denver pbs station plan for new studio/headquarters advances

In an ongoing effort to build a new home and studio for one of the most durable Public Broadcasting System affiliates in the country, more than $22 million has now been raised to fund the ambitious project.

The Rocky Mountain Public Media, which oversees both Rocky Mountain PBS, as well as KUVO-FM Jazz radio, announced in early 2016 that it wanted to build a new 63,000 square foot facility in downtown Denver’s Arapahoe Square.

Altogether, the new facility, which has been in the talking stage for some 8 years, is expected to cost $30 million to build and will replace Rocky Mountain Public Media’s current headquarters at 1089 Bannock Street.

The new building, under the design of the Denver-based Tryba Architects, will include flexible studio space, recording studios, and both classrooms and offices.

Fund-raising for the project got a particular lift early last year with a $6 million contribution from the non-profit Buell Foundation of Denver, which supports a variety of educational endeavors.

Work on what is being called the Buell Public Media Center is expected to begin sometime in August.

Rocky Mountain PBS, whose programs reach 98 percent of Colorado’s television viewing audience, traces its broadcast roots to 1956 when it began airing educational programs several hours a day.

By Garry Boulard

---