Backers of community colleges are expected to square off with historical preservationists for gambling proceeds at the statehouse today, with a wedge-shaped building nestled in downtown Denver casting a shadow over the proceedings.
The way the Colorado Historical Society plans to purchase a $112 million replacement for that familiar building — the state’s history museum — would eat up half of its rapidly dwindling operations budget.
The society’s plight has some lawmakers wondering whether it’s best to postpone the project until the economy recovers.
And historians continue to battle academics for a bigger portion of new gambling revenue expected to be generated by Amendment 50, which boosted betting limits and casino hours to fund community colleges. The bill detailing the allocation of that money is to get its first committee hearing today.
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, carried the bill to allow the new museum and a subsequent new judicial complex in 2008, but said he’s less sure about the project this year.
“There are large questions about the wisdom of moving forward with this project,” Penry said. The historical society “is trying to get their hands on as much Amendment 50 money as they can, while gambling money continues to plummet.”
Historical society leaders argue that costs climb the longer they wait and that the project is supposed to eventually save the state money. They want to close on a land deal this spring and wrap up construction by spring 2011.
The museum project was never supposed to be controversial.
Gov. Bill Ritter and a bipartisan group of lawmakers ushered in legislation that boosted court fees as collateral to borrow against. The plan is to build a museum at a new location, tear down the old wedge and erect a new justice center to house the state Supreme Court, court of appeals and the attorney general’s offices.
It would leave the society with $5 million in annual debt payments on the museum. That’s money some wonder if they’ll have.
By law it must spend the bulk of its cash on historical preservation, which left about $9.5 million last year for museums, educational outreach, administration and other programs.
That pot, fed mostly by rapidly tanking gambling revenue, is expected to take a hard hit.
Museum advocates like society chief operating officer Katheryn Hill say they’re reluctant to scale back the new museum because it’s meant to last for decades.
She’ll make her case in committee today.
So will community college advocates like Rhonda Bentz who’ve stuck by a very simple mantra: Voters approved Amendment 50 to provide money for community colleges.
“It was pretty clear-cut,” Bentz said. “The will of the voters was . . . the money would go to community colleges.”
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
