Community Care Clinic.
The council has not made any final decisions on use of the community
space.
The old CMC building was constructed as a school at the turn of
the 20th century. In later years it became the local Colorado Mountain College,
earning its current unofficial moniker.
The town of Breckenridge
purchased the building in 2009, intending to renovating it as a community
facility. After years of debating different possible uses for the historic
structure, the town partnered with Summit County government to refinish and
transform the building into the new site of the south library branch.
The existing south branch, located near the justice center, is
overcrowded and too small to meet the community's needs, according to library
and county officials. The county was preparing to construct a new library
building when Breckenridge officials suggested repurposing the old CMC structure
instead.
“This partnership is in the best interest of our community at
large, saving taxpayer dollars and protecting a Summit County historical icon,”
County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier said of the project.
The
controversial renovation project is expected to cost approximately $7 million,
with the better part of the bill to be split between county and Breckenridge
coffers.
Work on the building is set to begin in July 2013 and finish
the following summer.
