Leaders Mourn Lost of Another Local Legend
Rick Langenberg
Help! We can’t function in an inoperable building anymore, whether it’s a historic gem or not.
This was the plea of leaders of the Cripple Creek Police Department, as the city leaders mull plans to grapple with a desperate situation that gets worse every day. The need for a new cop shop capped a recent city council workshop, with leaders briefly outlining possible solutions to what has turned into a crisis scenario.
For decades, the police department has operated out of an outdated building that may have won awards for historic preservation due to the structure revering the legacy of the Bell Brothers. Sherman and Edward Bell were prominent historic figures in Cripple Creek, arriving in 1893 and establishing businesses in real estate, insurance, and investments. They are best known for constructing the historic Bell Brothers Building, which still remains a notable landmark. Sherman Bell was known additionally for his role as a U.S. Marshal and as a Teller County sheriff during the peak of the district’s mining conflicts. He established quite a reputation for his stern way of dealing with striking mining workers and even certain newspaper outlets.
Preserving this site and using it as a police cop shop became a plan heavily championed by Brian Levine, the city’s first historic preservation director. But that was back in the early 1990s, shortly after gaming began, when the town strived hard to preserve its old buildings.
History aside, the building has seriously deteriorated over the years and now deserves a F-minus for functionality. According to Police Chief Bud Bright, the building has been condemned at least three times. “We really have to do something,” said Bright, following a Feb. 4 council workshop.
Various solutions have been proposed in the past, but a number of pursuits fell through, including one that even considered using the old jail facility, and adding an addition. Now, time is running out.
The need for a new police headquarters emerged as a key goal of Cripple Creek’s most recent master plan, with this project elevated as a top priority. But finding a more immediate, realistic solution has emerged as the main hurdle. And the longer the city waits or delays plans for a new police building, the price tag will escalate.
The city does have property on the eastside of town, near the Golden Nugget casino. But questions remain about ingress and egress and response time for an emergency from this site, according to officials.
A number of ideas and challenges were presented at the workshop, based on initial reports.
According to Mayor Annie Durham, the council and Administrator Frank Salvato fully understand the seriousness of the agency’s plight and will be reviewing a variety of potential sites. Salvato is expected to review other potential sites, besides the city’s property in the east part of town. The advantage of that site is that the town owns the property and would not face any acquisition costs. To date, no possible police building sites exist involving a current building that could get renovated. “We would have to construct a new building,” said Bright
Former Police Chief Mike Rulo presented formal building plans for a new site nearly 10 years ago, a project that would cost around $5 million. But at the time, the council opted not to move forward with this plan, according to Bright. The COVID epidemic also proved to be another obstacle, with Cripple Creek experiencing a significant plunge in revenue.
But now, the council appears poised to take action, at least from a planning stage.
Once more information is compiled, Durham expects this to become a regular agenda item.
The Loss of Another Local Legend
In other city news, Durham at their Feb. 4 council session sadly announced the passing of former councilman and longtime resident and businessman Maurice Woods. The mayor noted Woods was a community icon for years.
Woods gained quite a reputation in Cripple Creek and actually played a key role in the original development of the Cripple Creek Ice Fest and the city’s push for special events. Both he and his wife Lois have owned and operated the General Store and other businesses for years. More recently, he was involved in the push for more housing.
Woods also tried to get support for a number of key future tourism projects, such as developing a historic trolley system. Woods also was a key instrumental figure, as Cripple Creek transitioned from a tourist-based summer-only town into a gaming destination.
In recent years, the city has lost many of its old-time heroes and colorful personalities. Maurice Woods definitely fit into this category. Former Mayor Milford Ashworth, another notable legendary figure, also passed away a number of months ago.
