City Auditorium Arts & Culture
At its peak, Colorado Springs City Auditorium was a building full of life both day and night. As our great city grew, we saw as other venues were erected to support the cultural arts. Our once beautiful building has transitioned slowly to a place of disrepair.
Our goal is to preserve the historic nature of the Auditorium while providing Colorado with new spaces and opportunities for diverse, creative arts experiences.
A Reimagined Vision & Future
Through the years, there have been multiple studies conducted on how to best operate and renovate the City Auditorium. In 2006, the international food and support service provider Compass Facility Management Inc. was engaged by the City to study the historic nature of the building; develop potential marketing and operating options; and prepare an extensive cost estimate for major facility repairs, renovations, and upgrades to be funded by the City and Downtown Partnership. The study suggested the cost of $15 million (dollars at that time) minimum is needed to address capital needs and upgrade the facility with life safety and code requirements.
Future Plans
The proposed renovation plan includes a multiuse rehabilitation of the building exterior and a redesign of the interior of the facility, expanding its useable floor area from 40,000 square feet to 90,000 square feet. An addition will be built on the south side, and two new floor levels on the inside will replace the current arena seating. The partial basement will include an orchestra pit, a versatile and multi-faceted event/theater venue, and commercial food and beverage partners. The ground floor will host retail and community partners. The main performance venue will face the preserved proscenium arch and seat about 600 with a flat floor option for up to 730 people.
Watch This Inspiring 3 Minute Video
A Day in the Life of the Newly Imagined City Aud
Just imagine!
It’s Monday morning, and the cafe and restaurant open at 6am for local residents and those headed to work who want breakfast. The eating establishments inside the facility stay open all day serving folks nourishing meals at varying price points.
By 7am, school buses full of children from across the region begin to arrive for their arts enrichment education. At noon, the main theater space is host to a luncheon with a flat floor and table configuration.
Magically the theater then transforms to a raked audience seating for a local dance recital that is scheduled for 7pm. At 8pm the lower-level theater space hosts an evening of film while patrons enjoy regional spirits at the speakeasy that is adjacent.
All the while, both the second and third floors are humming with educational, community and creative works. Throughout the day, the business and creative communities intersect for activities, events and gatherings.
Lights out well after the final patron leaves.
The Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective believes that we are a diverse community, with a cultural landscape that tells a very rich story with deep roots in the arts. This story, both past and present reflect our times, question our biases and bring us together by creating common ground. We wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and full inclusion in the arts for all people, including people of color, of all genders and any gender identity, of every sexual orientation, for people with different abilities, those of every ethnicity, and every opinion.