Niwot Hall to host public meeting on firehouse redevelopment

On Thursday, May 22, from 5 to 7 p.m., Niwot Hall will hold a public meeting to present plans to renovate the space currently occupied by the former Niwot Volunteer Fire Department Station on the organization's premises.

This plan, pending approval by Boulder County, seeks to modernize and improve the utility of the space. The plan forms a key part of the revised Niwot Master Plan, which received approval from the Local Improvement District (LID) last week.

Niwot Hall is a key historical building at 195 Second Avenue in Niwot, hosting hundreds of events each year. From Scouts and the Rotary Club of Niwot to the annual Christmas Fayre, the Hall advertises itself as a "cornerstone" of the Niwot community. The organization now hopes to attract more traffic and host larger, outdoor events. Part of this vision includes renovating the outdoor space shared between the main building and the former fire station. Both buildings are owned and managed by Niwot Hall, which is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation.

Niwot Hall President Jim Dorvee outlined his organization's specific plans for the space going forward, saying, "We can't and won't do anything to the building (Niwot Hall) itself. It's historic, and our entire goal here is to preserve and maintain that space." Instead, he stressed, the ambitious revitalization of the hall will focus on putting the property around the building to better use. "We want to host more things: weddings, graduations, you name it," he said.

The Niwot Master Plan, created by the Niwot Local Improvement District in conjunction with Niwot-based architectural firm Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, outlines the aspirations of Niwot Hall moving forward. The gravel space behind the hall to the south is to be replaced with an elegant outdoor seating area for events, with the former Niwot Volunteer Fire Department station to be replaced by a more compact, permanent storage and event structure.

"The good thing about the firehouse is that it is a bolted-together structure," Dorvee commented. "There are several parties interested in moving it to a private space or one of the Niwot Youth Sports baseball fields. It will find a home." The station's current role is storing items for Scout Troop 161, the Niwot Business Association, and the Niwot Community Association, continuing a deep history of service to the community.

Biff Warren, a former Niwot Volunteer Fire Department member, said, "The building was Niwot's fire station from the late 1960s until 1983, when the new fire station opened on Niwot Road. At that point, the former station was used for storage and restoration of Engine No. 10, which was a 1940s-era fire truck actually used by the Niwot Volunteer Fire Department until it was retired in the late 1970s."

Warren recalled driving fire trucks, including Engine No. 10, to fire calls before its retirement. "If we got a call and the location was west of the Diagonal, there was a red button in the station to push, which tripped the traffic light at the Niwot Road intersection with the Diagonal. You only had a short time to make it through the intersection before the light turned red again." Engine No. 10 is now used in community parades by Mountain View Fire Rescue.

Now far removed from a 99-year lease that lent the space to Mountain View Fire Rescue, the future of the historic firehouse and the new plans to replace it will go to public comment at a community meeting.

"We're not quite fundraising yet, that's a later stage in the future," Dorvee said after sharing the plans. "But as a nonprofit, we want to get people interested, and this town is full of so many generous people." The public comment meeting will be held at Niwot Hall on Thursday, May 22, from 5 to 7 p.m.