Dylan Anderson / Steamboat Pilot & Today
Hayden students addressed the Hayden Town Council in September 2019 in support of the Hayden Center. Town Manager Mathew Mendisco credits them with convincing council to make it a reality. (File photo)
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS In September 2019, a bunch of Hayden residents testified to Hayden Town Council that it should save a building that meant a lot to them.
“I’ve grown up in that gym,” J.D. Case said. “Every sport I’ve ever played, I’ve been in that gym.”
Case was just 12 at the time, and many of the other residents were students in Hayden, some as young as 5. The building in question was the old high school. The year prior an effort had started to save the building and make it a community center, and while it was possible, there were many risks associated.