"Historic Buddhist temple in Brighton being renovated for new use
By Megan Mitchel The Denver Post PUBLISHED: May 17, 2016 at 9:48 am
BRIGHTON — A 76-year-old Buddhist temple in downtown Brighton that has been abandoned and depreciating for a decade is in the middle of a restoration that will repurpose it as a tap room, restaurant or brewery by the end of the summer.
“The location is very good. It’s right next to U.S. 85, on the gateway when you come into Brighton,” said Carolyn Corogin, managing director of interior design at Denver-based C2 Studio. “The building is so visible, and its back faces directly west, so we built three giant, sectional doors on the second level that lead onto a new, steel deck.”
The structure at 21 S. First Ave. was built by the Japanese-American community in Brighton in 1940 during World War II and became a central worship and gathering place for Buddhists there. When Corogin bought the building last May, she learned about its history and the strife overcome by its founders, and she pushed for it to be designated as a local historic building.
“The Ku Klux Klan marched against it, but the mayor of Brighton at the time welcomed the Japanese-American community,” she said. “I really grew to love the building in this process because it’s not just something that was built — there was a lot of heart and the effort that went into it and it deserves to be preserved.”
Corogin began renovations of the 5,327-square-foot building, which was decommissioned 10 years ago, in March.
She envisions the site becoming a cornerstone of downtown Brighton once it’s complete in the next couple of months.
“I thought a tap room would be perfect,” Corogin said. “There are two other brew pubs in the area, so what I’m trying to do is make a connection and make this an area where you would want to come and bike downtown and spend time in the area.”
As Brighton continues to redevelop its downtown area, city officials are emphasizing the need to preserve its historic roots.
“For the past several decades, the downtown district has been a gathering place for Brighton’s residents,” said Gary Montoya, manager of the Downtown Brighton Initiative. “We feel we must maintain the historic characteristics as we continue to strengthen the business community and create a unique downtown experience.”
The Brighton Historic Preservation Commission launched a campaign this month to seek resident input on which buildings and sites within the city should be pursued for historic designation. The project “To Designate or Not to Designate” was also created to educate resident about the process of historical designation.
“We are interested in what building, structure or site Brighton residents would hate to see lost. Once an historic property is lost, it is lost forever,” said Robin Kring, a historic preservation commissioner for Brighton. “We have a watch list of approximately 500 properties at least 50 years old, so prioritizing is obviously a necessity.”
The Buddhist temple in Brighton is also one of 13 structures across Colorado that received income tax credits this year through the new Commercial Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and History Colorado that aims to preserve historically valuable commercial buildings. The temple project received $27,000.
“This project is a preservationist’s dream come true,” Kring said. “Not only is this commercial redevelopment saving a treasured landmark — where we can experience a sense of place for our past — it is creating a new, fun and exciting place for us to experience and is adding to the sustainability of our local economy.”
Another building in Brighton, the Cannery Lofts at 238 N. Main St., received $599,700 from the tax credit program.
“Downtown Brighton has several historic buildings with many of the structures being well over 100 years old,” Montoya said. “We encourage potential developers and new businesses to be conscious of the district’s existing historic value as they consider downtown Brighton as an option.” " (from (
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