COLORADO SPRINGS — Students from UCCS are working to preserve some of the history of the Colorado Springs City Auditorium, through storytelling. They are inviting the community to come downtown to share and record their favorite memories at the century old performing arts venue.
Originally commissioned in 1923 the city auditorium is celebrating 100 years serving the arts and culture community in downtown Colorado Springs. The large building off East Kiowa Street and Weber, has had many visitors come through its doors. One of those is Brian Parsons.
“This is my favorite building in the entire city,” Parsons said.
Parsons is the volunteer coordinator for the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective. The collective currently manages the auditorium. Parsons began working in the auditorium at the end of July.
“Some of the oldest memories that people share was when they watched the circus here when they were younger,” Parsons said.
Many performers, entertainers, tourists and locals have ventured into the city auditorium. This includes Snoop Dogg, a performance from the Harlem Globetrotters, and even Johnny Cash back in 1968.
The collective had a plan to renovate the historic building, but failing to secure enough funding, those plans were paused.
“It's really remarkable, the vision of the space, so well seen,” Parsons said.
The building faces an uncertain future. The collective will hand it over to the city on November 1st.
“If history has shown us anything it is that this building is pretty resilient,” Parsons said.
The city auditorium is a massive building with the main hall/gymnasium, the cafe/kitchen area, and a theater. Those are just a few of the more visited areas.
The old building has many unique features like a storage room, accessible only through a wardrobe. It also has beautiful decor such as wood molding from floor to ceiling, antique lighting, and grand hallways.
“I love all these old chandeliers,” Parsons said.
Below the main hall and theater, lies more storage and dark narrow staircases, where many of the visitors have never gone before.
“These are narrow staircases that lead to the stage, there is all this cool stuff back here,” Parsons said.
A room in the basement was at one time used for model trains. Parsons said before then, it was a shooting range.
“At one point in time, the Colorado Springs police department had a shooting range down here,” Parsons said.
One of the individuals the UCCS students interviewed, at the city auditorium, was Victoria Heim.
“Well the city auditorium to me is very full of history, it is very full of the future and possibility,” Heim said.
Heim is originally from Denver and has a passion for arts and poetry. She is a poet herself. Heim first came to the city auditorium in 2005. She would continue to visit the auditorium to share holiday dinners with the Springs Rescue Mission.
“That spirit of giving and giving back is the sole part of what auditoriums should be doing, so it is a great place for any kind of venue,” Heim said.
It's a sacred place for Heim and she hopes the city will continue to make it available so more people can enjoy it.
"I think this could be the focal point of how a city preserves its history but guarantees for future young people a place to fall in love with and come together," Heim said.
Parsons said it's going to be hard not working in the building. He hopes whatever happens, the message on the wall will remain the same.
“For the use of the people for the glory of the city,” Parsons said.
Parsons said before the collective gives the city oversight of the auditorium on November 1st, they are going to be hosting multiple guest performances and concerts in the auditorium.
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