Preparations begin on expansion of Broadmoor convention center

Workers are wasting no time in preparing for construction of an expansion of The Broadmoor convention center in Colorado Springs.

On Wednesday — a day after opponents lost their final appeal of the project before the city council — workers were installing a security fence around a wooden fence bordering the construction zone. The wooden fence will be replaced by a retaining wall.

Heavy equipment moved dirt and materials on the vacant lot, which used to be a gravel parking lot for up to 600 employees.

Some people thought that the closure of Mesa Avenue along the construction zone was part of the convention center project, but according to a resident, it’s actually due to replacement of natural gas lines by Colorado Springs Utilities.

But consider it a sign of things to come for the area.

Jennifer Keyes noticed the construction as she walked past it.

“I’ve only lived in the area for a year and a half, and my only experience is with the Space Symposium,” she said. “It definitely causes a lot of traffic issues. But if The Broadmoor does a good job of controlling pedestrian traffic, which tends to be the biggest issue around here, it may not be so bad.”

Tim Campbell regularly bikes through the area and said increased traffic congestion has made cycling more of a challenge.

“I can see benefits (of the convention center expansion) both ways,” he said. “It’s good to bring more commerce into the area, but I also respect the wishes of residents to avoid more traffic and people.”

Several people who live nearest the construction rent homes or live in them only during the summer, and said they can endure the project.

But a man who asked to remain anonymous said he’s in the process of selling his home and moving away from the city.

“I remember how this area used to be,” he said. “It’s growing too much and there are too many problems that aren’t being solved.”

Residents have mixed feelings about how the expansion will affect the neighborhood.

“I feel like the rich guy who owns The Broadmoor, he’ll take care of his property,” a woman said.

“The Broadmoor is just going to bleed us dry and make as much money as it can,” a man said.

Workers are on a tight schedule to finish the project by next March — a month before The Broadmoor hosts the symposium, its biggest event of the year.

Jack Damioli, The Broadmoor’s president and CEO, said this year’s symposium would be the last time for using a temporary tent erected on the construction site.

Strong winds during last year’s event canceled activities for a day, he said.

“We can’t afford to have that happen again,” Damioli explained during Tuesday’s public hearing before the council.

Damioli said the expansion will ensure that the symposium stays in town and doesn’t move to another city, even though a symposium official testified that no one has asked the event to move.

The expansion also will fill more beds at The Broadmoor’s five-star hotel during the offseason months between October and April, he said.

“This isn’t good just for The Broadmoor,” Damioli said. “We only have 784 rooms. The more major events we have, the more that also helps other hotels in town and brings in revenue for the city.”

Opponents expressed concern about the length of time required to evacuate people from the area in the event of a wildfire, but Broadmoor officials said they review their evacuation plan twice a year and believe an evacuation wouldn’t be a problem.