The results of a recent survey and open house on what to do with the Aspen Armory showed a clear preference among residents for a location for a dining space within the Armory, which the City Council considered on Monday.

The survey, which lasted two weeks and ended on August 14, provided additional insights that were discussed during the working session.

A proposed food hall concept received significant support, with 41% of votes in favor of this option, while a restaurant/bar concept received 9%. Overall, half of participants expressed a desire for food and beverage services in the building. Other proposed uses, including a visitor center (14%), community lounge (11%), and flexible multi-purpose space (9%), received less support.

The first program concept, Option #1, focuses on a food hall and prioritizes a variety of dining options. This concept calls for the main level to house three food vendors, dining and lounge areas, and a full-service bar.

The mezzanine would serve as a communal lounge, while the upper level would mirror the main level with additional food stalls and a bar. The lower level would house a food stall, dining area, tap wall and game room. In total, the concept includes seven kitchens and three bars with a total capacity of approximately 335 dining seats, plus 96 seats in the communal lounge.

The second concept, Option #1, proposes a more diverse mix of uses. This plan reduces the number of kitchens to five, eliminates bar and food service in the basement, and introduces spaces for non-kitchen vendors.

The main level would house two food stalls and a full-service bar, while the mezzanine would serve as a communal lounge. The upper level would include three food stalls, dining areas, a private dining/function room and a bar, while the lower level would offer flexible space for events. This concept envisions a total of five kitchens and two bars with a dining capacity of around 235 people, as well as 100 seats in the communal lounge.

The last open house had about 80-90 people in attendance, which was significantly less than the previous open house. The survey showed 74 attendees. The next Armory open house in 2023 had 150-200 people in attendance.

Several possible locations for a visitor centre have been proposed, of varying sizes, to gather public opinion. The City Council wants a visitor centre, but the exact location has yet to be decided.

70% of open house and community survey participants preferred option #2 because it offered the most benefit to the Aspen community. Key features that excited people included restaurant vendors, flexible space, and an indoor/outdoor bar.

The majority of the City Council preferred option 2.

“The survey did not primarily ask whether community members would like to see only food vendors at the Armory,” said Aspen Mayor Torre.

He also said food vendors are part of any plan.

“The advisory votes held on this issue were not informative enough for the public,” he said.

Councillor John Doyle responded: “I am concerned about the direction this is going.”

He further emphasized the problems that the presence of so many food vendors at the Armory creates for other restaurants in the area.

“If we plan a food court and this design doesn’t work, we can be flexible and allow other options,” Doyle said.

For Option 2, which would provide prefabricated kitchens for each restaurant, the City Council raised concerns about flexibility in the use of the spaces.

Another issue has been the subsidisation of food stalls. Currently, the concept does not provide for subsidised stalls, raising concerns about the running costs for owners and the potential impact on food prices.

“I want something that is sustainable for the community,” Torre said. “If we charge market price, we’re less likely to get back the affordability factor that’s built into this.”

City Council member Bill Guth said Aspen currently has a reputation for being too expensive to visit.

He further explained how he wanted to counteract this reputation with the Armory Hall project.

“There just aren’t many affordable restaurant options and we need more variety,” Guth said.

The use of open spaces was another wish that the city council would have liked to take into account in the design.

City Council member Sam Rose said, “I think a pool table or shuffleboard, something like a game room that offers more activities would be great.”

City Councilman Ward Hauenstein said he was concerned about the large number of bars in the area and would like to see the Armory become a place for people of all ages.

As the process continues, the design team plans to submit an updated schematic design in response to City Council comments on October 8.