Jacqueline Hart Gibson, Black Hawk. At the Black Hawk City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, plans pertaining to the Gregory Street Project maintained priority. From resolutions to fund construction and equipment, to discussing floor plan options for specific buildings selected for remodel, the steps necessary to create the Gregory Street of the future continues to dominate City Council discussions. 

Wednesday’s meeting began with a work session at 1:30 p.m., an hour and a half early, so the board could discuss demolition and re-construction floor plan options for building addresses 211 and 221 Gregory Street with PEH architects from Boulder.  

The first floor plan option includes three retail spaces on the lower level with a restaurant/consumption space on the top floor. The second set of floor plans are retail space only with two lower and two second floor areas that would suit a variety of shops.

The council discussed the pros and cons of both sets of plans for about an hour, including enjoying blueprints revealing a sneak peak of what the completed re-design might look like. The architects took some creative license with the plans, naming the bar on the second floor at the rear of the building, “Bud’s Lounge.” The name and location sparked conversation about a speakeasy.

Speakeasy’s made a comeback in New York City in 2008, where a hot dog shop included an indoor phone booth disguising a secret entrance to a bar on the other side of the wall, void of exterior signs, and hidden from view. Today, there are several new-age speakeasies in Denver. Some with faux storefronts and others that are simply difficult to find. 

Ideas for a Black Hawk speakeasy were tossed around in the meeting, but nothing was decided upon or confirmed. With the historic look and vibe in Black Hawk, a speakeasy would fit right in. 

The plans presented were tabled following the explanations and discussions, primarily to review points brought up in the meeting such as ADA compliance, bathroom placements and utility distribution. 

The regular meeting of the Black Hawk city council began at 2:40 p.m., with the ringing of the bell, roll call and pledge of allegiance. All members were present, there were no changes proposed for the agenda, or conflicts of interests reported.

Three firefighters, new to BHFD were introduced to the board. All three are experienced firefighters from the Denver area. Marc Norman is from Thornton. Jonathan Zoetewey is from Denver and Ryan Jones is from Ft. Collins. They were warmly welcomed and invited to stay with Black Hawk for many years to come. 

The minutes from the council meeting on May 8, 2019,  were approved and there were no public comments. 

The action items on the agenda included: an ordinance repealing and reenacting sections 8-1 and 8-2 of the Black Hawk Municipal Code and adopting by reference the 2018 model traffic code, a resolution approving the agreement of lease between the City of Black Hawk as lessor and Ed Shirley, Inc as lessee for property located at 200 Gregory Street, Black Hawk, Colorado, a resolution approving the proposal from Cigna for 2019-2021 ancillary coverage and a resolution approving the purchase of a Bobcat E85 Compact Excavator from Bobcat of the Rockies in an amount not to exceed $73,090. All of the actions passed unanimously. 

The next action items, a resolution awarding the bid and approving the construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) contract between the City of Black Hawk and Taylor Kohrs, LLC in an amount not to exceed $5,650 for preconstruction services pertaining to the Hidden Treasure Trailhead project, a resolution awarding the bid and approving the contract between the City of Black Hawk and Grapes and Sons Excavating in an amount not to exceed $43,000 for construction of the Maryland Mountain Main Tramway grading project, a resolution approving Amendment no. 1 to the design-build contract executed on February 27, 2019,  between the City of Black Hawk and Harrison Western Construction, Inc., establishing the guaranteed maximum price (gmp) of $1,526,7222.12 for construction of the Bobtail Street Sculpted and Stained Shotcrete Project. All of these actions were passed unanimously, as well. 

 The city manager and city attorney did not have reports. The council recessed into a brief executive session and adjourned the meeting. 

(Originally published in the May 30, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)