by Chris Stark - The Metropolitan

The Boiler Room was the only bar on campus until it was seized and padlocked earlier this summer by the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Do you want a bar on campus to replace the Boiler Room? The Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board wants to know.

SACAB will be taking a Campus Consumer Survey to let students have a say in what kind of tenant should replace the now-closed Boiler Room. The survey will inform SACAB of “what the students would like to see or what the campus is lacking,” said Dave Caldwell, finance manager of the student union.

Since the Boiler Room has been closed there has been no stream of revenue from that space, which affects the Tivoli.

“We are ready to fill the space and create a Request for Proposals — RFP — which will relate to the community at large,” Caldwell said.

The Boiler Room was the only place on campus that served alcohol and many students do not want the atmosphere of the old Boiler Room to change.

“The Boiler Room was a place to chill with friends; now there is no longer a place like that on campus,” said student Ryan Smith. Students would often go to the Boiler Room to get away from the everyday stress of school.

“The Boiler Room was a fixture on campus that was a relaxing hangout where people could study, meet friends and smoke,” said student Casey Sidwell. The space will probably be a bar/restaurant type setting because it is within the concept, Caldwell said.

Because the space will probably remain the same type of environment, other students would like to see more use of the restaurant.

“I would like to see something that participates with student activities,” student Craig Taniguchi said.

SACAB will be involved in every step to find a suitable tenant for the vacant space, Caldwell said. The SACAB survey will determine students’ needs and desires, which the SACAB will use to create an RFP. Interested businesses can send their proposals to SACAB, and will then have the opportunity to walk through the Boiler Room and ask and answer questions.

“There’s a pretty good turnout (of responses) and it is a great opportunity to operate a business on campus,” Caldwell said.

The Boiler Room was opened in 1987 and closed in July of 2003. The tenant violated the lease agreement by not paying $11,812 in rent.

The Boiler Room was a part of the Auraria Campus for 16 years, and when it was closed many students were upset.

“This campus needs a laid-back atmosphere to get away from hard core academics,” Sidwell said.