The new front for The Veterans Center building is revealed

April 24, 2025 Shannon Lukens

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By Shannon Lukens.

The plywood façade in front of the Veterans Center building on Lincoln Ave. came down on Thursday. The building, which was built in 1898, has been undergoing a $3 million renovation. Kent Frederickson has been overseeing the project for the Veterans Center.

“So today is a really exciting day for us. This building really reflects our recognition of those who came before us, the veterans who were here and have been here. Then the building itself will then serve our veterans going forward.”

Forty percent of the building front from 1915 was rehabilitated for the new front. It will be painted a cream and gray color next week.

The Veterans Building is on the Steamboat Springs Register of Historic Places. This building used to be a general store in 1899. It was also the second bank in Steamboat Springs. It has been a rollerskating rink, a bowling alley, an auto body shop, the local post office and a lot more. The VFW purchased the building in 1948.

The building was damaged in a fire next door in 2019, and insurance didn’t cover all of the repairs so the local veterans worked together to get something done.

Work started in July 2024. Old bottles of whiskey and containers of tobacco from England were found during demolition. Part of the walls were brick and others were cinder block. Doors to other buildings on either side were hidden by drywall. Some of the original glass is being re-used.