Town plans repairs to Spirit Community Center; council weighs full closure versus phased work

Superior

Town staff briefed the council on structural and drainage failures at the Spirit Community Center and presented two construction approaches: a short full closure or a longer phased schedule that keeps limited public access.

Jordan, the project lead, summarized diagnostic work: exploratory coring and excavation found slab heave in the staff-area floor, cracked masonry in the Longs Peak wing and evidence that parts of the building were not constructed to the original plans. The engineering recommendation is to install nine new micro-piles on the south side to stabilize the structure, demolish and reconfigure interior staff-area walls (that scope will be handled separately by an architect) and regrade and repave the parking lot with a new storm sewer to stop water flowing into the building.

"It was not built to plan," Jordan said, explaining why targeted micro-piles are the most cost-effective structural fix identified to date.

Schedule options and community impacts: Staff proposed two approaches:

- Full closure: a single mobilization, roughly 2— months of construction, lower mobilization costs but no public access to the center (library services and program space would be affected). Staff said moving the library collection would be cost-prohibitive for the short interval. Councilmembers who prioritize safety and a clean construction site favored an all-at-once closure if the timing reduces total disruption.

- Phased approach: complete work in two halves to keep some access open but extend the schedule and increase cost due to multiple mobilizations. Staff said this approach could keep library services operational and limit the number of events that must be relocated but would expose the public to active construction zones for a longer period.

Council direction: Members questioned whether the work could be shifted into a lower-use season to reduce summer disruption. Several members preferred a single closure if it could be scheduled to avoid peak summer use; others preferred a staged approach to preserve access for seniors and regular users. Staff said many summer programs already have alternates at the Civic Space and noted a phased approach would still require some temporary closures.

What's next: Staff will finalize contract terms and bid results and return with a recommended contract and a refined schedule. The council asked staff to pursue timing that minimized community disruption and to provide clearer attendance numbers and a more detailed mitigation plan for library and senior programs before final award.