AURORA | The Aurora Cultural Arts District is on its way to becoming brighter this summer as the city begins the first phase of an expansive lighting project along, and branching off of, East Colfax Avenue.
Early next month city workers are expected to begin the process of adding eight street lights, 27 pedestrian lights and about 2,500 feet of conduit to East Colfax sidewalks and their peripheries, according to city documents.
The project began with a feasibility study conducted in late 2014 and early 2015 that determined where the district needed additional lighting.
The study found that the areas most in need of lighting were the blocks of Dayton Street and Dallas Street that run just south of Colfax. Two small parcels near the Aurora Fox Arts Center were also deemed a high priority. Those areas will be where the bulk of the new lamps will be located, according to Julie Patterson, spokeswoman for the city.
In total, the new lights, conduit and energy meters will cost $865,100 over the course of two phases of construction. The project has been entirely funded by Community Development Block Grants, according to Cindy Colip, the city’s transportation project delivery manager.
Lighting in the ACAD has been a lingering issue for local creatives and city officials alike in recent years as they have battled longstanding, negative perceptions of the area.
Tracy Weil, managing director of the ACAD, said that the additional illumination could be a boon for keeping patrons in the area for longer stints of time, particularly after theater performances let out around 10 p.m.
“I think (the lights) can really help attract more people, especially at night,” he said. “We have a lot of theater performances and if it’s a bright, cheery environment it will attract more people to come out, stay out, and have a good time.”
A separate effort to help illuminate the ACAD came in 2012, when local artist Susan Cooper installed a public art piece called “Spotlight Aurora,” which included several LED lights fixed on the facades of multiple buildings in the area.
However, the impact of the installation was short lived as the piece was damaged in a hail storm in June 2015. The city’s Art in Public Places Program is working with Cooper on restoring the installation to its original state, according to Roberta Bloom, public art coordinator for the city.
The first phase of the lighting project is expected to be complete in about four months and eat up about $615,000 of the overall budget, according to planning documents. The second phase will account for the remaining $250,100 and could be completed by early 2017, though an official timeline has not yet been determined, according to Colip and city documents.
“As the Colfax Arts District develops into a vibrant working arts district, with venues hosting activities and shows throughout the evening, the additional lighting will enhance the pedestrian experience, help to create a people-friendly environment and promote walkable routes within the Colfax Arts District,” Colip wrote in an email.
The pedestrian lights will be mounted on 12-foot poles, while the traffic lamps will sit on poles that are 30-feet tall, according to planning documents. Annual energy and maintenance costs of the lights added in the first phase of construction will total roughly $1,500, according to the feasibility study.
The second phase of the project could result in more lights along Colfax sidewalks and plazas between Florence and Dallas Streets, as well as along the northern blocks of Dayton and Elmira Streets and Del Mar Parkway to the south.
Satya Wimbish, vice president of the ACAD board of directors and owner of The Collection gallery on East Colfax, said that the extra lights may help pedestrians feel safer when walking to or from their cars.
“I know when I travel through, if I’m on foot, it’s always nice if there’s some type of lighting around,” she said.