Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
These are Friday’s stats. The next update will appear in tomorrow morning’s email.
Cases in Jeffco
Yesterday: 2899 Today: 2455
Deaths in Jeffco
Yesterday: 193 Today: 197
Ever Hospitalized in Jeffco
Yesterday: 407 Today: 408 (currently 17)
Known Cases in Golden
Yesterday: 256 Today: 107
The Safer at Home protocol is in effect. Check the City’s site to learn more about what that entails. Everyone is still requested to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when leaving the house. City and County fire restrictions are in place. Clear Creek is open for Kayaks and Canoes. Learn more….
Virtual Golden
6:30-7:25AM Virtual Dynamic Circuit
9-10AM Virtual Power Training
10:15-11:15AM Spanish Story Time with the Library
6:30PM Downtown Development Authority Meeting
The DDA will discuss the various COVID-19 relief programs. They have made $135,760.93 in rent subsidy payments for downtown businesses, food and housing grants (I think those were $20K each), and–in partnership with GURA and the Downtown Legacy Fund–loaned close to $500K to Golden businesses.
Jefferson County received >$100 million in Federal assistance to help with COVID-19 expenses, and they’re giving $1.6 million of it to the City of Golden. The DDA may be able to use that money to cover the rent and food grants they have already made, thus freeing up that money for normal DDA expenditures.
The DDA and the City may combine funds to make the southwest corner of 11th and Washington ADA-accessible. The estimated cost would be about $70K.
Two Golden based non-profit organizations–Foothills Art Center and the Golden Civic Foundation–have indicated interest in submitting a proposal for use of the Astor House. Council has agreed to receive the proposals, and will welcome proposals from any other Golden non-profit organizations.
As a reminder, the Legacy Fund is a pot of approximately $1.8 million that was left in GURA’s coffers when they finished un-blighting downtown. The money is now jointly directed by GURA and the DDA. They will probably use about 1/3 of it to bring the Astor House to a habitable condition (like, install plumbing, electricity, and walls). They are also considering a flood plain project along Ford Street. I haven’t heard much about it, but I gather that Kinney Run, which has been a buried stream since the 1950s, would be brought back above ground.
The former mortuary at 11th and Washington is undergoing both interior and exterior work. The new owners plan to put two restaurants on the first floor and have several apartments on the second.
The Golden Mill at Ford and Water Streets is under construction. That building is destined to be a Food Hall.
Golden History Moment
One hundred years ago today, a crew began dismantling the Hotel Bella Vista on 12th Street (see location on Google maps). Constructed in the early 1880s, the Bella Vista was originally called the “Hotel St. Bernard,” and later renamed the “Bella Vista Hotel.” The building had stores, the post office, a bar, and a billiard room on the first floor, a grand ballroom on the second floor, and 75 guestrooms above. Unfortunately, in that era Golden just couldn’t support a hotel of that size. It was never a commercial success.
A crew of twenty men spent about two months dismantling the building. They began by removing all of the doors, casings, and interior woodwork, then moved onto the root, walls, and flooring.
As the June 17, 1920 Colorado Transcript article said, “There is a vast quantity of excellent material in the big structure. The floor joists are all two by twelves, made of the finest Texas pine. The interior woodwork is of excellent material, and all of the heavy timbering is in good condition. There are almost a half million bricks in the building, and also a large amount of water and gas piping.”
The Golden Transcript (originally called the Colorado Transcript) has been publishing since 1866. The Golden History Museum has been working on digitizing the historic issues. You’ll find old Transcripts online at coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
