Public Feedback Will Influence Design Decision
A series of architectural renderings of building concepts for Pitkin County’s new Public Safety and Administration building will be unveiled at public open house events on December 9th. The new building will be constructed behind the current Courthouse Plaza building and veteran's Park in what is now a parking lot between the Courthouse Plaza and Jail.
The building concepts are the result of feedback the county received during a facilities tour last spring. Among the design priorities are a friendlier administrative reception area, better public meeting room, more secure law enforcement offices, energy efficiency, and respecting the architectural character of surrounding historic buildings.
“Our goal is to serve the community better than we have been from a facilities perspective,” said County Manager, Jon Peacock. “Law enforcement will be able to conduct its business more safely and professionally and the public will be able to engage with us more easily, Peacock said.
All of the building concepts include a more welcoming entrance area and better way-finding. They also include secure Sheriff’s department offices. Currently the entrance to County administration is an elevator door in the Courthouse Plaza building leading to a variety of offices on three floors. The Sheriff’s Department is currently located on the main floor of the Pitkin County Courthouse.
“After our experience with a number of high-profile criminal cases we concluded that the Sheriff’s Department needed a secure facility to conduct its business including witness interviews, evidence storage, etc.,” Peacock said. “We’ve also known for a long time that our public meeting room is inadequate and makes public engagement with us difficult. The new facility addresses that.”
The public is invited to attend one of two events on December 9th - the first from 12 to 2 p.m the other from 5 to 7 p.m. Both events will be held in the Board of County Commissioner’s Plaza 1 meeting room at 530 East Main St. in Aspen. Food and refreshments will be available at both events. More information is available by calling 920-5204.