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City, architect outline plans to rehabilitate Arapahoe Center theater with rear addition and accessibility upgrades
Summary
City staff and architect presented a rehabilitation plan for the Arapahoe Center theater that would remove fixed seating for modular space, add an accessible rear entry and ADA path, and pursue historic-preservation review in July; construction budgeting and grants will be developed after design cost estimates.
City staff and the project architect presented a multi-step rehabilitation plan for the Arapahoe Center theater at the June 16 Lafayette City Council meeting, describing an effort intended to preserve historic features while improving accessibility, safety and sustainability.
Rachel (project lead) said the project responds to concerns raised during capital-improvement tours and a community open house; the design team is seeking to make the interior more flexible by removing tiered risers and fixed seating while adding new accessible restrooms, a technical mezzanine, and a rear addition that will create a gentle ADA approach from an alley parking stall.
"This project qualifies as a rehabilitation project," said Heather Vasquez Johnson, senior project architect with EUA, describing how the Secretary of the Interior's standards and National Park Service preservation briefs guided the approach. She told council the team has rejected street-facing ramps that would intrude on the primary historic façade and instead studied a rotated rear addition set back eight feet from the historic structure to make the addition subordinate and visually light.
Councilors pressed designers on stained-glass preservation, sustainability features and project costs. Heather said the stained-glass windows will be cleaned and repaired as needed and will receive an interior storm window so they are "sandwiched" for protection. On sustainability, Heather said the addition will be built to the city's updated code, the building will be electrified with low-flow fixtures, and the design will be solar- and EV-ready.
On budget, staff said no construction budget has been adopted. Project documents submitted to historic preservation are intended to move the process into construction-document and cost-estimating phases. "We're hoping after we get historic preservation approval and that COA, we will kind of continue our design development phase," the project's cost-estimating plan said; the team expects a 60% document package before a formal cost estimate.
The project will return to the Historic Preservation Commission for a certificate of appropriateness review (staff stated it is scheduled for a July 6 hearing) and staff will pursue grant opportunities from History Colorado and other sources during budgeting.
Councilors generally praised the design for preserving character while increasing usability and revenue potential: staff said the rehabilitated theater could be leased for private events while continuing to support the Lafayette Theater Company and local arts programming.
Next steps: staff will present the historic preservation packet to the Historic Preservation Commission and continue design development and cost estimating; construction funding decisions will occur later in the city's budgeting process.
