Thornton, CO
Located just north of Denver, Colorado, the City of Thornton is experiencing explosive growth. This created a need for a new community center to provide expanded services and unique amenities, including a state-of-the-art video conference room, study spaces, a 3D creation lab, a multipurpose room for various classes, indoor basketball courts, and a boxing ring. In addition, an Anythink Library, managed by a separate organization.
“The project initially aimed to refresh a 50-year-old community center but evolved into a new 35,000-square-foot facility to better serve the community. It now includes a 12,000-square-foot branch library through a partnership with Anythink Libraries.”
— Ryan Sachetti, Project Manager at Ford AV
Though managed independently, the Community Center and the Anythink Library required thoughtful coordination, installation, and technology design to ensure seamless operation across the entire building. Ford AV was selected as the AV integrator for both projects based on its proven experience with the city and its ability to adapt to complex timelines, shifting scopes, and overlapping responsibilities.
Community Connectivity Through AV: Thornton Community Center
What began as a refresh evolved into a brand-new structure designed to house multiple meeting spaces, flexible-use rooms, fitness studios, and city services. This included the integration of AV systems across every corner of the building, including paging systems, conferencing solutions, and performance-ready sound infrastructure.
Tailored AV Systems for Every Environment
The heart of the community center is a large, divisible “Flex Space” designed for meetings, classes, and public events. The space features dual projection screens and laser projectors, wireless and hardwired input capabilities, and fully integrated audio and control systems. A 10-port control processor and dual 7″ wall-mounted touch panels allow for intuitive management of both rooms, either separately or combined, depending on the event.
AV systems were implemented throughout the facility for a range of specialized rooms. Bluetooth audio systems give instructors control of sound sources in the weight room and dance studio. The cardio room features distributed displays with fitness content. A room available for residents to reserve includes an 85″ display, ceiling-mounted microphones, and wireless collaboration tools.
Engineering Under Pressure
The City of Thornton Community Center presented some technical hurdles. Power was not available in key zones during early phases of the installation, requiring technicians to use temporary “turtles” and run 200-foot CAT cables to complete testing and keep the project on schedule. Unique architectural elements and varied acoustics across oddly shaped rooms led to extensive equalization work and custom tuning in each space. Additionally, the audio system design had to be adapted to work with the client’s existing phone system for emergency paging.
Despite the complexity, all of the city’s needs were met. At the grand opening event, the engineering team arrived on site early to perform a final check and ensure every system operated flawlessly.
A Modern Take on Libraries: Anythink at Thornton
Located within the same structure but governed by a separate organization, the Anythink Library represents a forward-thinking approach to community literacy and education. With services that go beyond books, including vinyl record rentals, hiking gear checkouts, and teen-friendly gaming lounges, the space required AV systems that were simple, accessible, and tailored to a wide user base.
Huddle Spaces & Hands-On Learning
The Anythink Library has five huddle-style meeting rooms. These spaces include 55″ displays paired with Logitech MeetUp all-in-one conferencing cameras to support video calls and hybrid collaboration. To maintain ease of use, each room features Solstice pods and MPC3 wall-mounted control panels.
The library’s “Teen Space” includes a pair of 55″ displays connected to gaming consoles and a simple control interface, allowing young visitors to engage with digital media in a safe, managed environment. The Makerspace, another key feature of the library, includes display and audio systems to support the hands-on work of 3D printing, Cricut crafting, and creative workshops.
A Unique Coordination Effort
Though modest in size and scope, the Anythink Library project presented unique logistical challenges due to its location inside the larger Community Center. The paging system installed for the City of Thornton extended into shared spaces within the library, requiring financial coordination between entities and precise technical implementation to avoid conflicts in control and access.
“This project presented a unique challenge—two clients occupying the same building and sharing systems. It required us to be very strategic in our technology design to accommodate the shared environments and ensure the two clients were satisfied with the results.”
— Brad Jones, Account Manager at Ford AV
Despite the tight deadlines and balancing stakeholders, the team completed the project in time for the grand opening, a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by city officials and library staff alike.
Impact and Ongoing Partnership
The successful delivery of AV systems for both the Thornton Community Center and the Anythink Library showcases Ford AV’s ability to meet diverse client needs within a shared environment. The audiovisual systems installed enhance day-to-day operations and improve the public’s access to services, education, and engagement. Whether hosting a local government meeting, a dance class, or a community maker session, the building now functions as a high-tech hub tailored to a modern city’s evolving needs.
With successful projects throughout Colorado and across the United States, Ford AV continues to be a trusted partner for municipal and public space technology solutions.
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