Masonic Lodge - La Junta

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Phase II: Rehabilitation of the original 3rd and 4th floor windows - Completed May 2024! Otero Partners, Inc. received a History Colorado-State Historical Fund grant to rehabilitate the original 3rd and 4th-floor windows.  Funds from the historic preservation tax credit from the roof project were used to meet the cash match requirement for the grant.  The grant kick-off meeting was held in August 2023.  Working with the project architects Form+Works  Design Group and project manager Jane Daniels, a request for qualified bids was released.  Heritage Windows Restoration, LLC (a historic preservation contractor specializing in historic windows and doors) was selected for the project.  The pre-construction meeting was held on November 28, 2023, and Heritage mobilized to begin work in early December 2023.  

Phase III: funding received! In January 2024, Otero Partners, Inc. received notification they had been awarded a History Colorado-State Historical Fund grant to develop the construction documents for the interior and exterior rehabilitation of the building, including the first-floor storefronts. The kick-off meeting for the project was held on April 23, 2024.

In the April 2023 History Colorado - State Historical Fund grant round, Otero Partners, Inc. received a grant for the next phase of rehabilitation of the Masonic Building. This project will rehabilitate all the remaining historic windows in the building - twelve round 4th floor windows and the fifteen large 3rd floor windows.

Rehabilitation of these windows will help protect the interior of the building, increase energy efficiency and return these historic windows to their original appearance and functionality. This work will be completed to the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation.

Currently, the project team is planning for the next phase of the Masonic Building project which will include development of the complete construction documents for the rehabilitation of the building's interior and the first floor storefronts. Construction documents will include the architectural work and structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and geotechnical engineering for completion of the interior and store rehabilitation.

All roof work was completed in April 2023. All work was completed to meet the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitation of historic properties. Also completed was the planning stage for the interior rehabilitation of the first floor storefronts which can be rented to provide cash-flow for rehabilitation work and building maintenance.

The Colorado Historic Preservation Tax Credit for this work was approved by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Tourism. Those tax credits have been monetized, with funds committed to future phases of the rehabilitation.

Thank you to the History Colorado - State Historic Fund for their support of this important project. Once rehabilitation is complete, the Masonic Building will be able to better serve the people of the region through the work of the District Attorney's office and associated services.

Revitalization and rehabilitation of the Masonic Lodge building in downtown La Junta, owned by Otero, Bent & Crowley Counties, and managed by Otero Partners, Inc. has begun. The project intent is to rehabilitate this large, key building in the community promoting adaptive reuse, historic preservation, economic development, and downtown revitalization. The current primary user of the building is the 16th Judicial District Attorney. Other local retail businesses and programs also rent space. After long delays due to the disruption in supply chain and roofing materials, along with the demand for roofing labor, Deep Roots Craftsmen (a company specializing in historic preservation), our general contractor, and their subcontractors were able to begin work on the roof in early October 2022. Work is anticipated to be completed by December.

Project updates will be provided throughout the project timeline as milestones are reached. Make sure to check back for more updates!