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Jazz Studio Opens at Buell Public Media Center

Koelbel and Company, a family-owned real estate development firm and supporter of numerous community education and cultural organizations, has completed the Koelbel KUVO JAZZ Studio at Rocky Mountain Public Media’s (RMPM) new community-focused Buell Public Media Center in Denver’s Arapahoe Square. Opening in stages this summer, the new facility will house the Koelbel KUVO JAZZ Studio — newly-named thanks to a $1 million gift that helped support this project, which serves to preserve cultural diversity in Colorado at a critical time in history. Rocky Mountain Public Media is Colorado’s largest statewide, member-supported, multimedia organization and parent company of Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO JAZZ  and THE DROP.

“KUVO has a proud 33-year history of cultural influence in Colorado, and this generous gift from Koelbel and Company carries forward a legacy of family support for jazz in our community. The Koelbel family’s long history of community investment through generations of philanthropy makes them a perfect partner for KUVO. Their investment continues the founding vision of KUVO as a central venue for jazz set by the Hernandez-Ramos family more than three decades ago,” said Amanda Mountain, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media. “We believe, now more than ever, that KUVO JAZZ is a voice for all, helping to further RMPM’s vision of a Colorado where everyone is seen and heard.”

With the move to the Buell Public Media Center in 2020, Koelbel will join the long list of legacy investors in KUVO who have been instrumental in the preservation and celebration of jazz in Colorado. KUVO JAZZ public radio, a part of Rocky Mountain Public Media and affiliated with NPR, has served the community since 1985 with jazz, blues, news and a weekend lineup of culturally rich diverse programming. The station is on 89.3FM Denver, 89.7FM Breckenridge, and online at KUVO.org and on the KUVO app.

“It’s a new era for KUVO JAZZ, and the hosts and staff want to thank the Koelbel Family Foundation for their investment in the music we’ve played for 35 years. This is a state-of-the-art broadcast studio, and we are eager to invite the community in to see it,” said General Manager, Carlos Lando.

Since its founding in 1952, Koelbel and Company has focused on responsible corporate citizenship and maintains a philosophy that investment in the community, state and country builds a foundation for the future. It has a long history of supporting education and culture in Colorado and believes it is critical to support the culturally diverse content that is alive and well in Colorado.

“Education and cultural advancement have been Koelbel family priorities for decades. We have a great appreciation for the impact of KUVO in the Denver – and larger – community. Supporting this cultural gem is a natural extension of our philanthropic mission,” said Koelbel and Company President and CEO Walter A. “Buz” Koelbel. “We look forward to partnering with KUVO JAZZ, RMPBS and THE DROP to further their cultural and education impact in Colorado and beyond for many years to come.”

RMPM broke ground on the new building, the Buell Public Media Center at 21st and Arapahoe Streets, in November 2018. The building is the result of a $34 million capital campaign, launched by RMPM in 2017 and is scheduled to be fully completed in the fall of 2020. RMPM will be making a full announcement of the building opening, including its community benefits, partners and donors, in early July.

To follow the construction of the Buell Public Media Center, visit http://www.rmpbs.org/capital-campaign/.

Photo courtesy of Koelbel 

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