Step closer to end of Firstbank Center
The Broomfield City Council authorized the first steps of demolishing the Firstbank Center as well as adopted new bicycle and off-street parking requirements.
The council approved a resolution that will allow the Broomfield Urban Renewal Authority to begin searching for a contractor to demolish the defunct Firstbank Center as well as begin finding contractors to develop a portion of land near the building.
The events center land that eventually will be redeveloped is broken into two parcels; the first is a 10.2-acre lot where the event center building is and the second is 10.6 acres that was used for overflow parking and is south of the event center.
Members of the city and county staff explained that the two lots are being developed separately because developers have little interest in the land beneath the event center building in the current market. Demolishing the events center building as soon as possible while beginning to find developers for the parking parcel would also mean that the Arista community would only have one large construction project at a time, as opposed to the increased truck traffic, noise and other disturbances two simultaneous projects would cause.
City and County Manager Jennifer Hoffman said in the Tuesday night City Council meeting that over the past four years, Broomfield has explored numerous reuse and repurposing options but ultimately found the building’s design to be inflexible and the potential costs too high.
The city and county staff explained that it’s still too early to provide an accurate cost estimate for demolition or deconstruction, but that basic demolition would be approximately $2 million. By the time the bonds used to finance construction are paid off, Broomfield will have spent approximately $135 million on the event center.
There are also no plans yet for what will be built on either parcel of land, but it will likely focus on mixed-use development including retail, restaurants, commercial buildings and recreation.
The council also unanimously approved new bicycle and off street parking requirements after a discussion regarding possible amendments and concerns about the timing of the changes. The amendments, presented by Ward 2 council member Austin Ward, aimed to reduce the focus on vehicle parking in new developments. “The intent behind these (amendments) is to get Broomfield planning for the future, not where we currently are,” Ward said.
“If that future is a sustainable Broomfield that has a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled, we need to start thinking differently about how we develop the city and county.”
Currently, Broomfield is stuck in what Ward 4 council member Jean Lim referred to as a “chicken and the egg” situation.
If Broomfield does not develop land in a way that encourages the use of public transportation, RTD has little incentive to provide transportation infrastructure.
Simultaneously, if RTD does not first supply a more robust transit system for Broomfield, the city and county has no need to develop land with public transit in mind.
Ward explained that by beginning to develop land in a way that prioritizes walking, biking and public transportation, the city and county could “take the first step” and be a leader in moving away from development centered around cars.
Council passed the ordinance with one amendment directing staffers to study possible changes to parking reduction areas and plan to hold a study session next year to discuss further amendments.
The council also unanimously passed an ordinance that will make changes to open space zoning districts, with the intent of transparency around allowed uses for city-owned properties.
The changes include the addition of an Open Space District, where land is used for the preservation of open space such as natural areas and pedestrian paths.