Over the past seven months, the Hiawatha Gardens Task Force III has worked with BVH Architects to develop eight options for the design and use of the historic dance hall building. Four alternatives for revising the current parking lot design to accommodate all modes of transportation have also been developed.
In March, the task force conducted two community meetings to solicit community reaction to the options and alternatives. Consistent responses were submitted regarding the building options and site alternatives.
• Almost 80 percent favored a maximum building occupancy in the range of 500 to 760 people;
• The most popular building uses were, in descending order, musical performances, dances, community meetings, lectures, community performances and yoga/workout classes;
• Having an adjacent restroom building north of the dance hall, as opposed to locating it on the southwest side near Fountain Creek, was favored by 68 percent;
• A city proposal to include the Parking Office on the site was favored by 83 percent of responses, while 58 percent preferred it be located in a building adjacent to, rather than inside, the historic dance hall building;
• Options included a large community plaza just west of the dance hall, and 70 percent of the responses favored such a plaza;
• The most favored vehicular entrance/exits to the property were a two-way entrance/exit in the northeast corner of the property off El Paso Boulevard, supplemented by a one-way exit onto Old Man’s Trail;
• Most participants favored landscaping plans with an emphasis on breaking up paved areas with low maintenance and pollinator plantings.