Tivoli still
without campus bar
by Lindsay Sandham
The Metropolitan
File photo - The Metropolitan
The Tivoli’s Boiler Room has been closed for more than a year and
the space has remained vacant since the previous owners defaulted on the
rent July 17, 2003.
According to CCD’s Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board
representative Patrick Jiner, one of the reasons the space has been closed
for so long is because of the Tivoli revitalization project.
He said there is a main pipeline for the entire building that runs through
the Boiler Room and therefore a lot of construction has been done in that
space.
Jiner also cited lack of student participation as another reason.
Last year, SACAB ran a survey with the purpose of determining students
wants and needs for the empty space and only 98 students filled out and
returned surveys, which SACAB decided was not enough to base a decision
on.
SACAB is currently working on a new version of the survey to identify
the kinds of services students would like to see in the Boiler Room space.
These will be available to fill out Aug. 16 through Aug. 31.
After the surveys are completed, SACAB will begin working on a Request
for Proposal to put the space out for public bid.
Jiner said SACAB is hoping to have the space rented by the spring semester.
“That (the Boiler Room) is at the top of our list,” said
Metro SACAB representative Rebecca Manhart. She also said SACAB is trying
to raise awareness about the other restaurants on campus.
Pete’s Arena, located across from the Starz FilmCenter patio area,
serves beer, and Manhart said she does not think a lot of students realize
that.
She also said that with Auraria being a commuter campus, it lacks a sense
of community and having a bar on campus, such as the Boiler Room, would
help give students more of a community feeling.
The Boiler Room, which opened as a bar in 1987, served as a gathering
place for students, faculty and staff either in between classes or after
a hard day’s work. Students frequented the bar to drink beer and
unwind or eat greasy bar food as they studied for midterms.
Patrons could also enjoy the occasional live band or DJ, and it also
served as another place for Pepsi Center event-goers to meet before a
game or concert.
Once the space is rented, whoever takes control will most likely renovate
it—depending on what goes in there.
“We’ve had some inquiries about the space and we have those
on file,” said Dave Caldwell, finance manager for the Tivoli.
He said lease terms for the space would be negotiated with AHEC and the
potential tenants.
Tivoli student union management was forced to close the Boiler Room’s
doors last July because the previous owners violated their lease by failing
to pay their monthly rent of $11,812, which the operators had already
defaulted on three times that year.
The seven-year lease would have expired June 30, 2005.
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