Aspen's Armory Hall

Thanks for joining us at the Armory open house on July 31st. Thank you for providing your feedback on the concept designs displayed in the survey named, The Armory Survey 2024. The survey has now concluded.

The Armory Reimagined: Respecting history, shaping the future.

As part of redeveloping Aspen's Armory Hall, city staff met with Aspen City Council on February 25, 2025, to present resolution to the previous work session held on January 13, 2024. Discussion topics included: Building Design/Façade Development, the Public Realm, timing of Land Use Reviews, and Land Use Review/Construction Timeline. Previously, city staff has met with Aspen City Council eleven times over the past two years.

This most recent City Council meeting was to memorialize Council's position on certain aspects of the design direction of Armory Hall and the preferred land use review and construction timeline. Council confirmed a preference for a June/July 2026 construction start date or as soon as possible.

A majority of Council want to see both the land use review and building permit application review process expedited. A land use review before the Historic Preservation Commission in April and City Council in May is anticipated.

Project Information:
The Armory sits on a 6,000 sq. ft. lot in Aspen’s downtown Commercial Core Historic District, adjacent to Conner Park. It is located within the Public zone district and is designated as a historic resource. The City has allocated money to plan the redesign of the project.

Next steps will be to determine funding options to undertake the remodel.

Past Outreach and Engagement:

The Armory Reimagined

Aspen City Council has directed City staff to progress the adaptive reuse of Armory Hall, encompassing an extensive interior and exterior remodel to accommodate a community gathering spot anchored by a food hall. This is a City Council priority project (2025 - 2027).

Current Project Status

A land use application was submitted to the Community Development Department on February 3, 2025. The application was reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in May and June of this year and is now waiting to be scheduled before City Council.

Armoy Hall’s History

Opened in 1892, the Armory was originally constructed by the Aspen Armory Company as a two-story building with a mezzanine above the main level, not the three stories and basement that exists today. The main level of the building was used by Company C for military purposes and the upper level was used by lodges and clubs that were in Aspen at the time.

After the Silver Crash of 1893, many buildings in the city were not maintained due to the crippled economy. However in 1906, the owners of the building (the Fraternal Hall Association) added a heat plant off the alley, an entrance canopy over the sidewalk on Galena Street, an extended eave overhang along the Hopkins Avenue façade, and possibly an enclosed, exterior stair with extended eave overhang on the alley side of the building.

Besides being used as a fraternal hall and for social gatherings, the building has been used to hold classes, a roller rink, a gymnasium, and a general community space. By the 1940's city offices began to occupy a portion of the building and eventually all city operations relocated to the Armory as the city acquired the building in the 1950s.

Over the years, the building has adapted and changed to meet the community’s needs. Various remodels have affected the interior of the building and all exterior elevations. A new, second level was installed with an extension of the original mezzanine. Eventually a basement was dug out and constructed. On the exterior, building additions have been constructed and later removed, especially along the alley facade. New windows and openings have been installed on all facades and the roof’s eaves have been extended and one eave, subsequently, returned to its original depth, while the roof material has shifted between wood shingles, metal and asphalt shingles over time.

The building was designated a local historic landmark in 1974 (as well as Conner Park) and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In the fall of 2021, city hall operations were relocated from the Armory to its present location at Rio Grande Place. The county courts temporarily relocated to the building during renovation of the county facility and presently some city departments are located in the building. ACRA’s visitor center and offices temporarily relocated to Armory Hall in May 2025.

Public Engagement

The project has been informed by over a decade of community conversation, with substantial outreach beginning in 2022. Three engagement efforts resulted in approximately 1,000 open house attendees and survey respondents, with the most recent engagement effort occurring in June 2024.

• 1^st Engagement effort, 2022 (February 2022 and April 2022 summary reports)
• 2md Engagement effort, 2023 (October 2023 summary report)
• 3^rd Engagement Effort, 2024 (July 2024 summary report)

City Council Direction

The City Council has conducted numerous work sessions and meetings to advance this project both with proposed interior programing and exterior changes. The following Council meeting videos and direction guided the application.

• May 28, 2024 Work Session (Agenda, Packet, Video)

• August 19, 2024 Work Session (Agenda, Packet, Video)

• August 27, 2024 Regular Meeting Providing Direction Regarding a Visitor Center in the Project (Agenda, Packet, Video)

• October 8, 2024 Regular Meeting Providing Direction on the Project (Agenda, Packet, Video)

• January 13, 2025 Work Session (Agenda, Packet, Video)

• February 11, 2025 Regular Meeting Confirming Direction on the Project (Agenda, Packet, Video)

Current Design

Armory Hall has experienced programming changes and remodels over time, a testament to the ability of the building to meet changing community needs. The project has been progressed with consideration of the extensive community and City Council feedback, with the goal of creating a ‘third place’ for the community to gather that is anchored by food and allows for flexible use of the building. Varying sized gathering spaces are developed into the program of the building and a visitor center is included.