John Scarffe, Central City.  The Central City Council approved a long-term lease between the city and the Central City Building Authority concerning the Belvidere Theatre and authorized emergency work on the theatre’s roof during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at the City Hall, 141 Nevada Street. The council also approved two resolutions for work on Spring Street and a License Fee Rebate Agreement with 321 Gregory Street LLC and Gregory Gaming, LLC.

Attorney McAskin introduced an ordinance approving a long-term lease between the City of Central, as Lessor, and the Central City Building Authority, as Lessee, concerning the Belvidere Theatre. McAskin explained that the ordinance approves a lease agreement (exceeding one year) with the Central City Building Authority, a Colorado nonprofit corporation, for the Belvidere Theatre property, according to the meeting minutes.

The subject property is owned by the city and is located at 139 Nevada Street immediately adjacent to City Hall. Following the city’s acquisition of the property in 2016, it was listed as one of Colorado’s Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation, Inc.

To be eligible for tax credits, the Building Authority will need to be exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Approving the lease agreement will permit the Building Authority to apply for grants and tax credits to assist the city in its goal of rehabilitating the historic Belvidere Theatre, including but not limited to, tax credits for qualified costs incurred in the preservation of historic structures pursuant to the Colorado Job Creation and Main Street Revitalization Act, according to the minutes.

The city may explore creating a new nonprofit corporation to apply for 501(c) status. The lease agreement authorizes the Building Authority to assign the lease to another nonprofit corporation with City Council’s approval.

The council approved the ordinance unanimously. The council also authorized the city manager to engage special counsel to assist in seeking 501(c) status.

Community Development Director Ray Rears introduced a resolution authorizing an emergency purchase for repairs to the Belvidere Theater Shoofly roof and authorizing the city manager to execute a contract for the repair work to be completed. The Shoofly roof is in poor condition and continues to permit water infiltration within the interior of the space, which jeopardizes the structural stability of the building walls, interior floors and foundation. The cost of restoration will increase the longer it remains open to the elements.

It is expected that the cost to perform this work will not exceed $35,750, according to the minutes, but the exact project cost has not been confirmed. City staff has secured one bid and is expecting to receive a second bid soon.

The city acquired the Belvidere Theater in July 2016 from Gilpin County following the completion of the Historic Structural Assessment (HSA). The total cost for restoration identified was $2.7 million, divided among six phases, according to the minutes. This building is considered important from a historical preservation standpoint, but also as an important economic development generator for the city, once completed.

Phase 1 was completed in October 2016 for the emergency façade stabilization. Phase 2 for work generally involving the roof, foundation and wall repair was estimated to be just under $500,000 and a Request for Proposal (RFP) was released in August 2017 for that work.

The bids from that RFP were far greater than the estimated costs and that request was canceled. The city has now released an RFP for full architectural drawings, and those proposals are currently being evaluated.
It is estimated that the plans will be complete by mid-summer 2019, which can then be released for full restoration by the end of 2019. The roof of the Shoofly has been an ongoing and growing concern, and now that the restoration work will be delayed, it is strongly recommended by engineers, architects and other professionals involved in the project to protect the structure by completing a roof before the start of winter, according to the minutes. The council approved the resolution authorizing an emergency purchase for repairs to the Belvidere Theater roof.

Public Works Director Hoover introduced a resolution approving a change order for the Central City Spring Street Rehabilitation Project and authorizing the city manager to execute the change order. Hoover explained that this resolution approves a second change order for additional work related to the Spring Street project.

The City Council previously awarded the Spring Street project to Avery Asphalt, Inc., according to the minutes. That prior resolution authorized the city manager to execute the construction contract in the amount not to exceed $313,275.50.

The City Council previously approved Change Order No. 1 to the construction contract and increased the not-to-exceed amount to $353,219.25, an increase of $39,943.75, according to the minutes. The city now desires the contractor to undertake additional work related to the project, specifically adding conduit for USA Communications and CenturyLink in a common trench with Xcel, installation of pull boxes and related work.

Authorization for the additional work increases the NTE contract amount from $353,219.25 to $420,579.25, an increase of $67,360.00 and increases the number of calendar days for completion of the work by 24 calendar days. The council approved Change Order No. 2 for the Central City Spring Street Rehabilitation Project.

Rears introduced a resolution authorizing execution of an easement for undergrounding Spring Street utilities. Rears explained that as part of the City Spring Street Capital Improvements, which include undergrounding the electric utilities in and around Spring Street, Xcel has requested a 20-foot by 30-foot wide easement, totaling 600 square feet, in the Big-T lot, along the west side of Spring Street.

This easement is critical to the overall undergrounding project, which included three private land owners who have already provided easements on the east side of Spring Street to facilitate this project, according to the minutes. This easement will replace, in part, an existing overhead line, which crosses the parking lot in that area.

The council authorized execution of the easement for undergrounding Spring Street utilities.

Attorney McAskin introduced an ordinance approving a license fee rebate agreement with 321 Gregory Street LLC and Gregory Gaming, LLC. The city desires to assist the owner with the completion of public improvements in the general vicinity of the casino, including the specific improvements on or in the immediate vicinity of the AGE Lot.

Proposed improvements include the installation of storm water infrastructure from the current outlet leaving the casino garage on the east side to the west side of the box culvert under D Street, from the east side of the box culvert under D Street down to the west side of the box culvert under Leavitt Street.

Clean fill will be imported over the storm water infrastructure, bringing the AGE Lot up to grade level or substantially grade level with adjacent streets sufficient to complete the other eligible improvements, and the surface area of the AGE Lot will be improved for public parking. The project will also include installation of curb, gutter, sidewalk and street lighting in locations on or in the vicinity of the AGE Lot.

City staff has determined that assisting the owner with completion of the improvements will substantially benefit the public through improved stormwater conveyance infrastructure, additional public parking and improved community aesthetics, according to the minutes. City Council is authorized to refund a percentage or portion of license fees for new gaming devices where such refunds further the economic development goals of the city.

The agreement contemplates city participation in the improvements by rebating a fixed percentage of eligible annual license fees up to a maximum rebate amount of verified costs associated with the improvements. The agreement sets forth that if a surface parking lot is constructed on the AGE Lot, a minimum of 30 spaces will be reserved for free use by the public in perpetuity.

To ensure the availability of the public parking spaces, the AGE Lot will be subject to a deed restriction or appropriate easement. Manager Miera added that this will be a public/private partnership to improve infrastructure, which is beneficial to the community and will not cost the residents any additional funds. The rebate will be only on new revenue and not on existing devices.

The council approved a license fee rebate agreement with 321 Gregory Street LLC and Gregory Gaming, LLC., on second reading.

(Originally published in the October 25, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)