The Downtown Development Authority is asking the city of Grand Junction for an additional $1 million as part of a plan to remodel the Avalon Theatre.

Council members heard the request Monday morning during a special meeting. They will not vote on whether to allocate the funds until Wednesday night's council meeting at the earliest.

As part of the 'core' plan, several infrastructure issues in the current building would be addressed including life safety and ADA standards, restroom facilities, seating capacity, and IT infrastructure. 

Additional opportunities in a 'buildout' plan outline expanding the current building east with a three-story structure that would include a multipurpose room, expanded lobby, and rooftop and sidewalk terraces.

The costs so far identified by officials are between $6-$7 million for the 'core' project and between $12-$14 million for both the 'core' and 'buildout' plans together.

So far, the DDA has allocated $3 million of its funds for the project. It has also secured $110,000 already from the city and $600,000 in private contributions.

The DDA hopes to raise a few more million dollars before sending the project out for bids by March of 2013. If fundraising goes well, officials say construction could start as early as April of 2013 and be completed a year later.