Courtesy photo
The community was recently invited back to The Armory, Aspen’s 1892-era civic center that later served as city hall until vacated for the unwelcoming, new-ish Taj Mahal City Hall in 2021. This time, it was another off-season city outreach session to gauge interest in re-purposing the centrally located 19,000 sf structure for “community use” and, more importantly, to identify which uses are preferred. (There was no mention of costs or financing for the project.)
If this sounds a lot like how we ended up with the design of The Lumberyard that includes balconies, mud rooms, underground parking, and elevators for the soon-to-be-built rental housing project out by the airport, you’d be spot on. The same contracted consultants were there with three options and stickers you could “vote” with, along with sticky notes upon which you could make your specific wants known.
Here we go again.
Driven by a 2022 directive from city council, this outreach session is intended to inform the council’s forthcoming decision on the remodel and re-use plans for The Armory that address a laundry list of pre-determined “guiding principles.” Imagine, if you will, a financially self-sustaining, welcoming, lively, and diverse entity that honors our history and small-town character, provides unique, meaningful, and affordable offerings while incorporating sustainable systems to highlight our green-ness.
This could be really exciting – that is, until you attempt to be all things to all people.
The three options presented were each a wacky hodge-podge and combination of disparate offerings, including: a community lounge, welcome center, flex space, retail vendors, co-working space, a coffee shop, ACRA offices, and a “food hall,” notably with just two vendors. Free snacks and sodas brought out the off-season regulars who weighed in with their personal wish lists: non-profit offices, pool tables, a dance hall, an indoor farmers market, and artist spaces.
Sounds like the state fair.
Most shocking, however, was the palpable focus on addressing solely “local” desires. Many there felt The Armory needs to address the rising cost of living in Aspen through free access and “cheap” food, entertainment, and goods for those who are cost-burdened by their choices to live here. One sticker said it all: “Can we limit entry to locals?” There was even a board where one could define the “L-word,” perhaps to clarify who it is we need to keep out.
In short, despite the high likelihood of having a welcome center of some sort in the building because of its location and the fact that we are a tourist destination after all, most attendees were clear in wanting The Armory for themselves. It was exclusionary to say the least, with little likelihood of being in any way financially sustainable.
I came away envisioning a big, subsidized daycare center for those with a local ID card.
A shred of optimism came from the subtle chatter about turning The Armory into a food hall – not what was lamely thrown into the mix by the consultants who presented the concept as merely “two food vendors” in the basement, but rather, something grand, a destination befitting the space. Popular throughout Europe and experiencing a renaissance in the US, the idea of showcasing multiple vendors in an accessible, communal dining environment makes a lot of sense for The Armory, warranting further research and study, just not by the city.
There are professional firms that specialize in designing food halls all over the world. They retrofit historic buildings and activate them in cities and resort towns. Food halls are known to revitalize downtowns and serve residents and visitors, alike. And if you’ve been to a food hall, you know they’re great fun with high energy and offer something for everyone. The open, counter-service stalls provide low barriers to entry and shared overhead, so no need for subsidies – especially government ones.
Food halls feature food producers, artisan bakers, and budding chefs who come together and cater to culinary fans who don’t want the restrictions of table service at one restaurant. Take Denver Central Market. This popular food hall in a refurbished 14,000 sf building in RiNo, Denver’s artsy-industrial neighborhood, is a community anchor that offers a mix of culinary start-ups and established favorites.
What’s not found in a food hall, notably, are offices and work spaces, meeting rooms, or “lounges” for those with nowhere else to go.
The future of The Armory, left in the city’s hands, is certain to become yet another missed opportunity like everything else they touch. We’ve seen what they’ve done with the Taj Mahal City Hall and “community activation” of Galena Plaza. And now that the micro-managed design of The Lumberyard is moving forward, it will be more than tempting for city council to shift their newfound architecture and design prowess toward paint colors, doorknobs, and flooring materials for The Armory.
Instead, it’s time to pick a lane, issue an RFP, and bring in the best minds to deliver something that checks all the boxes and one the entire community can be proud of for locals and non-locals alike: a food hall at The Armory, with more than two stalls.
The Armory was constructed in three months in 1892 at a cost of $15,000. Contact TheRedAntEM@comcast.net.
