move to build new colorado symphony theater gains traction

Music lovers in Denver have long hoped to see the construction of a new theater to house the popular Colorado Symphony.
The 40 year-old Boettcher Concert Hall, located at 1000 14th Street in downtown Denver, has served as the symphony’s home for the last three decades. But symphony fans have often complained about the building’s uneven acoustics, while city officials have noted that the building has been plagued with heating and cooling issues.
Now, a Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed to between the Colorado Symphony and the City of Denver that could be the first step in the construction of an entirely new performance venue.
The Memorandum of Understanding not only establishes a framework for the interested parties to actively find ways to build a new theater, it also makes available nearly $17 million in funding for the project.
That money will come from the Better Denver bond program that was approved by Denver voters in 2007.
The document additionally stipulates that the funds to build a new theater must be used by the fall of 2023.
Symphony officials are now engaged in a process to find development partners for the project while also securing additional funds from other sources.
The hall may be built inside the existing Denver Performing Arts Complex grounds or at another location within Denver’s city limits.
A rendering for an earlier proposal to build a $117 million new theater showed a handsome two-story structure, with a large front glass-walled lobby.
In a statement, Jerome Kern, chief executive officer of the Colorado Symphony, said the Memorandum of Understanding with Denver “allows us to partner on an outcome that is beneficial to both.”
Kern added: “We look forward to continuing our positive growth and bringing transformative music to this community for years to come.”
The Colorado Symphony, the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1989.

By Garry Boulard

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