Each week, we talk with our colleagues at The Colorado Sun about the stories they're following. This time, Editor David Krause joined us to discuss the planned closure of Broomfield’s 1stBank Event Center and the settlement reached between police and the family of Christian Glass.
After 16 years, 1stBank Event Center in Broomfield will close in November. The building is expected to be demolished by next spring.
At the height of the venue’s success, it hosted semi-pro hockey and basketball, roller derby and concerts.
“But then the last few years, it's really just not had a whole lot of events there,” Krause told KUNC. “It costs a little over $1 million a year just to run it. If they kept it open, it was going to need almost $6 million in renovations over the next couple of years. And really, what I think it came down to was that the city felt like they weren't getting a return on that investment.”
In another story, a settlement has been reached with the family of 22-year-old Christian Glass after he was killed by police.
Glass’s parents are set to receive $19 million total in settlement funds from the law enforcement agencies that were on scene when he was killed in Clear Creek County.
"It’s the largest [wrongful death] settlement in the state of Colorado and one of the largest in the country, as far as police shootings go,” Krause said.
The county is paying more than half of the financial damages and it will also form a crisis prevention team to address training needs for responding to mental health crises.
Another part of the settlement is the display of some of Glass’s art at the Colorado State Capitol. Krause said the Glass family placed importance on the non-financial terms of the settlement.
“They wanted some substance and some training, and really to keep his memory alive in some fashion,” Krause said.
