The RTD will reopen the Downtown Boulder Station lobby on Feb. 19 after over a year of renovations to replace the building’s interior ductwork, which was contaminated with methamphetamines last year.
The inside of the station at 1800 14th St. in Boulder was closed last January after an investigation into strong odors emitting from a restroom revealed levels of meth exceeding Center for Disease Control limits, according to Regional Transportation District news releases. Residue was also detected in the ductwork and was impossible to clean out, necessitating a full replacement of the ventilation system.
“The collective goal of all employees involved in this project was to ensure the station could be reopened in a safe condition,” said RTD General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson in a Monday release. “While illicit drug abuse is a societal issue that is not unique to RTD, it is our responsibility to provide employees and the public with a space that is clean and welcoming to inhabit.”
The agency spent $295,000 on external contractors to remediate the methamphetamine contamination, including testing for contamination, repairing areas affected by replacing all ductwork and repainting the station interiors, said Project Manager Pauline Haberman.
The new ducts installed in the station have exterior insulation, allowing for the insides to be cleaned, the release noted. Additionally, restroom ventilation was improved with more powerful exhaust fans that will keep smoke within those spaces.
The RTD also gave the lobby of the station a refresh, repainting the walls, adding a new coating to the benches and deep cleaning and sealing the main tile floor.
The agency will use its police department — now made up of many sworn officers instead of a traditionally contracted security agency — to proactively reduce potentially dangerous situations, Haberman said.
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Michael Braithwaite
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