Aspen City Council has chosen a public-private model for the Old Power House. Council members decided that what’s been dubbed the “Power Plant” proposal is the best fit for the previous Art Museum building on Mill Street. It's a combination of the Aspen Brewing Company and small business incubator space. It also includes local TV station Aspen 82 and space for meetings and events. Council member Ann Mullins described it as “a unique Aspen mix of fun and work.”
Aspen 82’s David Cook helped spearhead the winning proposal. He says making space open to the community will be a given, with "full access for sure. We have a model that encourages new, creative ideas,” continued Cook, “and that needs to be hashed out a little bit more, as far as the actual revenue, or the revenue cost model and the free structure. But... in negotiation there's nothing that we're not willing to discuss as far as access."
Aspen city attorney Jim True will be double-checking whether the original request for proposal had limitations on having a for profit company in the building. If there are, Council will revisit the matter. Now representatives of the operation and city officials will begin negotiating a lease. Estimated rent on the city-owned property is about $250,000 a year.
